Kingsbury (band)
Encyclopedia
Kingsbury are a prominent, Orlando-based psychedelic indie rock
band on Post Records
known for their melodic, dischordinant and ambient elements in their music.
recruited Mark Freeman to play bass and T.J. Burke
to play drums in a new musical endeavor. Reed had written a handful of songs and recorded them onto a four-track machine. In December, 2003
the trio then recruited Nick Sanders
and Riley Anderson to play guitar and keyboards respectively.
In early 2004, the band recorded their first release, a 4-song EP called This Place is Coming Down. Immediately the band started playing shows in and around Central Florida
, eventually spreading out to other parts of the state of Florida
. This Place is Coming Down was marked for its streamlined, yet mature songwriting and garnered positive reviews from multiple media outlets. Lost At Sea Magazine stated "This Place is Coming Down not only introduces a band with real great potential, but one that is already writing mature interesting music." Delusions of Adequacy noted that "This Place is Coming Down is a strong achievement from a talented group of musicians looking to break their way into the often tumultuous indie-rock scene."
In August 2004, Kingsbury set out on their first of many subsequent tours. Concentrating on the Southeast U.S., the band gained even more popularity and attention for their stage presence that helped bring the songs to life.
In 2005, Kingsbury released their second EP The Open Sea, which saw a similar musical approach but also a bit more experimentation by the band. Gone were the more obvious rock elements, replaced with more spacious melodies. The Open Sea saw the band gain even more attention from music critics, with the Orlando Weekly stating "Kingsbury are buried in a resonant cavern full of downcast melodies and spacious arrangements, with a slightly trippy patina mixing up the metaphor. They sound nothing like that giddy pop band The Kingsbury Manx (which is why I avoided them for so long), and this EP (their second) is a fine addition to the canon of Orlando-bands-who-shouldn’t-be-from Orlando. The linchpin in the group’s sound is the interplay between the piano (which drives most of the melodies) and the guitars (which provide most of the atmosphere); while the rhythm section
is stretching-stretching-stretching, these instruments are tussling, making for an earthy yet extraterrestrial sort of racket."
Kingsbury completed two tours in the summer of 2005 in support of the great compromise, the first tour focusing on the Southeast U.S. and the second reaching up into the Northeast and as far west as the Chicago-area.
After the second tour in 2005, Nick Sanders left the band to pursue other musical endeavors. The band immediately began writing for what would become a full-length record. After Nick left, Riley was kicked out because of his musical differences. During this process this left Reed, Freeman and Burke to write and record the bulk of the record by themselves at their home studio, Sugarwood Studios in Winter Park, FL. To help assist with guitar tracks and other instrumentation, the band brought in good friend Wes Jones, then of Apollo Quartet to record on the album. After months of recorded, the album, titled The Great Compromise, was completed in the Fall of 2006 and released in January 2007. After initial recording was done, Samantha Christine (guitar) and Alexis Hamlin-Vogler (keyboards vovals) joined the band.
The Great Compromise was a significant step for the band, with a larger departure from their previous two recordings. The album feature much more musical experimentation with electronic equipment such as drum machine
s and sequencers. These changes did not deter fans and even gained the band a larger following, especially among music critics. Amplifier Magazine stated "Kingsbury has crafted a record that somehow encourages dark introspection while discouraging the puerile moping that’s too often present in contemporary rock and folk music
. There’s nothing pedantic about these jarring tunes; instead, the listener is privileged to ingest and absorb song after song of intricate minor key
progressions performed by rather talented artisans," and REAX Magazine called the album "mesmerizing." The band toured throughout Florida and the Eastern U.S. heavily in support of The Great Compromise and it is reported that the band has sold out of the album and is debating whether or not to press more copies for distribution.
Following the success of The Great Compromise, Hamlin-Vogler left the band to pursue a career in cosmetology. Subsequently, the band has been a four-piece ever since.
