Kxllswxtch

Kxllswxtch showcases an energetic and authentic hybrid of rap and rock styles like grunge and emo on tracks like 2020’s “Crying in the Club,” 2021’s “Waste,” and 2023’s “SOS,” and full-length albums including Disorder (2021) and The Walls Have Eyes (2023). Born Jonathan Whitmer, the Orange County, California native found music an outlet and escape from a troubled family situation; he was raised by his grandparents and experimented with drugs and alcohol at a young age, leading to arrests and ultimately a stint in rehab. He found himself drawn to a pair of popular but wildly dissimilar artists as his primary influences: the straightforward, three-piece rock energy of Nirvana and the bleary, rhythmic lyricism of Future. Once clean from drugs, Whitmer started releasing music as Kxllswxtch in 2017, delivering everything from edgy trap beats (2017’s “CameToKillShit”) to screamo-adjacent vocals (2019’s “Skull Crack”), to downcast, guitar and vocal melodies (2019’s “Gravel”). Signing to the Empire distribution label in 2020, Kxllswxtch’s EP Kill! leaned more toward beats and quickfire lyrics (“Exorcist,” “Raditz”); subsequent releases like 2021’s Disorder and 2023’s The Walls Have Eyes split the difference, switching between styles with aplomb on oft-streamed songs like the acoustic “WASTE” and the trap-inspired “COSMO.” Latest single “SOS,” released in 2023, showcases an even tighter blend of styles for Whitmer, alternating between sun-dappled pop/rock choruses and hints of rapid-fire lyrical delivery. ~ Mike Duquette