Blacklite District

Last updated
Blacklite District
BlackliteDistrict.jpg
Blacklite District in 2020
Background information
Birth nameKyle Pfeiffer [1]
Also known asBlacklite District
Born (1990-06-09) June 9, 1990 (age 33)
Indiana, U.S.
GenresRock, hard rock, alternative
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • guitar player
  • record producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums
Years active2002–present
LabelsAK19 Entertainment
Website blacklitedistrict.net

Kyle Pfeiffer (born June 9, 1990), better known by his stage name Blacklite District, is an American rock artist. Raised in Indiana, Pfeiffer moved to Spearfish, South Dakota at a young age. [2] [3] Blacklite District has four songs which have reached Top 40 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. [4]

Contents

Early life

Kyle Pfeiffer was born on June 9, 1990, [5] and grew up in Indiana before moving to South Dakota at a young age. [2] As both of his parents struggled with drug addiction, Pfeiffer was raised by his grandparents.

On May 3, 1999, his mother passed away from a heroin overdose at the age of 27. Shortly after, Pfeiffer's uncle introduced him to Ozzy Osbourne's album No More Tears. Pfeiffer credits Osbourne as his most significant musical influence and his first inspiration to pursue a career in music.

At the age of 10, Pfeiffer's grandfather bought him a drum kit from a Sears catalog after he expressed interest in a Fleetwood Mac VHS tape. Eventually, he rediscovered and became obsessed with Ozzy Osbourne's band, Black Sabbath. Pfeiffer began to write his own songs around this time.

In 2002, Pfeiffer started a band with his friends while in school. He graduated from Spearfish High School in 2009. [2]

Career

This is Where it Ends (2011)

In early 2011, the band met with producer Stephen Short, who produced their debut album. The band released their debut extended play "This Is Where It Ends" on January 11th, 2011. The EP was preceded by singles "Promised Land" and "I'm Still Right Here". They played their debut show ahead of the EP on October 30th, 2011.

Worldwide Controversy (2012-2014)

In 2012, they were discovered by Creed manager Jeff Hanson who signed them with Silent Majority Group. Hanson referred the band to former Creed bassist Brett Hestla, who produced their next EP and debut album. They released the "With Me Now" EP on October 13th, 2013, and went on tour with the bands Saving Abel and Art of Dying. They released their debut album "Worldwide Controversy" the following year. [6] Their first charting single, "With Me Now", peaked at #34 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 2013. [7] Pfeiffer considers the release of "With Me Now" and “Take Me To The Grave” a "turning point" for the band. [8]

To Whom It May Concern (2015-2016)

In 2015, former vocalist Roman James continued the band with a new lineup while Kyle Pfeiffer started a new band named "Paradise Over". Pfeiffer soon rejoined Blacklite District after running into issues with the record label. They released their second album "To Whom It May Concern" on October 7th, 2016. Pfeiffer shifted to vocals and the album leaned more towards hip hop and pop. Both "The Struggle" and "Broken Souls" received significant radio play across America.

Instant Gratification (2017)

In 2017, Blacklite District released their third album, titled "Instant Gratification". "Cold as Ice" reached #35 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay in January 2018. The band collaborated with Minecraft animator Rainimator to produce animated music videos for their songs. The music video for Cold as Ice has over 75 million views on YouTube.

Through the Ages (2018)

"Hard Pill to Swallow" was released by the band on October 10, 2018, as the lead single for their fourth album "Through the Ages", stating that the song ushered in a "new era" for Blacklite District. The 17-song album featured very little guitar and had both Pfeiffer and James providing lead vocals. The band also began working with DZFX Media for their live-action music videos. [7]

Souled Out (2019)

The band released "Me Against the World" [5] [7] on September 6th, 2019, as the lead single for their next album, titled Souled Out. The song was featured on Sirius XM Octane.

