Photo: Cat Stevens
Releasing their debut E.P. next month, To Kill A King look set to make a name for themselves.
My Crooked Saint is an exciting release that should build up anticipation ahead of their eventual album (we'll be reviewing the E.P. in a couple of weeks, so look out for that).
We chatted to singer/guitarist Ralph Pelleymounter about the E.P. and their upcoming tour.
-Are you excited for the E.P release?
I think there is varying amount of excitement and trepidation that I feel each day. We’ve been in the studio working on this E.P. and the album all summer, and are really proud of all that we’ve done, but now it’s time to let other people have a listen.
I think it’s the closest feeling to sending your kids for their first day of school. You're sure they’ll do fine, because, well, how couldn’t they? They’re your kids, apple of your eye and so on, but then in the back of your mind you remember your own experiences in school and that some kids are little s****.
-Where did the name My Crooked Saint come from?
It’s taken from a line in the last track on the E.P. ‘Wrecking Crew’. I used to work as a care-worker back in Leeds with people with addictions, among other things, namely alcohol and the song is shaped by some of these experiences.
It’s about abusive patterns passing from father to son, the central character wanting to breakout of this cycle and also these strange groups you can form where the people you surround yourself with can be at the same time helping you and stopping you from getting better. Hence the idea of a ‘Wrecking Crew.’
I think though the crooked saint seeps into the other songs as well; I don’t see him as a bad character but someone to be weary of.
-How would you describe the sound of the EP?
It is varied, the difference between say 'Bloody Shirt' and 'Wrecking Crew' is vast, one being upbeat with an expansive sound, the other dark and rocky.
I suppose as a bracket you could say, urban folk? No wait, that sounds rubbish...erm, it’s difficult. The Guardian coined the phrase orc folk, which we are taking as orchestral folk, not that we look like the uglier side of the Lord of the Rings cast.
-Where did you draw on for your influences?
We all have very strong and quite varied influence, however it is not without overlap.
I must say that for every band I list here maybe four of the five of us love them, one of us will not be feeling it in the same way. However I’d say Bob Dylan, Dirty Projectors, Elbow, Nick Cave, Mystery Jets, Little Dragon and Pulp.
-How was the last year been for you?
Amazing. First single out, E.P. just about to come out, lots of great gigs. Up until January of this year music has been something we all did after working our day jobs, now we get to do this day in and day out. I think we all know how fortunate we are to be allowed this luxury of time and money to make the music we love.
-A short film has just been released for 'Bloody Shirt'. Can you tell us about about that?
Yeah well, there is a director called Jack King, who I met when we were both teenagers. We’d already worked with him on 'Cold Skin' and 'Fiction State' videos.
I don’t know if it’s because we grew up in similar areas or that we did the same stuff when we were younger but he has a gift for getting the feel of the songs bang on.
Anyhow that aside, when we thought about doing the E.P. we wanted something that would tie the project together. We ran with the notion that each song on the E.P. would have a strong narrative.
This then came to the idea that instead of doing one video we could do four, all with interlinking character, so the main character in one video would appear in a different video as a minor character.
Anyhow I was very taken with this idea and quickly set about writing a rough script for the project.
I then approached Jack with the idea, he told me what was possible, and the two of us locked ourselves away in a room with little to no natural light and emerged with the final script. I’ve got to admit I’m very excited about the whole project.
-Are excited for the tour with Wakey Wakey?
Really excited, they are a lovely bunch of people, and this will be our first real tour.
-In a couple of weeks you'll be playing a headline show in London. Are you looking forward to that?
Can’t wait, it’s at Hoxton bar and grill on the 22nd of September. Ha I feel that you set us up for that little plug brilliantly, so thank you.
-Do you have any headline tour plans in the future?
We have some plans to do some interesting projects in London for November and December and then when the album comes out next year we will be touring again.
-Are there any plans for a full-length yet?
Album? Yeah we have very nearly finished it, and it should be out next year at some point. Once everyone’s stopped worrying about X-Factor.
-What does the rest of the year hold for To Kill A King?
Mostly what I’ve mentioned, but I also wouldn’t mind making back home to Yorkshire at some point my sister is about to have a baby and I’ll be an uncle for the first time, which is quite an exciting thing.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge