The King Blues Call It A day
It came to the attention of music fans yesterday, that punk rockers The King Blues have decided to call it a day. Credited for fusing ska and folk together with punk influences, the group released three albums over a five year period with final album ‘Long Live The Struggle’ expected to be released in July of this year to mark the breakup of the band.
In a statement released yesterday, charismatic front man Johnny ‘Itch’ Fox said ‘”It is with great sadness and very heavy hearts that we must inform you that, as of today, The King Blues are no more. We are all immensely proud of our body of work. We will be releasing the last The King Blues album entitled ‘Long Live The Struggle’ as the final chapter. The album will be released in early July 2012. We simply feel we have taken things as far as they can go and it would be unfair on you if we were to go through the motions like so many other artists do. We all believe strongly in what The King Blues stands for”.
The King Blues were formed by Itch, on vocals and ukulele, and Jamie Jazz playing acoustic guitar. Over a number of years, the band have grown immensely, with touring and recording members changing format within each album cycle, however these two characters have always remained the focal point of the band.
Releasing debut album ‘Under The Fog’ on Household Name Records in 2006, The King Blues didn’t come to mainstream success or notification until the release of 2008’s ‘Save The World. Get The Girl’ released on Field Recordings, the same label their debut was re-released on in the same year. This album gained the band acclaim among fans and critics alike, and, whilst failing to make a severe dent in chart figures, it managed to gain radio play whilst still maintaining the street values and ethics the band wished to convey. With heartfelt lyrical values, this album mixed politics with anthemic punk that was as catchy as it was thought provoking, with spoken word track ‘What If Punk Never Happened’ highlighting Itch’s poetic talent. Producing singles ‘Let’s Hang The Landlord’, ‘My Boulder’, ‘I Got Love’ and title track ‘Save The World. Get The Girl’, this album became the focal point of concert set lists up to this point.
Released on Transmission Recordings, 2011’s ‘Punk and Poetry’ managed to reach #31 in the Album Chart, feeling much more positive in its musical delivery, with Ian Winwood stating ‘Even at its angriest, Punk & Poetry is pop music played hard, high energy rock’n’roll constructed magnificently and in a manner that makes this appealing to an audience comprised of more than one generation’.
Having influences ranging from The Clash to The Specials, it’s the political presence to the melodic catchiness that has always attracted me to The King Blues. Through Itch’s engaging front man qualities, to the musicianship needed to convey the facts, they provided endless of hours of enjoyable listening for myself and many of those I know. Lucky enough to see them perform at Reading 2011, I witnessed the passion and dedication from fans who would have supported this band down whichever avenue they wished to explore in the future I’m sure. It’s a shame that a band with such potential and presence just couldn’t see where the road ahead was leading.
Dan Earl.