Kings and Castles: Interview

Kings and Castles: Interview

‘Slow’ isn’t a word regularly used in the lexicon of Kings and Castles. Since they formed in 2017, it has been a non-stop ride; from single releases to regular gigs and slots on the UK festival circuit to signing with Tonotopic Records. Their trajectory has steadily risen from day one, fitting given that their music is a brand of rigorous, upbeat indie rock that is equally at home on the radio or at Glasto. I caught up with Lead vocalist and guitarist Ross Antony to talk about their origins, their new single, and plans for the future.

When did you guys meet? And how long was it before you came together as a band?

We all met in mid-2017 which was for the purpose of making a band. We had all been in previous bands, but had all been out of action on the live scene for a while. We were all desperate to get back playing live and knew what kind of sound we were going for. We got together and it just worked right from the off.

Where does your sound come from? What are your influences?

It’s hard to say who we sound like as I am honestly still searching for a band that does sound like us! There are so many bands that influence us though such as Catfish and The Bottlemen, The Hunna, Radiohead, The Killers, Air Traffic.

What is the music scene like in your respective hometowns?

Aiden and I are living in Southampton which definitely has a thriving music scene. There are some fantastic promoters in the city who run venues, such as Heartbreakers and The Joiners to name a few. This brings in talented bands from other areas in addition to providing top venues for the local bands to play. There are so many good bands coming out of Southampton at the moment.

Matt and Louie are both living in Portsmouth. Portsmouth also has some absolutely amazing artists at the moment who are absolutely smashing it. It’s helped by having a very good scene there as we always get great turnouts for any shows we had done in Portsmouth.

Does coming from different areas of England have an effect on your sound?

I don’t think so to be honest. If one of us came from Manchester or somewhere else proper 'up north'  then maybe.

What are you excited to showcase with this new single? What do you hope people get out of it?

The new single is showing the rockier side of the band. We love giving it our all and getting lost in the moment. I hope people enjoy it enough to add it to their playlists and share it with their friends.

You mention that lyrics help you communicate what normal words can’t, why do you think that and what are you trying to talk about on the latest track?

I think at times the world we live in can be very superficial. People put on an act to fit in and join the crowd. Things like mental health have been shunned in society for too long and it’s been almost ingrained in people to hide away feelings. Our song Bevvy touches on this. Bevvy has a far more sincere and deep meaning than the song title would suggest. The song lyrics were written about a tough couple of years that I went through. It’s about becoming depressed, seeking help, trying medication and feeling like you are on a downward spiral with no way out. Having to battle with hyper emotions, being top of the world one minute to empty the next, but using music to overcome these darkest of times. People still shun people for talking about mental health and the struggles they go through and that’s not right. Hopefully, people will find the strength to not care about the negative opinions people attach to it and find the strength to speak out and seek support.

A few of you have mentioned wanting to find ‘connection’ with people through your music. Can you describe why and how you do that?

The way we know that people have really felt and connected with the music how we intended is usually when we play live. Sometimes, as you look out into the crowd you can see people having a moment where they are totally engulfed in the song. After shows, we love going and thanking those who have made the effort to attend. This gives us a chance to speak to people to get their feedback and it’s when they talk about our songs, the lyrics and how it made them feel we know we have achieved our aim. We also get some amazing messages from fans. Sometimes they tell us about how our music has helped them, and this really means the world to us.  

What is the goal going forward with your music, where do you see it in a years time?

There are several goals. One is to be having music played on the big radio stations such as Radio 1, Radio X, BBC Radio 6 and so forth. We also want to try and get the opportunity to play at some of the legendary festivals such as Glastonbury, Isle of Wight Festival and the Reading and Leeds Festivals. A dream would be to play in an arena- even if that was supporting another band rather than our own show.

Have you any closing thoughts?

This is just the start. We have already recorded the next 3 singles and have got big plans for them and the rest of the year. There is talk of an album later this year along with a UK tour set for September. 

Kings and Castles new single Bevvy will be available on February 1st on all major streaming and purchasing platforms.