I had the pleasure of working with Kuinka, indie folk-pop marvels, to create album art for their EP, “Stay Up Late.” As the band has grown, and their style developed, Kuinka needed something that conveyed a progression from their folk-bluegrass roots. In their words, something more “cocaine ’80s, Miami Vice” – exciting, adult, nocturnal.
The centerfold of the jacket is my favorite. A constellated night sky felt fitting for a naturally-rooted band which is expanding into synthesizers and sparkling new aural spaces. And then there’s the idea of, y’ know, staying up late. Some of the constellations are real, some are based on lyrics from “Stay Up Late,” and some are easter eggs referencing the band’s history.
For the opposing side, I took a lot of influence from Duran Duran album art. On the CD, the text forms the hands of a clock. There’s a previous design in the gallery as well, which Nathan and Zach deemed “too PBS.”
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