High-energy Yorkshire four-piece King No-One are a non-stop endorphin rush thanks to their edgy take on indie-pop as heard on EPs Out Of My Mind and The Dead Hotel.
The Leeds-based band was formed in 2013 and originally centred around childhood friends Zach Lount (vocals) and Joe Martin (guitar), later joined by James Basile (drums) and finally Rob Gration (bass) to complete the killer line-up.
Having previously impressed with such euphoric anthems as “Alcatraz”, “Roll of the Dice” and “Not Willing To Sacrifice My Life”, King No-One continue their rise to the top with the brand-new offering “I Feel Strange”. An infectious flurry of pop-rock guitar riffs and stream-of-consciousness lyrics tackling issues of mortality and existentialism, their latest single sees a band unafraid to ask the big questions and the colossal talent required to transform them into a smash hit single.
Already looking towards the new year, 2024 sees the boys hitting the road once again for a big tour in March. Tickets are already on sale with Gigantic so CLICK HERE and look forward to the ride of your life with King No-One!
We caught up with the boys ahead of their unmissable shows to chat about the influences behind their music and all the ingredients required to make the perfect King No-One show.
There’s a huge anthemic quality to your sound – who are your influences?
Our latest EP release ‘The Dead Hotel’ was inspired by a lot of new wave and post-punk such as The Cure and The Smiths. I imagine that may continue a little as those bands mean so much to us. We’ve also always carried across a hip-hop element to our sound through some of the production choices and beats on our records. You could say this marrying of the two gives it that ‘anthemic’ quality you’re referring to!
You’ve just dropped your new single “I Feel Strange”. What are the themes behind the song?
The song lyrically is about exactly what the title suggests. It comments on the bizarre state of the world of which we currently find ourselves and the result of how that makes us feel individually. It’s a real gut punch and one that we now absolutely love playing live.
You pack out venues wherever you play. Describe what a perfect King No-One show is like.
A perfect show for us is all about connecting with the audience that we have in front of us. We are incredibly grateful for the fan base we have, so in the time we share a room together, we always aim to make it the best it can be for them and for us.
Our live show is our pride and joy, and no two shows are the same. We do everything we can to make the show you’re at the most unique experience you can have!
It also goes without saying that our shows are safe spaces for every person within society, we celebrate individuality and always encourage self-expression.
And it’s been a big summer of festivals and international shows for you. Tell us about your top moments.
It really has, we’ve had the best time. There have been a fair few so it’s tricky, but Truck Festival and Leeds Festival were probably our biggest highlights. We played the main stage at Truck on the Saturday afternoon during that horrifically wet July we had, but despite the terrible weather we had such a great show with an even better crowd who were more than up for it despite being caked in mud. Love it.
What’s been the weirdest experience you’ve ever had on the road or with fans?
It’s becoming increasingly common to be asked by fans to draw something on a scrap of paper or something, which they will then later on go and get tattooed. I’ll ask them what to draw and they will usually impulsively reply, “anything”! I am no artist by any stretch, so the pressure that comes with that request is insane! Apologies to those Dutch fans in Amsterdam who ended up with pumpkin drawings, I truly hope you didn’t go through with it.
Are there any essential items you request on every rider?
We have quite a modest rider - nothing over-indulgent or too specific. Case of beers, bottle of red, bottle of white followed by a purposely ambiguous request of ‘healthy snacks’. We (rather embarrassingly) get quite excited upon arriving at the venue to see what the rep has got in for us. If it’s plain hummus we riot.
Leeds is massively underappreciated for its rich musical legacy. Who are your long-term heroes from Yorkshire and are there any other rising stars bursting out of the local scene that you can recommend?
You’re right, Leeds is quite underappreciated. We’ve had some massively influential bands that go a bit under the radar. Bands like Gang Of Four and The Music were just brilliant and carved a path for a lot of bands that followed them. Our current local heroes are of course Yard Act, who are obviously amazing and are no doubt inspiring a new generation from the area to pick up an instrument and give it all a go. One of our current favourites from round ‘ere though are a new five-piece called About-Faces. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them a couple of times and they’re mint so check ‘em.
We love your EPs Out Of My Mind and The Dead Hotel. When can we expect a debut album to drop?
We’d be lying completely if we were to pretend that an album is super far away or not in our conscious at all. We’ve been a band for quite a while now, and it really feels like the next step for us. However, if you’re looking for an exclusive announcement in regards to this topic, you’ll have to forgive me for keeping shtum. Buy me a drink first!
What are your darkest fantasies and greatest ambitions for the band?
Greatest ambition? Got to be Glastonbury.
Darkest fantasy? The sesh after our set at Glastonbury.
📆 Tour Dates:
- 08 March 2024: King No-One – Riverside Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne
- 09 March 2024: King No-One – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
- 20 March 2024: King No-One – Thekla, Bristol
- 21 March 2024: King No-One – Waterfront Studio, Norwich
Get your King No-One tickets with Gigantic today!