Sebastian Konnackel Keeps the Beat Going for Kitsune

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – When Sebastian Konnackel joined the alternative rock band Kitsune, he knew he was home.

The talented drummer had made his mark with a number of bands before arriving with his new band, hoping to find a band that shared his unique musical sensibilities. Today, he is at the heart of the band's sound as it releases its newest single "Grief II,” now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and other platforms. To download the song, click here.

“I’m very excited about being in this band and sharing my experience with them,” he said. “This new song is a great way to introduce the band to those who aren’t familiar with us.”

Kitsune consists of Kurtis “Kala” Lloyd on vocals, Mack Goth on bass, Cameron Parkinson on guitar and Konnackel on drums and percussion, making a contemporary sound that spawned a slew of hit singles such as “Blackpill,” “Grief” and “Dear Mom.”

“The latest single ‘Grief II’ was written in memory of our singer Kurtis’ brother who passed away last June,” Konnackel said. “Like with our previous single it was a little difficult recording the song as we are all in different cities and we had to send in our parts to each other online and then it was sent to our mixing engineer, Jordan Chase to finish.”

Having grown up in India with a passion for music, he taught himself the drums by listening and watching experienced drummers and ultimately developing his own unique style.

“My earliest influences when it comes to heavy music were Linkin Park and System of a Down. Then as I progressed in my drumming, Lamb of God, Slipknot and Dimmu Borgir became my biggest influences,” he recalled. “What inspired me the most about them was their fearlessness, they were making music that most of the mainstream either looked down upon or even despised. They did it purely because of their passion for the music, and that inspired me to do the same thing later in life as well.”

With a Bachelor’s Degree in electronics and communications from BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore, India. Konnackel decided to become a professional musician instead of an engineer and joined a succession of bands, including Rhetoric where he played a major role in developing their unique blend of progressive metal and Indian classical music.

After moving to the U.S., he joined a number of bands including Saint Ee Ha, Scofield and Disruptant before joining Kitsune. While the band continues to record new music during the pandemic, Konnackel is excited about the band’s future prospects.

“I’m looking forward to what the future brings,” he said. “I miss playing live so much. There is a certain energy that you can feel while playing to a crowd of people, all of them listening to you eagerly that you cannot experience playing by yourself. However, I am hopeful all of this shall pass and that I would be able to play in front of people soon.”

For more information, Konnackel is on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.