Native Kings, from Liverpool, are set to release their new single, ‘The Sound Of Victory’, on 26 February. The trio, comprising Cameron Warren on Guitars and Vocals, Scott Harrold on Drums and David Knowles playing Bass Guitar, are known for their funky power punk sound, and have a solid back catalogue of catchy songs. They have toured all over the UK and have shared the stage with the likes of Funeral For A Friend, Johnny Foreigner, and, the legendary Slaves.
Laura Dean of Playing With Sound caught up with Native Kings and spoke with them on a wide range of subjects, ranging from playing with Slaves, to the story behind ‘Mad Clive’…
LD: How did you arrive at the name Native Kings?
NK: Led Zeppelin & Destiny’s Child were already taken so…you know…
LD: You have a funky power punk sound, what kind of artists have you been influenced by?
NK: We all come from different upbringings of funk, rock, jazz, classical & electronic. We try to pull everything together and then spew it all out into a hot spiky mess that sounds a bit like an excited beaver. Also, The Farm.
LD: A lot of your promo features Owls – what’s the story behind that?
NK: We bring a toy owl called Mad Clive to all of our gigs. Our guitarist found him when he was just a wee boy on a wall on the way to school one day and decided to adopt the little shit. He’s been by our side since day one, a Native Kings veteran, blue blood by birth.
LD: You’re one of the most infectious new bands to come out of Liverpool, what do you think of the Liverpool music scene?
NK: The music scene here is fantastic, if you’re lucky enough to live here you’re almost spoilt for choice when it comes to new music. The local promoters do such a great job of reeling in big bands as well as giving the newcomers a chance, that’s how we bagged the Slaves show, thanks Tyler 😉
LD: Your sound covers a fair few genres so the possibilities are endless with collaborations – what current musician would you most like to collaborate with?
NK: Yeezy.
LD: When it comes to touring, you’ve supported some big artists such as Funeral for a Friend, did they give you any advice?
NK: Not really, but they were lovely chaps and it was an honour to spend some time with such an experienced and well known-band.
LD: Last year you supported Slaves who have really exploded onto the scene over the last year, they’ve got quite a crazy stage presence – how would you describe your stage presence? Will you be taking tips from them?
NK: Come and see us live and find out 🙂
LD: ‘The Sound Of Victory’ is infectious from the opening guitar riff, do you think catchiness is an important quality in song writing?
NK: Tasteful repetition is the key to a hit.
LD: What can your fans expect from ‘The Sound Of Victory’?
NK: A tasty mouthful of anthemic shrapnel.
LD: What’s been your favourite gig as a band so far?
NK: Supporting Slaves was pretty awesome. We played a sold-out show at the Kaz for a fresher’s gig too which was epic. There are too many to choose from!
Thanks to Native Kings for taking the time out of their busy schedule to chat. ‘The Sound Of Victory’ is available to pre order from Friday 19th February. Find Native Kings online on Twitter and Facebook.
