Right now, King King are a band breaking into a swagger. There’s no denying the momentum of the Glasgow rockers saluted as “the best blues-rock band in the world” (Blues Rock Review) – but for Alan Nimmo (vocals/guitar), Lindsay Coulson (bass), Wayne Proctor (drums) and Bob Fridzema (keys), it’s far from mission accomplished. “We’re not stopping to smell the roses,” says Alan. “We want to take this band as far as we can.”
In another year of quantum leaps, perhaps the main event in 2017 is Exile & Grace, released October 6th. “There’s an underlying theme on this fourth album,” explains Alan. “Some of the main songs are about the state of the world, y’know, this beautiful blue planet that’s turning into a battlefield. There’s an edgier, rockier feel this time around, but you’ve got the soulful ballads as well. It’s still King King. It’s just what we’re doing now.”
Exile & Grace is sure to give King King’s set lists a shot in the arm, as the band roll out on a white-knuckle live itinerary in 2017 that takes in summer festival and European dates, plus their biggest UK tour so far. “We decided to take that leap,” reflects Alan. “We just need to believe in that old adage from Wayne’s World – if you build it, they will come. I think we’ve got the ambition and the drive to make it work.”
Anyone who has caught King King live in recent times will vouch for their ability to conquer any venue. In 2016, the band’s schedule took them everywhere from Mumbai’s Mahindra Festival to five UK arena shows with hard-rock heroes, Thunder. “To walk onstage and say, ‘Hello Wembley!’” reflects Alan, “that was a dream come true.”
With the line-up drilled to near-telepathy, May 2016 was also the perfect juncture to deliver their long-awaited live album. “We’ve been asked for one so many times,” reflects Alan, “and with King King - Live, we managed to capture the vibe of that night. But I’ve got to admit, I was surprised by the reaction that album got. It went to #1 as soon as it came out… above The Rolling Stones! And it was like, ‘What just happened?’”
There’s been no shortage of pinch-yourself moments for King King, ever since the band’s touchdown at the 2010 Monaghan Blues Festival and the following year’s British Blues Award-winning debut, Take My Hand (declared “tremendous” by Maverick). In 2013, Standing In The Shadows underlined the collective’s sharpening song craft, while 2015’s Reaching For The Light infiltrated Classic Rock’s Best Album poll – and secured a nomination for ‘Best New Band’ at the magazine’s coveted Roll Of Honour. “With each album, each year and every time we write songs,” says Alan, “we’re always striving to get better.”
The creative bar might be set sky-high, but in 2017, Exile & Grace will raise it, consolidating King King’s status as studio alchemists and turning up the heat whenever they deploy these songs on the stage. “I really believe in this album,” says Alan. “I suppose we were reaching for the light on the last album, and now we’re trying to grab hold of it. This is the next chapter in King King’s journey – and we want to take this band as far as we can!”
New Album Exile & Grace Out Now
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