To Kill a King (band)
To Kill A King are a British rock band currently based in London. The band has been compared to The National, Grizzly Bear and Frightened Rabbit.[1][2]
To Kill A King | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Rock, folk rock |
| Years active | 2009-present |
| Labels | Communion Records, Xtra Mile Recordings |
| Website | To Kill A King |
| Members | Ralph Pelleymounter (vocals / acoustic guitar) James Ball (bass) Josh Taffel (drums) Grant McNeill (electric guitar) Ben Jackson (synth and keys) |
| Past members | Ian Dudfield (electric guitar/funky trombone times) Jon Willoughby (drums) Josh Platman (bass/cello) Peter Hakola (bass) |
They have been the support act for recent Dog Is Dead and Bastille tour dates. To Kill A King played at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2013.
History
The band was formed in 2009, originally called Kid iD, by frontman Ralph Pelleymounter with Ian Dudfield and Josh Platman during their studies at University of Leeds. In late 2009, after a change of line-up, they renamed themselves To Kill A King as Jonathan Willoughby and Ben Jackson joined the band.[3]
Their first single, "Fictional State", was released on 29 May 2011.[4] A video, directed by Jack King, was made for the single in April 2011.[5] To Kill A King's first EP, My Crooked Saint, was released on 16 October 2011.
Between April and July 2012, To Kill A King uploaded videos for the songs "Funeral", "Let It Die" and "Rays", which were videos that they had made during rehearsals of the tracks. The Word Of Mouth EP was released on 23 July 2012. A video for "Howling" was uploaded to their YouTube account on 8 October 2012. The making of the video involved Ralph Pelleymounter being seated for 36 hours while 5,000 photographs were captured and used to form a video. The Word of Mouth EP was made available for free digital download. The band also held a competition in which those who spread the news of their new EP in the most creative way would receive a free copy of the Word of Mouth CD.[6] The CD can now be purchased from the band's official-website store.
The band signed with Xtra Mile Recordings in August 2013 and re-released their debut album Cannibals With Cutlery as a deluxe version, adding 4 additional tracks on 7 October. The album reached number thirteen in the Official Record Store Chart.[7]
In September 2013 the band had another change in line-up as Ian Dudfield and Jonathan Willoughby left. Grant McNeill (electric guitar) and Joshua Taffel (drums) stepped up in their places.[8]
The band's next EP—Exit, Pursued A By Bear—was released on 20 October 2014. Frontman Ralph Pelleymounter describes the EP as "a departure from where we were but not where we are going to end up. Call it a pit stop on the road to optimism, somewhere to pick up some snacks and petrol, maybe look at the local attractions, like a girl with a beard of bees or the worlds [sic] largest cigarette".[9] The EP features 5 new tracks. "Exit, Pursued By a Bear" is one of Shakespeare's most famous stage directions, which features in his 1623 play The Winter's Tale.
On 7 January 2015 the band announced the release of their second album, titled eponymously "To Kill A King" with 11 brand new tracks. To Kill a King is now available to order through iTunes and the band's page in digital download, CD and vinyl. It was released on 2 March 2015. <ref?>
Following the release of their self-titled album and a UK and European tour, the band will play a number of festivals in 2015, including a June main-stage headline performance at 110 Above Festival in Twycross, Leicestershire.
