Good afternoon! Ryan from Little King with you again...pleasure to chat. Doesn't seem like that long ago we were discussing the last single, "Silver Tongue." Wait...it WASN'T that long ago. Since 1997's debut album, Transmountain, Little King has been an "album-only" band. But the times they are a-changin'! We decided to tour in October, at least for a week or so. Instead of also diving full-on into another full-length record, I thought it would be fun to record a song that celebrated our 25 years of making records. That was "Silver Tongue," and it was really well-received and got a ton of streams etc on Spotify and the like. Hell, I got a check for at least $22. Make it rain, baby! I was dating a lovely woman named Amber last year. I have been single for about 10 years, as I was working on my business, my music, and operating as a single dad and son of a mom who's almost 80 and needs some help (we are all down here in Tucson, AZ.) But Am changed my direction...she is smart, funny, attractive, and accomplished, and we shared a ton of things in common (age, political orientation, family dynamics, and so much more). In short...she seemed like such a good fit and we were really happy. For a while. I don't know...started to think that maybe I'm not cut out for the relationship thing anymore? Having said that, I am now with someone else now and she is fantastic, so all's well that ends well. Love you, Melissa... But Amber left me in a kind and "professional" manner. It wasn't wrought with gnashing of teeth and sleepless nights. It was just time to move on, and I tried to be very much okay with it. That lasted a bit, but then I really fell into a hole. I wasn't used to heartache, or at least it had, as the song says, "Been awhile, but we're acquainted, and now we're catching up again."
Love songs are so tough for me because they seem so self-absorbed, and I strive to NOT be that guy. But it was all very real and present, and I felt the need to purge the bad feelings through song. So, "Amber Waves (GoodBye)" was born. I've broached the subject before with my 2 Ex's with the songs "Narcissus and Echo" from Virus Divine and "The Skin That I'm In" from Occam's Foil. But those songs both came from a very real sense of betrayal and anger. "Amber Waves (GoodBye)" is much less angry, much more lament and healing. I loved her, I missed her, and this is how I dealt with it. WHICH SONG WOULD YOU SAY SUMS UP YOUR SOUND THE BEST?
Hard to say, as we've changed quite a bit over the years. Because the music is somewhat progressive but still lies somewhere near the mainstream rock thing, I'd like to offer up "Amuse De Q," "Bombs Away," "The Skin That I'm In," and "Collateral Damage" as quintessential LK. Not coincidentally, those are also the first 4 songs in the set.
DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC IN A FEW WORDS.
Walking a tightrope over a car accident with a newborn Schnauzer strapped to my back and a guitar in my hand. Or Dynamic Rock...you choose.
WHO HAVE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES BEEN?
I usually lead this answer with Rush, Zep, Floyd, Steely Dan, and the Talking Heads.
Then comes Tupac, Midnight Oil, Grateful Dead, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Peter Tosh, and Mozart. Recently, back into Tool and Gojira, although they are a bit heavier than the new song, for sure. Jeff Beck was a hero, as was EVH. But Neil Peart's musicianship and erudition are the touchstone for my creative drive, no doubt about it. WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE COOLEST COLLABORATION PROJECT BETWEEN YOU AND ANOTHER ARTIST?
So much into the idea of making a prog/hip-hop mashup record. Maybe Snoop or Dre? I don't know if you've seen many Rush or Tool reaction videos on YouTube, but there are many that feature hip hop aficionados who aren't familiar with those bands. Invariably, the reactions are AWESOME. Those folks had no idea what they were missing, and the appreciation for bands who've I've loved for so long from music fans who've literally never heard "Tom Sawyer" is inspiring. So, yeah...I wanna make a Prog Hop record for sure.
PLEASE TELL US A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF?
I have a tattoo on my arms for each album/single that I've released. A few other places, too! I got on the tat train late, but once I committed to it, I went pretty quickly. I found a guy named Sean Paul in Tucson who I vibed with, and he really took my vision and made it reality. Love that dude.
Tattoos are addictive. I mean, I LIKE the damn pain, I love body art, and I have fun with the reactions that some people from my past have when they see me for the first time in a long time. Like, "Dude, how long were you in prison for?" Answer: "Not long enough!"
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN?
Take vocal lessons. Seriously, I've been singing for a long long time, but I wanted to get to another level with my power, control, technique, and note-choices. So, I hooked up via Zoom with a lady named Stephanie Hansen in Minneapolis. She is AWESOME. I think the results within "Amber" speak for themselves...I'm really proud of my vocals on that song. It's hard to listen to yourself sing...I think most singers feel that way. At least the ones I know...we all cringe. Can't be around a group of people when an LK song comes on. Brutal! But I sang exactly how I felt on the new single, and I think that my vocals are finally close to the same level as my guitar playing. That's a big win for me... WHAT'S NEXT?
We are trying to book a tour in October for a week or so. We start in Tucson on 10/7 at a venue called Shooters. Also have the Doll Hut in Anaheim on 10/9 and Winter's Tavern near San Francisco on 10/12. Just trying to fill in the rest of those dates and not go broke...no mean feat in today's inflationary world. Touring is TOUGH...but it's a labor of love, and we haven't done enough of it over the years. I absolutely dig performing, and we've worked really hard as a band to get ready. Can't wait to share it with you all!
PLEASE ADD ANY SOCIALS SO WE CAN SHARE
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