We’re super excited to announce that we’ll be playing as part of the International Pop Overthrow Festival in Nashville, TN on May 2nd. We’ll be debuting some new tunes from an upcoming release. The festival will be held at The End in Nashville, TN from April 30th – May 2nd.
Louisville, KY brings us this Indie synth group. Really, I’m reminded of groups like The 1975, The Wombats, California Wives and even a touch of bluegrass style. Seriously! I don’t agree that they’re a lot like Owl City or Death Cab for Cutie in song style but I could see them being a group that will have a cult following of similar sort.
“Up” provides four tracks that are really worth listening to if you like these styles. While each song has a heavier emphasis on the electronic sound the vocalist has a very good voice and I am inspired to continue to listen. The lyrics are less like most you hear but still aren’t alien. I do get swept away in the arrangements and this is definitely something I’ll listen to many more times. For this touch of magic that could sway in either direction I found myself enjoying them at near an 8 on the volume knob!
Daniel C. Morrison – Hip Rock Magazine
“Taking on the persona of ‘music’s new Tom Sawyer’, indie punk band The Colours of Kings are ruling the charts with their debut EP released this September, Up.”
Here’s an awesome review of our new “Up EP” from Songs That Should Be Mainstream!
“Producing an authentic feel throughout each track, Up encapsulates the band’s love for Traveling, roaming, eating, drinking, reading, and reflects it through a genuine approach to their music. Having written the EP in amongst small pubs and alleyways within their hometown, and produced the tracks within in-house basement studios, one cannot help but fall for the rustic appeal that The Colours of Kings exuberates.
Influenced by bands such as The Talking Heads, MGMT, Radiohead, The Postal Service and Mates of State, The Colours of Kings derive their music from a vast array of different musical sub-genres. Within the band’s four-track EP, the band dabbles with their stylistic approach from song-to-song, whilst still maintaining an integral unique approach throughout. This experimentation within debut releases is understandable, if not expected for upcoming bands that are beginning to find their feet within the industry. Genre blending, in this sense, is an opportunistic means for a band such as The Colours of Kings to diversify and expand their musical horizons in the early stages of development.
Up’s first track, “My Heart is a Drum Machine”, begins with a celestial orchestral piece, that slowly emerges into an upbeat drum track, setting up the band’s indie approach to their music. With each member of the trio a multi-instrumentalist (J. Bishop on guitar/keyboard/vocals, C. Steward on bass/keyboard/vocals and G. Chamberlain on drums/programming/vocals), the instrumentalist work by all three members is impressive to say the least. Despite the high workload, the band makes their songs seem effortless. Wistful vocals and a soft mixture of complementing instrumental pieces lend weight to a serene atmosphere surrounding their music.”
“It is always a treat to come across a band that obviously puts a lot of thought into their music. Such is the case with up and coming band The Colours of Kings. Forming over drinks in a pub, the trio quickly put their ideas into action and began recording their debut EP in a basement studio. Consisting of members J. Bishop (vocals/guitars/keyboards), Chad Steward (bass/keyboards/vocals), and Graham Chamberlain (drums/programming/vocals), they are ready to introduce the world to their music with their first single “My Heart is a Drum Machine”.
“My Heart is a Drum Machine” begins with a simple but prominent drumbeat and synths which continue, unfaltering, throughout the track. Including a little electric guitar in the bridge, this forms the entire instrumentality of the song, bringing to it a natural and magical feeling. The band counts Radiohead and The Postal Service among their influences, and it is evident that those bands had a particular impact on this song’s sound. The track’s lyrics and melody, however, are more reminiscent of Death Cab for Cutie or Owl City. Yet, this electro-rock song still manages to maintain its uniqueness. That uniqueness is found in the lightness of the lyrical content and the vocal subtleties of singer J. Bishop. At its core, “My Heart is a Drum Machine” is about finding one’s other half, the person that makes them a better version of themselves, and celebrating that. The Colours of Kings brings those feelings to life with every note they play, making this song truly infectious.
“My Heart is a Drum Machine” is a strong introduction from The Colours of Kings that showcases their individuality while still providing a nod to the music that has inspired them. This song displays the band’s potential and it will be fascinating to hear what they’ve created for their new EP ‘Up’. The Colours of Kings still have a lot to prove, but, as this song has demonstrated, it’s a challenge they are more than ready for.