Discography
My Crooked Saint EP - (2011)
| No. | Song Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bloody Shirt | 3:46 |
| 2 | We Used To Protest/Gamble | 4:20 |
| 3 | Family | 5:15 |
| 4 | Wrecking Crew | 3:55 |
Word Of Mouth EP - (2012)
| No. | Song Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howling | 4:11 |
| 2 | Funeral | 4:55 |
| 3 | Besides She Said | 4:30 |
| 4 | Wolves | 3:31 |
| 5 | Rays | 3:55 |
| 6 | Let It Die | 3:40 |
Cannibals With Cutlery [Deluxe Version] - (2013)
| No. | Song Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I Work Nights And You Work Days | 4:10 |
| 2 | Cold Skin | 3:20 |
| 3 | Funeral | 4:35 |
| 4 | Wolves | 3:32 |
| 5 | Cannibals With Cutlery | 0:42 |
| 6 | Besides She Said | 4:28 |
| 7 | Gasp/The Reflex | 3:45 |
| 8 | Choices | 6:28 |
| 9 | Rays | 3:55 |
| 10 | Children Who Start Fires | 4:34 |
| 11 | Fictional State | 4:52 |
| 12 | Family | 5:14 |
| 13 | Letters To My Lover, The Dylan Fan | 5:41 |
| 14 | Cannibals With Cutlery (Reprise) | 1:55 |
| 15 | Standing In Front Of The Mirror | 3:05 |
| 16 | We Used To Protest/Gamble (Gamblers Version) | 5:03 |
| 17 | Howling (Acoustic Version) | 4:04 |
Exit, Pursued By a Bear EP - (2014)
| No. | Song Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oh My Love | 4:33 |
| 2 | Breathe | 3:01 |
| 3 | The Constant Changing State of Us (Gold) | 4:51 |
| 4 | Love is Coal | 5:22 |
| 5 | So My Friends Want To Marry | 2:58 |
To Kill a King - (2015)
| # | Song Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compare Scars | 3:39 |
| 2 | Love Is Not Control | 3:11 |
| 3 | Oh My Love | 4:34 |
| 4 | Friends | 3:49 |
| 5 | The Chancer | 4:34 |
| 6 | School Yard Rumours | 3:15 |
| 7 | Good Times (A Rake's Progress) | 2:09 |
| 8 | Musicians Like Gamblers Like Drunks Like Me | 3:28 |
| 9 | Grace at a Party | 3:56 |
| 10 | World of Joy (A List of Things to do) | 4:20 |
| 11 | Today | 1:41 |
The Spiritual Dark Age - (2018)
| # | Song Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spiritual Dark Age | 3:10 |
| 2 | The Unspeakable Crimes of Peter Popoff | 3:26 |
| 3 | Compassion Is a German Word | 2:56 |
| 4 | Cherry Blossom Falls | 2:55 |
| 5 | No More Love Songs | 3:33 |
| 6 | Oh Joy | 3:30 |
| 7 | The Good Old Days | 3:39 |
| 8 | The One with the Jackals | 3:13 |
| 9 | I Used to Work Here, Perhaps You Did Too? | 2:26 |
| 10 | My God & Your God | 3:39 |
| 11 | Bar Fights | 2:20 |
| 12 | And Yet... | 5:18 |
The Good Old Days Acoustic - (2017)
| # | Song Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Good Old Days (acoustic) | 3:19 |
| 2 | The Problem of Evil (acoustic) | 2:59 |
| 3 | Musicians Like Gamblers Like Drunks Like Me (acoustic) | 3:53 |
| 4 | Children Who Start Fires (acoustic) | 3:28 |
| 5 | Wrecking Crew (acoustic) | 3:45 |
The Spiritual Dark Age Acoustic - (2017)
| # | Song Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spiritual Dark Age (acoustic) | 3:35 |
| 2 | Rays (acoustic) | 3:42 |
| 3 | Whisky and Remorse (acoustic) | 2:43 |
| 4 | Letters to My Lover the Dylan Fan (acoustic) | 5:12 |
No More Love Songs Acoustic - (2018)
| # | Song Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No More Love Songs (acoustic) | 3:23 |
| 2 | Prince Charming (acoustic) | 3:09 |
| 3 | Compassion Is a German Word (acoustic) | 2:35 |
| 4 | And Yet... (acoustic) | 3:07 |
References
- Introducing – To Kill a King | Folk Radio UK
- To Kill A King: "Fictional State" « The Wounded Jukebox
- To Kill A King - Cold Skin | Battery In Your Leg
- Scientists of Sound: To Kill A King | Fictional State
- Introducing: To Kill A King « Resonance UK
- Get to grips with our lips (aka how to get a Word Of Mouth CD)
- "Xtra Mile Sign To Kill A King". MusicWeek. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- "This is how the summer ends". ToKillAKing.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- "To Kill A King Brand New EP 'Exit, Pursued By a Bear' // Headline London Show". Xtra Mile Recordings. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
