Hello Rockstars! Today’s Artist of the Week is Alt-Rock Band KINGS/KINGS!
Here’s their story in their own words, and please check out their amazing new song “Memento Mori” on all their platforms! Enjoy! 🙂
All photos courtesy of the wonderful Tiffany Salerno!
VMS:
When did you start writing and performing your music.
What’s your backstory and current lineup.
KINGS/KINGS:
Fez: Kaitlyn and I started Kings/Kings as an acoustic duo some years ago, with both of us sharing vocals and guitar duties. We always envisioned a full 4 piece band – after an extended hiatus, we finally revisited the project and decided to give it another go. We met Marcus and Anthony through friends in the scene, and its been us four for nearly two years now.
Kaitlyn: I’ve been writing songs since I was at least 14, but didn’t start performing any of them until I was about 19 in around 2014 shortly after I met Fez. We had met through a mutual friend, and started doing open mics as a duet. Eventually we both went our own ways but continued to cheer each other on the sidelines. It wasn’t until about 2 years ago that we decided to collaborate again and decided to pick up where we left off, and turned our duet into a 4 piece band!
VMS:
What artist or bands inspire you and your sound.
KINGS/KINGS:
Fez: I’d like to say that my playing style most emulates Slash, with Jimmy Page flair. I have always appreciated Page’s propensity to fill out Zeppelin’s live arrangements with just one guitar – I think that’s the most gratifying part of live music: seeing how the composition changes, or stays the same, to the original work.
Anthony: My bass lines are heavily influenced by Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath and Jack Bruce of Cream
Kaitlyn: Personally, I get a lot of inspiration from other powerful female vocalists like Hayley Williams, Avril Lavigne, Amy Lee, Gwen Stefani, even Kelly Clarkson…
VMS:
What’s your writing process and inspiration for your lyrics.
KINGS/KINGS:
Kaitlyn: My writing process varies from writing poems first, sometimes a few good chords first, or sometimes just a tune that I come up with in my head and record it into my phone to mess with later.
VMS:
I love your songs “Invested “, “New Mistakes”, “Succubus” and “Bitch”. What is the inspiration or story behind these songs.
KINGS/KINGS:
Kaitlyn: Most of those songs are very personal to me. “Invested” is rooted in the feeling of feeling left in the dark about the direction of a relationship. “New Mistakes” is rooted in past relationship trauma. “Succubus” is based off of a petty insult at the end of a relationship, and “Bitch” is a POV of a narcissist.
Check out KINGS/KINGS Live Session at Asteroid Records on YouTube:
VMS:
I absolutely love your new song “Memento Mori”!
I think it’s a wonderful evolution for you guys. What was the inspiration behind your new song.
KINGS/KINGS:
Kaitlyn: So the title itself was actually inspired by a Sarah J Maas book series called “Crescent City”! (IYKYK). The song itself started off as a jam sesh between the four of us, then the lyrics ended up being about post trauma evolution and realizing that we have only one life, so we better make the most of it regardless of the pain we’ve endured. “Remember that you will die.”
Fez: Although I don’t have too much modern rock influence, I can really see some Tool and prog rock in this new single. It’s that 6 count feel – makes it feel like a waltz. Add that to ripping guitars and some dark rhythm, and boom, “modern” rock.
Listen to “Memento Mori” on Spotify:
VMS:
Which local artist would you like to work with and why.
KINGS/KINGS:
Fez: Appleseed is my FAVORITE local band right now. I would love to play a show with them or collaborate in some way. With just two singles released, they display a wide variety of influences; punk, funk metal, 90s grunge, all delivered with heartfelt sincerity or a razor sharp edge with the flick of a switch. If you haven’t heard of them, give them a listen!
Kaitlyn: One particular artist comes to mind, but unfortunately they don’t perform anymore. But Mariah from Mojave Sun was a true vocal inspiration…if she decided to come back into the music scene, I would love to sing with her.
VMS:
What’s your overall theme or message of your music.
