Q&A With Krooked Kings
Surf rock quintet Krooked Kings cement their status as lords of the Salt Lake City indie underground with the release of their new album ‘All Out Of Good Days’.
Krooked Kings have already gathered a fervent Australian fan base and their star only continues to rise with ‘All Out Of Good Days’, which is released via LA indie label Nobody Gets It Records.
With a potential Australian tour for Krooked Kings in the works, we wanted to know more about the band, where they’re from and if they’re willing to knock back a shoey for the Aussie crowds.
How do five guys from Utah come together to form a surf rock band?
We’ve all just known each other or have run in the same circles since for a long time. It’s kind of a ragtag group of Oli’s making, he says: “well we need a drummer, who can I find for that?” and it all just worked out really well.
What’s the story behind the name Krooked Kings?
Oli had the first gig lined up and was told he needed a name like five minutes before the show. Our friend had a band called The Face Cards, so that inspired it.
Congratulations on your new album ‘All Out Of Good Days’. What do you want listeners to know about this album and what it means to the band?
We just want people to enjoy it. it’s all based in our lives and realities as we were emerging from college kids into the real world, and I think that’s a time of real anxiety for a lot of people so hopefully that can strike a chord with some of our listeners.
How does it feel to have found such a strong following in Australia?
We know Australia has a big indie scene and has produced some really amazing and influential indie artists for as long as the genre has been around. It’s a real compliment but it also feels pretty natural for us.
We’re hoping to see you Down Under soon! What are some of the band’s must-do things when you come here?
I think our real knowledge of Australian culture is pretty limited. I guess just try some Marmite and see a kangaroo or something. Hopefully that’s not too stereotypical. Of course, we want to take in all the natural beauty down there too.
What can Aussie fans expect from your shows?
We want to really bring the energy! I think be prepared for our songs to rock a little harder live than the recordings.
Have you ever heard of a ‘shoey’? Are you willing to try it?
We have heard! I’m kind of surprised none of us have done one considering our usual antics. We’ve decided to save that for when we are in Australia though. Maybe for the first show or something.
Does your religious upbringing inform your music? If so, how?
Not all of us grew up Mormon, but the culture permeates everything in Utah. I think it’s impossible to grow up here and not have it inform your entire life and outlook in some way. We haven’t written too much about that experience yet but it’s definitely something we want to explore.
If we were to visit you in Utah for a day, where would we go and what would we do?
I think we would have to do something outdoors. It’s so beautiful here and everything is so close by. If you came to Salt Lake, we would definitely be exploring the mountains. If you went to southern Utah that’s where all the red rock and the arches are. If you were with us, we’d probably just play stump and maybe go see a show or something downtown.
What is the indie music scene like in Salt Lake City/Utah? Which bands should we keep an ear out for?
It’s a lot bigger and cooler than I think people would imagine. Cool bands to check out: Kipper Snack, The Gontiks, Sunhills, The Rubies, Body Of Leaves. There’s a ton more that really rock, it’s hard to narrow it down.
The best thing about being in Krooked Kings?
We all have the same weirdo sense of humour, so we are basically just cracking each other up constantly. It makes the long drives on tour way easier.