‘Up’ will be released on September 24th. You can preorder the album now on bandcamp and receive a free download of “My Heart is a Drum Machine”.”
Our new Up EP got a mention in Supajam, calling it “halfway between Death Cab for Cutie and Owl City: bright synths, a delicate vocal, pop attitude.” Check it out at here on Supajam!
So why don’t you introduce yourself?
We’re The Colours of Kings. There’s 3 of us, J. Bishop (guitars, keyboards and vocals), Chad Steward (bass, keyboards and vocals) and Graham Chamberlain (drums, programming and vocals). We’re an indie rock, synth pop band.
How did you guys put this band together?
Chad: We were out drinking at one of our local pubs and J was talking about music which led to a discussion about who were the true founders of current popular music and their relevance today, which led to an argument, which led to more drinking and at the end of the night we were at J’s place listening to a new project of his and starting to sort out parts for each of us in the music.
So what are those “colours” exactly?
Graham: It kind of came from the idea of the seven Chakra colors. How each main chakra of the body is associated with a color. That idea is important to us since we feel music in our body. So each part of the music that you can feel in each different part of your body, like when you feel that bass drum pounding on your chest, can represent a different color. And since we’re all kings of our own bodies, we put the two together and used the old English spelling for colors since we associated it with Kings.
What are your music influences?
Graham: I’m a Mick Fleetwood guy. Old Fleetwood Mac was a big inspiration for me.
Chad: Pet Shop Boys, The Sundays, The Weakerthans…
J: I guess The Beatles and The Stones, together and seperately started it. Pink Folyd and The Sex Pistols added some musical flare and attitude.
So you guys consider yourself music’s new Tom Sawyers?
Chad: We’ve always liked Tom Saywer’s character. He has a good heart but enjoys a bit of anarchy once in a while. And he’s not shy about speaking his mind. I think we all kind of identify with that. We’re not always going to do things by the book, actually we prefer not to! But we think we’ve got good hearts.
My Heart Is A Drum Machine. Can you tell us more about the song?
J: We had been recording a lot and I’d gotten this idea in my head for this song about the heart being a drum machine and constantly beating for someone. I was dealing with a break-up and as I was in the studio trying to work out the song, it clicked. I was dealing with love and music gear and recording and it just all came together. So the song’s about your heart beating for someone who may not ever be there again, and does it eventually stop? Or does it go on?
What’s your songwriting method?
Graham: J usually brings an idea and we sit down with it and flesh it out. Sometimes he’s got ideas for lyrics and sometimes it takes getting the music settled before he writes anything.
Up. How was the recording and writing process?
Chad: That fateful night at J’s place, we listened to snippets of tracks, like 10 – 20 seconds of pieces as J tried to tell us what the final version might look like. That’s kind of how we did everything from then. It really clicked that way. So we’d sit in living rooms or basements and work out the songs until we liked the arrangements. Then we went into J’s studio and began tracking everything. I think once we started recording, it took maybe a week to wrap everything up. We’d already settled on the arrangements, so we just had to perform the parts on tape.
How you came out with the title?
J: We’ve, the three of us, had a pretty rough year. It seemed fitting to name our first EP after the only way we could go from here, Up.
What was the inspiration, lyrically speaking?
J: Well, I think, seeing as it’s been an emotional year, there was a lot of emotion that came out. There was the break-up I was dealing with, which came into play a lot with “My Heart…” and also “We’re An Archipelago.” And then with the other two, I was dealing with some frustrations in our town. It seems a lot of things are based on popularity there as opposed to actual merit. I’d been seeing that a lot and trying to cope with it, so there’s a bit more bite and sarcasm in those other two, “The Colours of Kings” and “This Year’s Hometown Hero.”
What’s next in TCOK’s world?
Chad: Well, we’re hoping for good things with this EP. All we can do is put it out there and hope people like it and share it and spread it around. We’ll play some shows to support the EP, do the promotional stuff and hopefully be able to go back into the studio and make another record.
Where can we find more about your music?
Graham: You can go to www.thecoloursofkings.com for more info. You can (and should!) pre-order the EP at thecoloursofkings.bandcamp.com or find us on some social networking sites like, www.facebook.com/thecoloursofkings and www.reverbnation/thecoloursofkings.
Recent Comments