Blacklite District & You're Welcome (2020)

In early 2020, Blacklite District announced that Pfeiffer and James would be going their separate ways and Blacklite District would become a solo carrier. Pfeiffer removed the band's old albums and released his self-titled album on his 30th birthday. The album features songs from "To Whom it May Concern" and "Instant Gratification". on July 17, 2020, he released "You're Welcome", featuring songs from "Through the Ages" and "Souled Out", as well as various new songs. The single "Falling" peaked No. 34 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. It was accompanied by a Minecraft-themed music video which peaked at #3 trending on YouTube. [2] [6] [9]

You're Welcome (Deluxe Edition) & 1990 (2021)

Pfeiffer checked into drug rehab on January 6th, 2021. While in rehab he continued to write songs, releasing singles for the Deluxe Edition of "You're Welcome". On December 31, 2021, Pfeiffer released the LP "1990", produced by Brett Hestla. "Gotta Get Outta Here" was released on October 1 as the lead single. The song spent 16 weeks in the top-40 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and garnered over 10 million combined streams.

1990 - XL, Blacklite District - XL & You're Welcome - XL (2022-2023)

In mid 2022, Pfeiffer announced that drummer Graham Spillman would be returning to record drums on the five bonus tracks of "1990 - XL". In November of the same year and January of the next, Pfeiffer and Spillman collaborated with long-time producer Brett Hestla and new guitarist Justin Sundlin to record remakes of old tracks, dubbed "XL" tracks. The band released "Blacklite District - XL" on June 9th, 2023, and "You're Welcome - XL" on December 8th, 2023.

You Can Do Better (2024)

In late 2023, Blacklite District began recording their 4th album in a studio jointly owned by them and band Judd Hoos. The album is the first to feature new bassist Clinton Cunanan. The album is set for summer release.

Artistry

Pfeiffer's genres include "hard rock, hip-hop, alternative rock, trap, and electro-pop". [6] Inspired by artists he listened to as a child, such as Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne, Blacklite District started as a hard rock project. He briefly experimented with pop styles before returning to hard rock in 2021. [2] In a 2018 interview, Pfeiffer named artists like Fleetwood Mac, Linkin Park and Twenty One Pilots as influences. [8]

Personal life

Pfeiffer began dating Amber Rice in September 2015, proposing to her on Christmas Eve of 2016. They married in December 2017. They raise Pfeiffer's son, Maddox, from a previous relationship and have a son together, Fitz.

Pfeiffer has lived in multiple cities throughout his career. He moved to the Los Angeles area in 2012. He lived in Orlando for about six months while working with Brett Hestla on Worldwide Controversy.

From 2015 to 2017, Pfeiffer was hospitalized on multiple occasions for pancreatitis from years of severe alcohol addiction. He also suffered from opioid addiction, describing how he once spent thousands of dollars on fentanyl per month [10] . Pfeiffer is now clean of alcohol and opioid use.

Chart History

Billboard US charting: [4]

Discography

Studio Albums

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References

  1. ↑ "ALONE TONIGHT". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Thompson, Nathan (October 29, 2020). "Spearfish rocker's single reaches Billboard Top 40 list" . Rapid City Journal . Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  3. ↑ Rutherford, Kevin (March 9, 2019). "It's 'Me Against the World' For Blacklite District With New Song & Video: Exclusive". Billboard . Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Chart History: Blacklite District". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Johnson, Jasmine (July 21, 2020). "A Look at Blacklite District's Debut Album, 'You're Welcome'". Respect . Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Monger, James Christopher. "Biography: Blacklite District". AllMusic . Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Rutherford, Kevin (October 10, 2018). "Blacklite District Begin 'New Era' With 'Hard Pill to Swallow': Song & Video Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "INTERVIEW – KYLE PFEIFFER OF BLACKLITE DISTRICT". Cryptic Rock. January 16, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  9. ↑ Joseph, Blake (November 12, 2020). "Blacklite District's music surges on multiple platforms". KOTA-TV . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  10. ↑ Friedman, Michael. "How Blacklite District Was Able to Live Another Day". Psychology Today. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
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