Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons, sons of KISS frontmen Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, have launched their collaborative project STANLEY SIMMONS with the music video for their debut single 'Body Down'. The clip, directed by Kuya Allen and Shey Allen of Downhaus, marks the start of an album produced by Rob Cavallo. The duo's rootsy Americana sound draws from shared influences unrelated to their fathers' rock legacy.
STANLEY SIMMONS emerged from an unplanned collaboration between longtime friends Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons. In December 2024, they shared an Instagram video covering Simon & Garfunkel's 'The Sound Of Silence', which Nick captioned playfully as 'he garfunkeled my simon till my hall got oates'. This sparked interest, leading to more sessions. By February 2025, Nick described to People magazine how a casual guitar strum and harmonies snowballed into songwriting. In March 2025, Gene Simmons told the New York Post about their natural chemistry: 'Something about both Evan's voice and Nick's voice connected... You either have that chemistry or not.'
The project took shape organically, as Evan explained to Tmrw magazine: 'It was never supposed to be a project. 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.' Their musical style leans toward Americana folk and roots music, far from KISS's glam rock. Evan told KTLA's Andy Riesmeyer, 'We grew up loving a lot of roots stuff... It really has nothing to do with what our dads do.'
Naming the act STANLEY SIMMONS drew mixed reactions online, with some accusing nepotism. Evan addressed this on the Caught On The Mike podcast: 'It's literally our names. This is my birth name. It's our legal name.' Nick referenced duos like Crosby, Stills & Nash and Hall & Oates, noting, 'We could just be STANLEY & SIMMONS.' They view the name as a way to stand out amid music's noise, with Evan saying, 'Anything that we can do to help cut through the noise... I'm willing to do.'
Their debut album is produced by Rob Cavallo, known for Green Day. He praised the project: 'The fact that it has nothing to do with the sound of KISS is the first thing that's interesting... It's just got its own vibe that's very deep.' Parents have been supportive; Paul Stanley told Liz Svatek in July 2025, 'They're just finishing an album. And it's fantastic... It's magical.' Gene added, 'Both Paul and I are very proud.' Nick acknowledged potential backlash, saying, 'I am like every other consumer out there — I'm a little sick of the family members... But it doesn't really matter if one of them is actually good.' The 'Body Down' video release highlights this authentic partnership.
