Dan Kilian swallows hot coals of worry, regret and sorrow, then spits out diamonds of pop music. He turns his problems into teenage girls. He laughs in despair, and he cries jokes. He can turn a cliché into an innovation, and transform a lifetime of pointless jobs, drinking binges and cheap seductions into smart, funny songs with romance and beauty, not to mention pop hooks.

He has been crowned the king of Antifolk (the New York scene that claims Beck, Michele Shocked, and King Missile as among its own), won songwriting awards, played New York institutions such as CBGB's and The Knitting Factory, and was the featured entertainment at the 2006 Middletown Straw Poll.

Dan Kilian

Dan Kilian swallows hot coals of worry, regret and sorrow, then spits out diamonds of pop music. He turns his problems into teenage girls. He laughs in despair, and he cries jokes. He can turn a cliché into an innovation, and transform a lifetime of pointless jobs, drinking binges and cheap seductions into smart, funny songs with romance and beauty, not to mention pop hooks.

He has been crowned the King of Antifolk (the New York scene that claims Beck, Michele Shocked, and King Missile as among its own), won songwriting awards, and has played a variety of venues, from The Knitting Factory, CBGB's to the 2006 Middletown Straw Poll.

One of Dan’s earliest memories is the death of John Lennon. A day listening to heartbreak and Beatles songs indelibly influenced his songwriting, inspiring him to aspire to be one of the greats. Another influence was a Clash mix-tape he received from a friend, years later. Like the Beatles and the Clash, he takes on all song forms and makes them his. And he's a mocker who won't take any crap.

He has been the front man for a number of bands: The Uglies, in Louisville, and Splurge, National Anthem, and now The Ks in New York. While never achieving mainstream fame, all have received critical praise and a cult following.


Several of his songs have won awards. “Was That a Joke or What Was That, a Joke?” won Best Rock Song in The Portland Songwriters Contest as well as an Honorable Mention in the Billboard World Song Contest. Also winning an Honorable Mention in the Billboard World Song Contest was “Good Man (Most of the Time).” Dan Kilian was a Finalist in The Mid-Atlantic Song Contest with “Highway of the Endless Night.” Recently, three of his submissions were advanced to the second round of judging in the 2005 International Songwriting Competition.