Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Interview: UK's Alvarez Kings. They Play Wonder Bar on 3/25 w/ YJY, Roy Orbitron, and Deaf Rhino.

Photo: Duncan Stafford Photography

Sheffield on the Shore

Alvarez Kings are an indie rock / alt pop 4-piece from Sheffield, UK. They are Simon and Paul Thompson, Sean Parkin, and Richard Walker. From their beginnings in South Yorkshire, the band developed a devoted hometown following. They received a nod from BBC Radio, who named their song "No Resolve" Single of the Year, and hit the UK festival circuit with appearances at Isle of Wight and O2 Wireless.

Alvarez Kings then set their sights on North America with two consecutive appearances on Vans Warped Tour and their current tour with Melanie Martinez. They bring an epic alt pop sound to the stage, and there are likely big things in their future. This Friday, March 25th, the band headline Wonder Bar in Asbury Park. Also on that bill are our good friends YJY, Roy Orbitron, and Deaf Rhino.

The guys in Alvarez Kings were kind enough to answer a few questions for me. Check out what they (collectively) had to say below, and then check them and the other great bands out at Wonder Bar this Friday at 7:30pm

You started out by cultivating hometown crowds in Sheffield, UK, eventually parlaying that into a Single of the Year Award from the BBC (“No Resolve”) and slots on some big festivals like Isle of Wight and O2 Wireless. What was that ride like? Was it just a long slog or was there some moment when things just took off?

We haven’t found a moment so far when we haven’t been working as hard as we can to try and forward our careers in this band. We’ve yet to really see a single point where we feel like things have totally taken off, though the response to our shows on this current tour has been amazing. There certainly hasn’t been any shortage of hard work thus far.

You then came over to the US and did the 40-date Vans Warped Tour. Twice. What was that experience like? 

Warped Tour is truly an experience that anyone in music would do well with being a part of. Every day is nonstop. One minute you’re setting up the tent for your merch, the next you’re walking the line before doors to try and convince people to come to the set. It’s been hours and you haven’t even performed yet. Every city turns into a whirlwind of activity. We loved being a part of the tour though and the relationships we’ve made with people from the tour are still strong to this day.

Had you only ever toured the UK before Warped? Were you prepared for the vast distances covered by a North American tour?

Warped Tour was not our first introduction to North America. We had toured different parts of the country, doing SXSW, CMJ & a big Canadian tour with our friends in the band Hey Ocean. You can drive from one side of the UK to the other in less time than it took to drive between two shows on Warped Tour, so it was crazy to try and understand the sheer size of the United States.

Didn’t a film crew for Warped Roadies follow you around on one of those? Do people recognize you from the show now? Did it help to get your music out to a wider audience?

We did have the film crew for Warped Roadies follow us around on the 2013 tour. After Simon got stuck in Canada following the show date up there, they asked us if they could be a part of the journey in getting him back to Warped. Someone told us that the show has been added to Netflix just recently and we have actually had people stop us in different places because they recognize us from the show.

In June of 2015, you released your Fear to Feel EP on Sire / Warner Brothers. Compared to “No Resolve,” the sound on Fear to Feel is what I’d call more epic. Bigger. With lots of almost orchestral elements. What drove that change in your sound?

Our sound has certainly changed from the inception of the group all those years ago. We’ve been lucky to be able to add more production and things like those orchestral elements to our songs as we gain more opportunities as a band. Adding these elements really rounds out the songs and brings out more of the sound that we want to express with our music.

How has your experience been working with a major? Do you feel like you’re in as much control of your sound as you were before?

We love working with Warner. They’ve been so receptive to our music and encouraging us to keep doing what we’re doing.

You’re currently in the midst of a 27-date North American tour with Melanie Martinez. How does it compare to your experience on Warped Tour?

The tour with Melanie Martinez right now is massively different than our experience on Warped Tour. The first major difference being of course that we’re playing indoors instead of the typical fairgrounds that we’d be playing on Warped. The architecture in most of these theatres is absolutely gorgeous and being centrally located in the cities allows us to take in a lot more of the sights.

You’ll be headlining your show in Asbury Park on March 25th at Wonder Bar. Are there any plans for a full headlining tour of the US in the future?

We’ve done a couple other headlining shows on off days throughout this tour with Melanie and they’ve been great so far. It would be incredible for us to have a full headlining tour of the United States and we’d love to do it. We’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds!

When can we expect a full-length from Alvarez Kings?

We can’t tell you that just yet, but know that it is coming and that it won’t be too far off. We’re working everyday on gathering together the tracks for our debut album and can’t wait to release it to all the fans.

Alvarez Kings play Wonder Bar in Asbury Park on Friday, 3/25, at 7:30pm with YJY, Roy Orbitron, and Deaf Rhino.

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