KINGS/KINGS:
Kaitlyn: Honestly, I don’t think we’re establishing a particular theme or message. Maybe empowerment? Idk…this is all pure self expression, and all four of us execute it in our own way. We just so happen to have good chemistry to work with. I’m blessed.
VMS:
Do you have a favorite song that you like to perform.
KINGS/KINGS:
Kaitlyn: “New Mistakes”.
Fez: “Bite Me” and “Memento” are my favorites. Bite Me, because of its Latin feel and dynamics, AND I get to play vibraslap and cabasa on that song. “Memento” is really enjoyable – I take that opportunity to utilize some odd tricks, like the fidget spinner or the E-Bow.
VMS:
Do you have any crazy or interesting stories from working in the music scene.
KINGS/KINGS:
Kaitlyn: The main one that sticks out to me is when it was just Fez and me who used to jam out. We were jamming at my apartment YEARS ago with my patio door wide open (in the middle of the day of course). We were on the second floor, and someone shouted up at us from downstairs. They asked, “Is that an original?!” We replied, “Ya!” They said back, “HOLD ON.” We waited but also continued to do what we were doing. A few minutes later, this stranger comes back and tosses a joint onto my patio and proceeds to say, “Keep making good music!” We thanked him and shared that joint with some other local musicians later on that week!
VMS:
What does the future hold for KINGS/KINGS.
KINGS/KINGS:
Fez: Our debut EP is planned for early 2026. We‘ll have 3 songs on it (including Memento) and hope to plan a release show at Red Dwarf. Beyond that, we hope to have a full length album ready by 2027.
Kaitlyn: Who knows? Maybe a record label, maybe just an exceptional experience. If the band broke up today, I would have absolutely zero regrets or resentment.
VMS:
What have been your personal pros and cons of being a band here in Las Vegas. What do you think the scene could improve on and what are your hopes for the future of the Vegas Music Scene.
KINGS/KINGS:
Kaitlyn: Pros: Having a lot of opportunities to perform and show people our music.
Cons: The competition of marketing skills in order to promote our music. It’s not like we don’t want to promote ourselves, it just feels artificial sometimes when we have to make silly little skits to keep up with social media.
The only thing I would say that I would like to see change in the local music scene is to give more local acts an opportunity to show what they’ve got even if they don’t have a big following. Self marketing doesn’t equal talent and vice versa.
VMS:
What do you want your audience to feel and experience at one of your live shows.
KINGS/KINGS:
Kaitlyn: Besides just enjoying our sound, I would love to hear about how other people relate to these songs. Most of them are very personal, so I hope they can become personal for others as well.
Anthony: My goal is to inspire people to pick up an instrument and express their soul through it.
VMS Thoughts:
What I love about KINGS/KINGS is how effortlessly they jump between so many different genres and it still all sounds so cohesive and so uniquely them, which is not an easy feat to accomplish. It’s just a huge testament to their musicianship, and the fact they have such an amazing passion and chemistry as a band, and with Kaitlyn’s absolutely killer vocals it’s hard to deny the huge musical punch they pack.
I have seen them live multiple times and every time they always surprise me with another nuance I didn’t pick up the first time. They have always been a solid band, and It’s so exciting to see how they are always still pushing themselves musically as artists, they never rest on their laurels, and the evolution has been an amazing one to watch. I know I am the absolute worst at describing music sometimes, (lmao), because honestly it truly comes down to the emotion of the song and the music.
I know that every time I have seen KINGS/KINGS I find myself just getting lost on the amazing journey of love, loss and the past personal trauma of life and trying to come out of that better than before. Their music just taps into that beautifully exquisite pain you feel in the breakup of a relationship. That moment in time when you feel everything together and nothing at the same time. Their music has found that sweet spot, the beautiful moment of agony, longing, love and hopefulness. I am excited to see what the future holds for KINGS/KINGS. I know they have so many amazing things in the works and I am super excited to see the next chapter in an already complex book.
For more information about KINGS/KINGS, please check out their social media platforms!
—-VMS xoxoxox