After a long weekend with Nick and Evan, something was very clear to me. These two will never stop creating.

We spent nearly thirty hours in editorial shoots, documentary work, interviews, and filming a music video (that already went viral on Tik Tok/Instagram reels), and they were ready to take on more.

They create in a way that’s beyond drive or ambition. There’s both an ease and a criticalness to it. It’s a part of their nature, like breathing.

Their families are woven together in music history, sons of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley from KISS. Despite that connection, they never made music together until earlier this year. What started as singing for fun turned into a viral video, which turned into a ten-song project, which has now become something much bigger: Stanley Simmons.

“It was never supposed to be a project,” Evan told me. “We just wanted to sing together once. Then we heard it back and thought, wait, this actually sounds special.” Nick added, “There’s a kind of connection you can’t fake. When we sing together, it feels like a third voice, something new.”

That third voice became the anchor for what they’re building now. Their songs lean into rootsy Americana, pulling from blues, folk, and the kind of timeless writing that doesn’t chase trends. They both light up when talking about it. “We’ve been chasing this feeling for years,” Evan said. “It’s the sound that first made us fall in love with music.”

When I asked what it’s like to make music as the sons of KISS, they didn’t dwell on it. “People get hyped on the last names,” Evan admitted. “But that doesn’t get you anywhere. You can’t network your way into making something that actually moves people.” Nick put it another way. “In L.A., you can die from encouragement.

Nick ends the topic with this deliberate statement regarding their fathers:

“I think everybody's sick of hearing about people's famous parents and so am I. It's tiresome and lame, but it's also lame to pretend that I didn't get advantages because of it. We got to be in rooms that are very hard to get into from the start. It doesn't make me special, and I don't deserve any recognition for being lucky. I should get recognition only if I work hard enough to deserve my luck in hindsight, by delivering something of value. If people like the songs, they'll listen, and if they don't, they won't. the rest is none of my business. I hope no listener gives our stuff any special treatment and I hope they judge it just as harshly as they would any new band. I welcome it."

Nick isn’t asking for forgiveness or fascination. He’s asking for fairness. It sets the tone for how Stanley Simmons wants to exist, not as something inherited, but as something earned.

That honesty defines both of them. Nick talked about how early in his career, people tried to push him into releasing music before he was ready. “It was bad,” he said, laughing. “And that’s fine. You’re supposed to be bad for a while. You need that space to learn.” Evan nodded in agreement. “It’s just about being good and figuring out what fits you. There’s no north or south. It’s you versus you.”

They’ve both seen what happens when ego or pressure takes over the process. It’s why they’re so protective of how they make things now. Stanley Simmons is proof of that. The songs are raw and melodic, but more importantly, they feel real. There’s no rush to meet an expectation or fit a mold. They’re not trying to sound like their fathers, or the opposite of their fathers. They’re just trying to sound like themselves.

What makes their partnership interesting is the quiet competition that lives inside it. When Nick lands a verse, Evan feels the need to level up. When Evan writes a chord progression that hits, Nick’s back at the piano the next morning. “It’s the healthiest kind of rivalry,” Evan said. “It’s like going to the gym with someone. You want to keep up.” That push and pull keeps them sharp.

By spring, they had written seven songs. By summer, twelve. Now, they’re over thirty and counting. What started as an experiment has turned into momentum. Their sessions are loose but intentional, built around conversation and feel. The music sounds like two people rediscovering why they started in the first place. “I’ve never felt more excited to pickup the guitar in my life.” Evan says.

When we talk about what’s next, they both mention live shows. “Touring is the goal,” Nick said. “We both crave connection, seeing people react in real time instead of through a screen.” Evan added, “Music’s how I talk to the world. Performing is how I listen back.”

The way they talk about community says a lot. It isn’t just about fans or numbers. It’s about the people who have joined the process. “It’s become a village,” Evan said. “Friends, collaborators, people who believed in it before there was even a plan, and want to be a part of it. That’s the best feedback you can get.”

I think what I admire most about them is how seriously they take doing things the “right” way, which is what is the most authentic to them, and meets their own very high expectations for themselves. They’ve lived inside an industry that often rewards shortcuts, and they’ve chosen patience instead.

Of course there are advantages that come with growing up in households like theirs, but it comes with a strange challenge too. You end up having to rebrand from a brand you weren’t even a part of building. A unique challenge, but one they’ve tackled with complete patience and honesty.

“Stanley Simmons”, the third voice born from Nick and Evan’s shared pursuit of something genuine, something honest. Their folk project honors Americana culture, and the roots of music itself, a way to say what just words can’t, and a way to connect.

Their first single under their new project “Body Down” has released today (December 5th, 2025) on all streaming platforms

“The Viral “Cult” Video”