Q&A Scene: The Ugly Kings – CherryRock015 Special

April 30, 2015 Mary Boukouvalas

Q&A

Tell us about your new single/ album/ tour?
We just released a brand new single called “Goodbye” which is a duet with The Love Bombs singer Pierina O’Brien. We are also putting the final touches to our upcoming EP due later this year. Touring wise after Cherry Rock we will probably take it easy until the release of the EP which should mark the start of a new tour. Hopefully we can work our way to Europe and the US as well.
How would you describe your sound in food form and why? 
[pullquote]Powerful riffs, rhythm changes aplenty, breakdowns and signature deep, gritty vocals and story telling.[/pullquote]We are a full 3 course meal! Snails for entree, roast lamb for main and baklava for desert, all topped up with Vegemite. That’s the sound you get when a French, a Kiwi, a Greek and an Aussie get together on stage.
Which song resonates most strongly and why?
Wicked Witch of Wonder would be the ultimate Ugly Kings song as it has every single element that defines the band. Powerful riffs, rhythm changes aplenty, breakdowns and signature deep, gritty vocals and story telling.

Any on the road anecdotes?
Yes, DO NOT eat too many meat pies.

Where do you draw inspiration from?
From the diversity of experience and upbringing all four of us bring to the table. With four strong headed personalities like us, sparks fly when we get together and write.

What’s next for you?
Cherry Rock 015 on the 10th May. We’re very excited about playing with so many great bands.

What’s your scene?
We can be dirty, we can be imperfect, we can be classy, it doesn’t matter. We drift between scenes and eventually may just create our own.

About the Ugly Kings

Drawing influence from an eclectic and dynamic musical background, THE UGLY KINGS offer a stripped down but powerful injection of energy and emotion to the modern rock scene; formulating what can only be described as ‘Power Blues’.

Memorable beats, thunderous bass lines and an electrifying barrage of bluesy ‘grit’ riffs tied with raw and emotive vocals, crunch their way through a visual onslaught of performance leaving audiences thirsty for more. For fans of The Doors, Jack White, Black Sabbath, Arctic Monkeys, Royal Blood, Rival Sons, The Dead Weather.

Firmly establishing themselves in the local scene with a string of successful shows, single releases and two nominations in the coveted ‘Cherry Awards’, The Ugly Kings are thrilled to be part of this year’s chapter of the notorious ‘Cherry Rock’ festival.

Always striving to get their music heard as far and wide as possible, The Ugly Kings had their last year’s single “Wicked Witch of Wonder” placed on Spotify UK’s “Hot New Bands Alert” playlist for 2 months. This saw a significant uptake in streaming of the band’s music in Europe. The band had a sold out launch show at Cherry Bar for that single and also released their debut video clip in August last year.

Their latest single “Control Freak” received airplay from Triple M, also accompanied by an interview with Ugly Phil on Triple M’s Homegrown. The song reached #9 on Triple J’s unearthed Rock Charts and received airplay from Triple J unearthed and many other community radio stations around the country. The band performed a string of successful residency nights at Yah Yah’s to celebrate the release of that single.

The Ugly Kings continue to receive substantial streaming attention from Europe and recently the USA and hope to be able to tour there soon. Interstate touring in Australia has seen great responses for The Ugly Kings, and with more songs in the final stages of production, the band can’t wait to get them released and hit the road.

There is no better way to start that whole journey than with Cherry Rock 2015!

Tour details

CherryRock015
Sunday 10 May 12noon to 9.30pm
Cherry Bar and AC/DC Lane Melbourne
13 acts, 2 stages, no clashes
Tix $79 from www.cherrybar.com.au

About Mary Boukouvalas 1594 Articles
Mary is a photographer and a writer, specialising in music. She runs Rocklust.com where she endeavours to capture the passion of music in her photos whether it's live music photography, promotional band photos or portraits. She has photographed The Rolling Stones, KISS, Iggy Pop, AC/DC, Patti Smith, Joe Strummer, PULP, The Cult, The Damned, The Cure, Ian Brown, Interpol, MUDHONEY, The MELVINS, The Living End, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against The Machine, The Stone Roses –just to name a few - in Australia, USA, Europe and the Middle East. Her work has been published in Beat magazine, Rolling Stone magazine, Triple J magazine, The Age Newspaper, The Herald Sun, The Australian, Neos Kosmos, blistering.com, theaureview.com, noise11.com, music-news.com. She has a permanent photographic exhibition at The Corner Hotel in Richmond, Victoria Australia.
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