In 2008, the band set out to write and record the follow-up to The Great Compromise, a six-song EP titled Lie to Me. This release saw the band continuing to push the envelope musically, becoming much more experimental. Two of the tracks on Lie to Me are purely ambient electronic instrumental tracks. In an even further departure from the past, the band decided to digitally release the EP for free via download on their brand new website. As the band notes on their website, Lie to Me will be "the first of a series of recordings released for free on the bands recently rebuilt website, kingsburymusic.net."
The band is currently self-promoting the new EP, with help from Post Records and gearing up for a slew of shows in 2009 to support the recording. Also, there are plans for music video
s and other endeavors, which will most likely all be available via the band's website.
Kingsbury has also recorded two cover songs
to be featured on a New Order tribute compilation CD
.
Mark Freeman - Bass (2003–present)
T.J. Burke - Drums and programming (2003–present)
Samantha Christine - Guitars (2006–present)
- Guitars (2003–2005)
Riley Anderson - Keyboards (2003–2005)
Alexis Hamlin-Vogler - Keyboards, Vocals (2006–2007)
The Open Sea (2005)
Lie to Me (2008)
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band on Post Records
Post Records
Post Records is an American record label which was formed by Buzz Curtis in the early 60's. Located in Philadelphia, PA. Curtis pressed many such compilations IN THE 60'S AND THE 70'S. Most would contain one or two localized hits...
known for their melodic, dischordinant and ambient elements in their music.
History
Kingsbury was formed in 2003 in Orlando, FL when songwriter Bruce ReedButch Reed
Butch Reed is an American professional wrestler best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance/World Championship Wrestling.-Career:...
recruited Mark Freeman to play bass and T.J. Burke
T. J. Burke
Thomas James "T.J." Burke QC is a New Brunswick lawyer and politician. Burke was the first Aboriginal who hails from Tobique First Nation selected to a legislature anywhere in Atlantic Canada. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 2003 and was a member of the cabinet...
to play drums in a new musical endeavor. Reed had written a handful of songs and recorded them onto a four-track machine. In December, 2003
December 2003
-Events:-December 1:* Occupation of Iraq:** The firefight in which more than 50 Iraqis are reported killed is now thought to have been an attempted currency heist. ** One GI is killed Monday in fighting west of Baghdad. * World AIDS Day:...
the trio then recruited Nick Sanders
Nick Sanders
Nick Sanders is a British bicyclist, motorcyclist and author noted for his long-distance riding. On 9 June 1997, Sanders completed a world record circumnavigation of the world in a record riding time of 31 days 20 hours....
and Riley Anderson to play guitar and keyboards respectively.
In early 2004, the band recorded their first release, a 4-song EP called This Place is Coming Down. Immediately the band started playing shows in and around Central Florida
Central Florida
Central Florida is a regional designation for the area surrounding Orlando in east central Florida, United States. The area represents the third largest population concentration in Florida, after the South Florida and Tampa Bay regions, respectively....
, eventually spreading out to other parts of the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. This Place is Coming Down was marked for its streamlined, yet mature songwriting and garnered positive reviews from multiple media outlets. Lost At Sea Magazine stated "This Place is Coming Down not only introduces a band with real great potential, but one that is already writing mature interesting music." Delusions of Adequacy noted that "This Place is Coming Down is a strong achievement from a talented group of musicians looking to break their way into the often tumultuous indie-rock scene."
In August 2004, Kingsbury set out on their first of many subsequent tours. Concentrating on the Southeast U.S., the band gained even more popularity and attention for their stage presence that helped bring the songs to life.
In 2005, Kingsbury released their second EP The Open Sea, which saw a similar musical approach but also a bit more experimentation by the band. Gone were the more obvious rock elements, replaced with more spacious melodies. The Open Sea saw the band gain even more attention from music critics, with the Orlando Weekly stating "Kingsbury are buried in a resonant cavern full of downcast melodies and spacious arrangements, with a slightly trippy patina mixing up the metaphor. They sound nothing like that giddy pop band The Kingsbury Manx (which is why I avoided them for so long), and this EP (their second) is a fine addition to the canon of Orlando-bands-who-shouldn’t-be-from Orlando. The linchpin in the group’s sound is the interplay between the piano (which drives most of the melodies) and the guitars (which provide most of the atmosphere); while the rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
is stretching-stretching-stretching, these instruments are tussling, making for an earthy yet extraterrestrial sort of racket."
