In a curious twist of rock ‘n’ roll lineage, the offspring of two of Kiss' most celebrated figures have found themselves in musical collaboration — though any hopes of a new painted dynasty should be swiftly tempered. Evan Stanley, son of Paul, and Nick Simmons, progeny of Gene, have quietly crafted ten songs together, the project blossoming from what was intended to be a solitary session.
A social media post offered a glimpse behind the curtain, with the duo pictured amid recording paraphernalia, captioned with the telling line: "One song turned into 10 real quick." The accompanying video showed them performing an original piece alongside guitarist Jacob Bunton, the track’s title remaining elusive.
Paternal pride followed swiftly, with Paul Stanley hailing the performance as "magic!!!" while Nick’s sister, Sophie Simmons, fanned the flames with a succinct demand: "We want the album."
This isn’t the pair’s first foray into public performance. Late last year, they offered a haunting rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” — a cover that drew an admiring “amazing” from the elder Simmons.
Evan’s own band, Amber Wild, supported Kiss during the final leg of their End of the Road farewell tour. Nick, meanwhile, lent his voice to “Hand of the King” on Bruce Kulick’s 2010 album BK3, as well as the track “Carnival of Souls” from his father’s 2004 solo effort.
Yet, for those entertaining visions of Kiss 2.0, Evan Stanley is unequivocal. “People keep asking that constantly... Dude, you can look at like a thousand interviews where my dad says it, Gene says it, I say it, Nick says it. It’s, like, no.”
He goes on: “That’s my dad’s thing. I’m busy with my thing. I appreciate it. I’m grateful for it. I love it. I’m a fan of the music. I’m a fan of the show... Do I wanna put the makeup on and be ‘Baby Paul’? F** no. I’ve got my own thing going.”*
If the fathers built their legacy behind masks, their sons seem determined to carve out theirs in the full light of day.
