Bands Through Town
Meet Kyoto Lo-Fi: The Post-Indie Band Making Waves in St. Louis
BY: Joe Hindle
photos: Cory Weaver
Upon my arrival to Kyoto Lo-Fi’s percussionist’s home and rehearsal space, I was greeted outside by the band’s guitarist, Shannon Bananas, who walked me to the door. Inside, head buzzing with frontman Nico Caruso’s lyrics on “Godot” and embracing the band’s Strokes-esque sound, I was offered cookies and water, and was deeply excited to speak with the musicians behind the band’s innovative sound. After the conversation, I was not disappointed.
KLF originally formed in Dallas after Caruso realized that “making music was cool.” The project is, for all intents and purposes, put together by Caruso, who began writing songs and playing guitar during his senior year of high school. Quite quickly, Caruso realized that he had to create his own project and find his own band members. The entire project is remarkably authentic and cohesive, with Caruso’s vision of a progressive project (all of the songs currently completed—although new songs are occasionally written) as the guiding light.
Caruso, who has Ecuadorian roots, relocated from Dallas to St. Louis and created the second iteration of KLF. A self-prescribed “post-indie” project, the band is composed of Caruso and three St. Louis music veterans: Laura Noelani (drums/percussion), Bananas (guitar) and Bruno Gutierrez (bass). Speaking with the group, the dynamic between Caruso and the band was palpably layered and dynamic.
As seasoned players and locals within the St. Louis music scene, Bananas, Gutierrez and Noelani expressed their surprise and humor at seeing Caruso’s ad for a bassist, guitarist and percussionist. Bananas thought “for sure [the] ad was a scam,” considering how thought-out and established the project was before she got involved. Speaking from experience scrolling through numerous ads for musicians, Bananas was excited to find an ad that had “all this music” and that all she had to do was “learn it.”
Caruso was incredibly open and honest, discussing the different variations of band members he had worked with before landing with the current lineup. Finding the right chemistry and ensuring that he managed to “vibe,” even if it was via phone call, was his primary means of vetting potential band members before moving to St. Louis.
When asked about the band’s name, Caruso mentioned that initially they were called the “Pop Culture Pirates,” but thankfully, that choice didn’t stick. While thinking of band names, he was inspired by the anime series “Fooly Cooly” and bands like the Pillows and the Osees, the latter of which has a “lo-fi” aesthetic.
About eight months later, Kyoto Lo-Fi was official. (He said that ironically, a bandmate in Dallas suggested going with Kyoto Lo-Fi early on in the process, but Caruso said he thought it was the “stupidest fucking name.” Eight months later, he humorously decided to try it out.)
While discussing the St. Louis music scene, the whole band expressed how friendly and collaborative they had each individually found it, working as a musician in the “314,” saying overall that the scene seems “pretty DIY.” That sort of grassroots and innovative sound speaks to the truly collaborative nature and success of some St. Louis-area bands, as the scene continues to progress and stimulate itself in a groundbreaking way. Each band member expressed how easy it was to “make things happen” and to “work with people.” Caruso himself spoke to how the STL music scene differed from the Dallas scene with regards to its competitive nature—or lack thereof.
With a complete catalog of KLF songs, each one has a different sound on a “sonic level,” especially the guitar. This level of variation and uniqueness speaks to the success that KLF has found within STL. Their favorite place to perform has been Off Broadway.
For the open and driving frontman Caruso, thoughtful and artistic Gutierrez, funny and breezy Bananas, and kind and warm Noelani, the sky seems to be the limit. Check out Kyoto Lo-Fi’s shows around the STL area—I’m sure you’ll be hearing much more from this unique and innovative band in the future