Kingsbury completed two tours in the summer of 2005 in support of the great compromise, the first tour focusing on the Southeast U.S. and the second reaching up into the Northeast and as far west as the Chicago-area.
After the second tour in 2005, Nick Sanders left the band to pursue other musical endeavors. The band immediately began writing for what would become a full-length record. After Nick left, Riley was kicked out because of his musical differences. During this process this left Reed, Freeman and Burke to write and record the bulk of the record by themselves at their home studio, Sugarwood Studios in Winter Park, FL. To help assist with guitar tracks and other instrumentation, the band brought in good friend Wes Jones, then of Apollo Quartet to record on the album. After months of recorded, the album, titled The Great Compromise, was completed in the Fall of 2006 and released in January 2007. After initial recording was done, Samantha Christine (guitar) and Alexis Hamlin-Vogler (keyboards vovals) joined the band.
The Great Compromise was a significant step for the band, with a larger departure from their previous two recordings. The album feature much more musical experimentation with electronic equipment such as drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s and sequencers. These changes did not deter fans and even gained the band a larger following, especially among music critics. Amplifier Magazine stated "Kingsbury has crafted a record that somehow encourages dark introspection while discouraging the puerile moping that’s too often present in contemporary rock and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. There’s nothing pedantic about these jarring tunes; instead, the listener is privileged to ingest and absorb song after song of intricate minor key
Minor scale
A minor scale in Western music theory includes any scale that contains, in its tonic triad, at least three essential scale degrees: 1) the tonic , 2) a minor-third, or an interval of a minor third above the tonic, and 3) a perfect-fifth, or an interval of a perfect fifth above the tonic, altogether...
progressions performed by rather talented artisans," and REAX Magazine called the album "mesmerizing." The band toured throughout Florida and the Eastern U.S. heavily in support of The Great Compromise and it is reported that the band has sold out of the album and is debating whether or not to press more copies for distribution.
Following the success of The Great Compromise, Hamlin-Vogler left the band to pursue a career in cosmetology. Subsequently, the band has been a four-piece ever since.
In 2008, the band set out to write and record the follow-up to The Great Compromise, a six-song EP titled Lie to Me. This release saw the band continuing to push the envelope musically, becoming much more experimental. Two of the tracks on Lie to Me are purely ambient electronic instrumental tracks. In an even further departure from the past, the band decided to digitally release the EP for free via download on their brand new website. As the band notes on their website, Lie to Me will be "the first of a series of recordings released for free on the bands recently rebuilt website, kingsburymusic.net."
The band is currently self-promoting the new EP, with help from Post Records and gearing up for a slew of shows in 2009 to support the recording. Also, there are plans for music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s and other endeavors, which will most likely all be available via the band's website.
Kingsbury has also recorded two cover songs
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
to be featured on a New Order tribute compilation CD
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
.
Current members
Bruce Reed - Vocals, Guitar (2003–present)Mark Freeman - Bass (2003–present)
T.J. Burke - Drums and programming (2003–present)
Samantha Christine - Guitars (2006–present)
Former members
Nick AndersonNick Anderson
Nelison "Nick" Anderson is a former American professional basketball player. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for two years, playing on the team that reached the NCAA Final Four in 1989. That Fighting Illini team gained the moniker "Flyin' Illini" by Dick Vitale while...
- Guitars (2003–2005)
Riley Anderson - Keyboards (2003–2005)
Alexis Hamlin-Vogler - Keyboards, Vocals (2006–2007)
EPs
This Place is Coming Down (2004)The Open Sea (2005)
Lie to Me (2008)
External links
- http://kingsburymusic.net/
- http://post-records.com/