Working in Arabic and English, Kuwaisiana is a full-bodied band producing a danceable, dynamic sound that draws on world music and indie rock. Led by Kuwaiti singer-songwriter +Aziz (pronounced plus Aziz), the 6-piece blends funk, rock, ska with New Orleanian jazz, adding a unique twist to what Indie Arab Rock can sound like. Their most recent drop and follow-up is scheduled to be released early this month and we can’t wait to hear it!

If you’re like us and you’re wondering where the term Kuwaisiana came from, it is actually a combination of the two words, Kuwait and Louisiana. Born out of +Aziz’s desire to explore parallels between American and Khaleeji cultures, Chapter 2 is the band’s followup EP to Chapter 1, which was released through Universal Music MENA.

The band’s debut record, Chapter 1 was released in 2018, which was followed by a US tour. This 22-minute EP deepens the band’s exploration of the day-to-day experiences of Arab- American youth and the evolving viewpoints of Khaleejis living in the Arabian Peninsula. It will be self-released on Bandcamp and then published to streaming platforms.

Lyrically, +Aziz explores the cultures he knows so well through his metaphor-rich lyrics, which sustain a tension between conversational and a more evocative, poetic perspective. Kuwaisiana is making progress at a time when so much of the world is in flux. +Aziz’s ability to channel his concerns into familiar choruses give us a taste of the modern Arab-American experience.

In 2018, Kuwaisiana did two short runs into Texas since the first album. Their tour was deliberately small scale because it was the band’s first round putting something like that together. However, they were able to connect with phenomenal people as they scored themselves gigs across Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

When asked about the tour +Aziz shared with bazaar: “Because I didn’t tour at all in my 20’s, planning these short tours for Kuwaisiana has taught me so much, especially since I am trying to move 5-6 people. I also did a run to Detroit and back as a solo artist. I guess you could say I love to drive!”

We all know this pandemic has affected many musicians in different ways, and even inspired some. When asked what type of music he enjoys listening to, +Aziz prides himself on being a typical music guy in that he loves to buy music in older formats and listen to everything.

When asked how he is staying busy these days, he states “I’m listening to lots of Boiler Room sets (house music), going through my cassettes and watching interviews on Youtube.”

Although he has not been able to perform this year, staying still has helped +Aziz be more present in his songwriting and helped him lean into a more easy going, less planning-oriented lifestyle. +Aziz added “this is a good time to go inwards, flesh out my song ideas, sift through my emotions, improve how I manage myself, etc.”

It’s possible this pandemic has rewired how we all connect to music, perhaps even made us appreciate it more. +Aziz has continued to play with his drummer Matthieu on and off throughout the year but time off has brought him to rethink everything as a musician.

“We’re all learning new skills as we make this Virtual Pivot. I never had a home studio until all this happened. I started putting music together for friends’ films! It’s also inspired me to put a greater focus on building out a community of direct supporters on Patreon.” For those living under a rock, Patreon is a monthly subscription service where supporters receive perks for supporting a creative.

Critical of what’s happening in the world and generally drawn to darker themes, +Aziz expressed that Chapter 2 is a continued exploration of cultural parallels between Khaleeji and Arab-American narratives when it comes to family, friends or strangers.

“The theme of finding strength in the face of adversity and upheaval is pretty consistent. The world is in a near- apocalyptic scenario; I’m juxtaposing this reality with a leisurely, casual, care-free perspective that makes the listener wanna get up and dance.” We sure do all need that right now.

Diving more into conversation about the EP itself, +Aziz shares that the listener will truly get a taste of what makes the band so unique. “Deepening our dancy sound with songs like Cymbals of this City, playing around with bilingualism on songs like Bara7a (براحة) and Guwwa. My bandmates have been relatively consistent so I’m trying to make the most of our gelling together. This album has less “genre-hopping” than Chapter 1 and provides a more consistent experience.”

We absolutely fell in love with Kuwaisiana’s merging of Arabic and English tunes, which seem so effortless and had to ask how the band makes that happen. Especially that +Aziz carries an American and Khaleeji dialect. He comments

“There’s such a vast difference between my American accent and the Khaleeji dialect, but my identity is grounded in this schism. Matthieu’s drumming has been really helpful in opening up my playing style and it’s created this “epic” feel that can support both languages. I think that’s what makes it all seem natural and effortless.”

And while this may all seem effortless to the naked eye, the behind the scenes is a lot bigger than it seems. +Aziz adds “It takes a while to arrive, but once the music hits right, our songs blossom into a dynamic landscape with lots of room to play lyrically.”

Although this may be fairly local to our region, +Aziz brought mention to language swapping bilingual music being a thing since the late 90’s.

“You can find in Cheb Khalid’s Aicha or Yousef Al-Omani’s Ghaly Aly (غالي علي). Growing up I listened to J-Rock (Japanese Rock) and I really loved the playful way they fragment languages to make it work for the song. I’m also inspired by Sigur Ros (a band which sings in a made- up language) and James Joyce, an iconic Irish novelist who also made up his own words.”

They say what we can do is only limited by our imagination, and we agree.

As far as future plans, Kuwaisiana will be releasing all music as singles. For Chapter 3, it will stretch on to infinity for as long as it makes sense. In the meantime and during these unexpected times, +Aziz will continue to be present and be there for his people on Patreon. A musician who truly believes in his supporters, he shares with bazaar that his “supporters help [him] transition, edit lyrics and test musical ideas/directions.”

His overall vision for Kuwaisiana is to simply continue connecting with Khaleejis and Arab communities around the world while improving his songwriting. +Aziz ends the interview with some sweet words to bazaar and our readers

“You know, bazaar has a special place in my heart because your publication captured my story in 2015, when I had first moved to New Orleans. Thank you for helping me tell my story!”

We are always stoked to see local, passionate artists build their dreams from the ground up. +Aziz has combined genres, languages, and still manages to make extraordinary music. We wish him the best in his future endeavors and can’t wait to see what Chapter 3 holds.

Follow this link to pre-order the digital album, Chapter 2.

To keep up with Kuwaisiana, follow them on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook @kuwaisiana, or to check out +Aziz’s first article with bazaar in 2015, click here.