Kids of 88

New Zealand new wave duo

Kids of 88

Kids of 88: Jordan Arts and Sam McCarthy.

Background information
Origin| Auckland, New Zealand
Genres|

* Indie pop
* synthpop
* alternative dance
* indietronica
* electropop
* new wave

Years active| 2008–2014
Labels|

* Dryden Street
* Sony

Members|

* Jordan Arts
* Sam McCarthy

Kids of 88 were a New Zealand new wave duo based in Auckland, New Zealand, consisting of Jordan Arts and Sam McCarthy. They are best known for their 2009 single, "My House". They have since signed through Dryden Street to Sony Music and released the album Sugarpills in August 2010. In 2014, the duo stated that 'the [Kids of 88] project has concluded.'

## Members

[edit]

* Jordan Arts – programming/keyboards
* Sam McCarthy – vocals

## History

[edit]

### 2000–2009: Career beginnings and style

[edit]

It is known that the two have been best friends for ten years. They attended St Peter's College, Auckland, where they formed the band Incursa, winning the 2004 Smokefreerockquest.[1] Sharing a passion for music, they decided to become musicians. The duo have described their music as "a cross between a late 80s police drama intro theme and a sophisticated super hussy. With sleazy basslines and mind-numbingly catchy hooks, Kids of 88 are all about poking tongues and making sweaty suggestive innuendos."[2]

They cite their influences as "Groove, mood, and slutty arrangements. 16th hi hats and hand claps. Culture and couture, Gangster and glamour".[3]

McCarthy is also a member of the band Goodnight Nurse.

### 2010–2011: Sugarpills and extended play

[edit]

In April 2010, Kids of 88 signed a worldwide record deal with Sony Music.[4]

On the back of their debut album release, Kids of 88 are set to tour New Zealand with fellow kiwi indie band The Naked and Famous, the tour will hit the four main centres of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin beginning 30 September.[5]

At the 2010 New Zealand Music Awards, Kids of 88 won 'Single of the Year' and (with Tim Van Dammen) 'Music Video of the Year' for their single "Just a Little Bit".[6]

In November 2010 they toured Australia and in December 2010 they headed to Europe to support Ke$ha on her tour.

In February 2011 they released an EP which included the track "Sugarpills" and 4 other new ones.

In July 2011 they released an extended Sugarpills version to Australia and the United States known as Sugarpills (Australian Edition) which includes the track Sugarpills and two new songs from the EP released into New Zealand in February.

On 8 August 2011 episode of MTV's Teen Wolf entitled "Formality", they were featured as the live band performing at the Beacon Hills formal.[7] During their on screen set, they played "Just a Little Bit", "Ribbons of Light" and "Universe".[8]

### 2012: Modern Love

[edit]

The second studio album, Modern Love[9] was released worldwide on 5 October 2012. The first single "Tucan" was released on 11 May 2012. "Bad Talk" had been confirmed as the second single, with funding for its music video provided by NZ On Air, but has since been changed to "LaLa". Both tracks "Tucan" and "LaLa" had videos released well before the release of the full second album, which were both shot and directed by Levi Beamish. Tracks from the four-week JB Hi-Fi NZ Modern Love pre-order deal include "Bones", "Mercury", "LoveFlow" and "FrenchGreen", adopting the new no-space KidsOf88 look.

Since the release of the album, the duo went on to release a third single from Modern Love, "TheDrug"[citation needed], the music video to which was directed and shot by Sam Kristofski, starring several of the band's friends and neighbours.[citation needed]

On 23 July 2013, the band released a music video for their song "Bad Talk".[10]

## Discography

[edit]

Kids of 88 discography

Studio albums| 2
EPs| 1
Singles| 7
Music videos| 9

### Albums

[edit]

#### Studio albums

[edit]

Year  | Album details  | Peak positions

|
|

NZ[11]
2010  | Sugarpills

* Released: 16 August 2010
* Label: Dryden Street/Sony Music

| 2
2012  | Modern Love

* Released: 5 October 2012
* Label: Dryden Street/Universal Music NZ

| 17

#### Extended plays

[edit]

Year  | Album details  | Peak positions

|
|

NZ[11]
2011  | Sugarpills EP

* Released: 14 February 2011
* Label: Dryden Street/Sony Music

| —

### Singles

[edit]

#### As a main artist

[edit]

Year  | Single  | Peak positions  | Album

|
|
|

NZ[12]
2009  | "My House"  | 3  | Sugarpills
2010  | "Just a Little Bit"  | 11
"Downtown"  | 21
"Sugarpills"  |  | Sugarpills EP
2012  | "Tucan"  |  | Modern Love
"LaLa"  | 30
"The Drug"  |

