PAUL STANLEY's Son EVAN Is Not Interested In Leading New Version Of KISS: 'I've Got My Own Thing Going'

In a new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com, Paul Stanley's son Evan Stanley, who fronts his own band called AMBER WILD, was asked if there had ever been any discussions about him leading a new version of KISS following the legendary rock act's final concert in December. He responded: "No. It's the funniest thing. People keep asking that constantly, and it's, like, dude, you can look at like a thousand interviews where my dad says it, Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] says it, I say it, Nick [Simmons, Gene's son] says it. It's, like, no. That's my dad's thing. I'm busy with my thing."

He continued: "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. I've gotten to have a really unique and very wonderful life as a direct result of it. Do I wanna put the makeup on and be 'Baby Paul'? Fuck no. I've got my own thing going. And that's not a knock — I think there's someone out there who probably would wanna do that and would probably do an amazing job. But it's not me. I've not spent my life trying to be that. So, no — I've got too much other stuff going on."

KISS's second farewell tour, dubbed "End Of The Road", was officially launched in January 2019. Joining founding members Stanley and Simmons in the band's final lineup were Tommy Thayer on guitar and Eric Singer on drums. Thayer and Singer were replacements for original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, respectively.

Back in February 2020, Paul said that he believed KISS could carry on without any original members.

"There was a time when people said, 'KISS has to be the original four members.' Well, those people are 50 percent wrong," Paul explained. "And all of this is conjecture. I'm not walking away from what Gene and I have built over 45 years. I'm of the mindset that teams don't fold because their star pitcher or star hitter is gone. There's an amazing pool of talent out there. Can it continue? Absolutely."

Eight years ago, Stanley spoke about how he would go about finding someone to replace him in KISS. He said: "Honestly, I think all the KISS tribute bands are great, but none of them have a good 'Paul.' So I'd like to see somebody who incorporates what I've done with a lot of the things that inspired me. And it's not a matter of a puppet being me; it's somebody who comes in and contributes and adds something new to it while still following the template that's been set."

At the end of KISS's final show at Madison Square Garden, the band announced that the legendary rockers will continue as digital avatars. The technology, originally developed for ABBA's "Voyage" show in London, will allow KISS to stay "on the road" in retirement.

AMBER WILD started in January 2023 with one simple goal: make the kind of music they wanted to hear. After spending the year developing their sound on the Los Angeles club circuit, AMBER WILD made its festival debut at the 2023 edition of Aftershock in Sacramento.

Last October, AMBER WILD released a double-A side debut single "Breakout // Silver". The arrival of these tracks coincided with the first date of AMBER WILD's run directly supporting KISS on their "End Of The Road" tour in the United States.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Evan Stanley has always lived straddling the lines between multiple worlds: growing up, he split his time between school, touring the world with his father's band KISS and working as a delivery boy for his local deli. After school and a stint in New York, Stanley moved back to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music.

Evan's mother is actress Pamela Bowen, who appeared in 35 episodes of the soap opera "Days Of Our Lives" and in a number of TV series, including "Loving", "McGuyer", "Cheers", "Matlock", "Beverly Hills 20210", "Land's End" and "Broken At Love". She also appeared in the KISS movie "Detroit Rock City".

AMBER WILD is:

Evan Stanley: Lead Vocals, Guitar
Marshall Via: Guitar, Vocals
Jake Massanari: Bass
Thomas Lowrey: Drums