Keno performed his first headline show at xBk on Aug. 5. (Photo: William Roepke)
By Hailey Evans
Associate Editor
Maddox Swink, known on stage as Keno, is always working on new music.
In fact, he’s releasing a new single this Friday, “love me not,” followed by another, “one look,” anticipated on Dec. 5. Keno calls “one look” his favorite song he’s made to date. “It’s real, it’s introspective,” he said. “I use music as a way to talk about the real stuff, and I hope other people listening to it can relate to it and feel seen.”
Keno has been immersed in music for as long as he can remember. His father was a touring guitarist, traveling and playing shows with multiple bands throughout Keno’s childhood. “Seeing him doing that was always super sick to me,” he said. Eventually, he hopes to take his father on tour with him, a full-circle moment he looks forward to.
Growing up in Urbandale, he got creative to scratch that musical itch he inherited. He started by making beats on his computer in the basement, eventually producing entire songs all on his own. “You start making beats and fall into a rabbit hole,” he said, “One of the things that I think benefits me most is that I don’t have to rely on studio time. I’m able to produce all my own work.”
Someday he hopes to sign a deal with a major record label, but for now he said he’s embracing “being an independent artist while I can, and doing what I feel like with my music.” Over the last few years, he’s experimented with different genres and expanded his own sound from “emo rap” to pop and alternative R&B.
He released dozens of singles as he found his own rhythm, culminating in a debut album that was released this past June. He doubled down with a follow-up EP in August and a deluxe version in September. Now, Keno is riding the momentum of his major releases and planning his next evolution. “I’m having fun dropping new music as it comes to me, so I’m focusing on that for now, changing things up as I’m recording,” he said.
He headlined his first show in August at xbK, and he’s looking forward to getting in front of more of his growing fan base. Some of his singles have racked up more than 200,000 streams on Spotify, and he’s interacting with more and more fans on his social pages. Follow him on Instagram and Tik Tok @blamekeno_ to keep up with coming show dates and music releases.
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