King King
Right now, King King are a band breaking into a swagger.
There’s no denying the momentum of the Glasgow rockers saluted
as “the best blues-rock band in the world” (Blues Rock
Review). But for Alan Nimmo (vocals/guitar), Lindsay Coulson
(bass), Wayne Proctor (drums) and Jonny Dyke (organ/piano),
it’s far from mission accomplished. “We’re not stopping to
smell the roses,” says Alan. “We want to take this band as far
as we can.”
If the year ahead weren’t so busy, King King might allow
themselves a moment to reflect on the triumphs of 2017. In
another year of quantum leaps, perhaps the main event was
Exile & Grace. Mixed by Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters, Feeder,
Therapy?), this fourth album was released October 13th,
unveiling a tracklisting that bristled with sharply observed
lyrics and blues-rock firepower. “There’s an underlying theme
on the new album,” explains Alan. “Some of the main songs are
about the state of the world, y’know, this beautiful blue
planet that’s turning into a battlefield. There’s an edgier,
rockier feel this time around, but you’ve got the soulful
ballads as well. It’s still King King. It’s just what we’re
doing now.”
For a band with press plaudits to burn, it was no surprise to
see Exile & Grace saluted by the rock media and crowned as
Classic Rock’s Blues Album of the Year. Likewise, it was
business as usual as the album stormed to the top of the
iTunes and Amazon Blues charts. But this time around, there
was no mistaking the sense of a band making its commercial
breakthrough, as Exile & Grace hijacked the official UK album
charts (at #31), putting King King amongst the A-list and
firmly onto the mainstream radar.
