OurStage

– Sinner’s Swing: As the name would indicate, this band is all about 70s and 80s fun time rock. Diamond Dave would be proud. Bonus: the singer is 14 years old, which means he can start the party, but can’t stay after 10.

Little brother in four-member band no 'backseat driver' Lead singer of Sinner's Swing, who will play in Tea, is 14 years old and writing all the songs, too Members of Sinner's Swing used to get "Are you serious?" looks at gigs because of their 14-year-old lead singer. But once audiences hear Nick Kappen, people stop to pay attention. "We played at a couple of shows, and people were really impressed with Nick's stage presence," says his older brother Chris Kappen, who plays lead guitar. Sinner's Swing, named after the 1981 song "Sinner's Swing!" by Van Halen, is formed by the Kappen brothers, Joshua Barse (bass guitar and backup vocals) and Billy Baker (drums and occasional vocal assistant). Sinner's Swing will play a tie-breaker show against local rock band Mercury to Mars Saturday night. The bands tied for first place during the 360 Bar and Grill Burnout Days Battle of the Bands in July. The winning band will receive $500, an acoustic guitar from Budweiser and other prizes. The competition comes a week after "Sinner's Swing" released its new eight-track EP "Stuck in your head," which includes four new songs and two new recordings from their first EP. "Rock to Live" is the first track on the album, a song that the band members say is their anthem. And while "Hellraiser" has the most plays on their MySpace page, they say "Stuck in Your Head" and "Backseat Driver" are most likely to be radio hits. Nick Kappen writes all the lyrics for the band. He keeps a notebook full of song name ideas, and then works with choruses and verses after his brother has a guitar riff to build off of. The younger Kappen's addition to the band came accidentally. Last January, the band was trying out people for a lead singer spot, and, after seven no's, Chris asked Nick to audition. "Nick came in and immediately had two verses and a chorus done. He blew us all away. No one can write better than my brother," says Chris Kappen, a freshman at South Dakota State University. While he doles out the compliments on his younger brother, the Kappen brothers are quick to note that they have no resemblance to pop rock group the Jonas Brothers. "I don't consider what they do music," Nick Kappen says. Comparisons to David Lee Roth, lead singer for Van Halen, are welcome. Nick Kappen, who recently started taking voice lessons, says he has worked to improve his stage presence and connect with the crowd. Band members want to maintain an arena sound but also want something that people can dance to. They're trying to focus on all-ages shows as well. "We keep surpassing ourselves with each gig," Barse says. The band name itself has a deeper meaning. Baker tells about the popularity of swing music before rock and roll music. "(The name) is going back to the roots of rock and roll." Band members have coincidentally taken advantage of different high school and college crowds because of their age differences. Barse, 21, is a senior at Dakota State University taking classes at USDSU; Baker, 16, is a junior at O'Gorman High School, and Nick Kappen is a freshmen at Roosevelt. Fans have said Sinner's Swing sounds like alternative rock band White Stripe, but Barse is quick to note that the band has its own mix of classic and modern rock. "We definitely have our influences, but it's not our goal to become the next 'insert band.'"