#### As featured artist

[edit]

Year  | Single  | Peak positions  | Album

|
|
|

NZ[12]
2012  | "Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That)"
Flight of the Conchords charity single | 1  | Non album song

#### Promotional Singles

[edit]

Year  | Single  | Album

|
|

2010  | "Everybody Knows"  | Sugarpills
2011  | "Nerves"  | Sugarpills EP
2012  | "Euphoria"  | Modern Love
"Komodo"

### Music videos

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Director  | Official link

|
|
|

2009  | "My House"  | Jacob Thomas  | Official Video
2010  | "Just a Little Bit"  | Tim van Dammen[13] | Official Video
"Ribbons of Light"[14] | Toby Angwin[15] | Official Video
"Downtown"  | Special Problems[1][16] | Official Video
2011  | "Sugarpills"  | Jae Morrison[17] | Official Video
2012  | "Tucan"  | Levi Beamish[18] | Official Video
"LaLa"  | Levi Beamish[19] | Official Video
2013  | "The Drug"  | Sam Kristofski[20] | Official Video
"Bad Talk"  | Jordan Arts  | Official Video

* ^ "Special Problems" is the combined work of Campbell Hooper and Joel Kefali.

## Filmography

[edit]

### Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2011  | MTV's Teen Wolf | Themselves  | "Formality" (Season 1, episode 11)[7]
Channel 4's Fresh Meat | Soundtrack  | "Just a Little Bit" (Season 1, episode 8)[7]
2013  | New Girl | Soundtrack  | "LaLa" (Season 2, episode 22)[7]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year  | Type  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

2010  | New Zealand Music Awards | Vodafone People's Choice Award[21] | Nominated
Vodafone Single of The Year ("Just a Little Bit")[21] | Won
C4 Best Music Video ("Just a Little Bit")[21] | Won
2011  | FOUR Best Group[22] | Nominated
The Edge Best Pop Album ("Sugarpills")[22] | Nominated
2013  | Best Producer ("Modern Love")[23] | Nominated
The Edge Best Pop Album ("Modern Love")  | Nominated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Past winners of the Smokefreerockquest, 2004". Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
2. ^ "Pop&R&B Stage", Jim Beam Homegrown 2013 Archived 8 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine(Retrieved 4 March 2013)
3. ^ "Music". Theedge.co.nz. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
4. ^ "Crazed Hits - the Music of Tomorrow". CrazedHits.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
5. ^ NEWS: Kids Of 88 & The Naked And Famous Tour Archived 14 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine Rip It Up Magazine. Retrieved 9 July 2010
6. ^ "Gin and Stan win big at NZ Music Awards". One News. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
7. ^ a b c d "Teen Wolf: Formality". IMDb. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
8. ^ Donnelly, Matthew Scott. "Soundtrack Spotlight: Kids of 88 Fire Up 'Teen Wolf' Formal". MTV. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
9. ^ "Beat Magazine". Beat.com.au. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
10. ^ "KidsOf88 – Bad Talk (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
11. ^ a b "charts.nz – New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
12. ^ a b "charts.nz – New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
13. ^ "Just a Little Bit – Kids Of 88 – Official Video". YouTube. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
14. ^ "Kidsof88 Official – Kidsoff88 Music Blog". Kidsof88.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
15. ^ "Kids of 88 – Ribbons of Light [Official Video]". YouTube. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
16. ^ "Special Problems". Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
17. ^ "KIDS OF 88 – SUGARPILLS Website=Vimeo.com". Retrieved 4 October 2020.
18. ^ "KidsOf88 - Tucan feat. Alisa Xayalith". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
19. ^ "KidsOf88 – LaLa (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
20. ^ "Kids of 88 - The drug". Theedge.co.nz. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
21. ^ a b c "2010 Winners « Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
22. ^ a b "2011 Finalist Summary « Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards". www.nzmusicawards.co.nz. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
23. ^ "First music award nominations out". The New Zealand Herald. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* Kids of 88 Official Site
* Facebook Kids of 88 Page

* v
* t
* e

Kids of 88

* Jordan Arts
* Sam McCarthy

Studio albums|

* Sugarpills
* Modern Love

Extended plays|

* Sugarpills EP

Singles|

* "My House"
* "Just a Little Bit"
* "Downtown"
* "Sugarpills"

Related|

* Goodnight Nurse

Authority control databases

National|

* United States

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

*[EPs]: Extended plays
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template