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The King Blues interview
By Catherine Jones
“We’re here to leave a legacy. Not to be popstars.”
As the band’s success goes from strength to strength, some cult fans may fear that their hard hitting, punk lyrics may be diluted for commercial access.
Itch, the ukulele playing lead singer, says: “The fans wouldn’t buy into that. Our beliefs are very important to us. If we were singing what was in the charts it just wouldn’t be right.
“We sing about what’s relevant in our lives. Politics to us is everyday struggles like not having enough money to pay your rent; that’s politics.”
Itch, real name Jonny Fox, knows too well of everyday struggles. He was made homeless at thirteen after being a self confessed “nightmare child”. Sleeping on park benches led him to meet some Spanish punks who took him in, sorted him out and got him a job selling The Big Issue.
The King Blues are “activists first and musicians second” and have become the punk soundtrack to anti-war protests all around Britain.
“We built our sound system, kind of like a rickshaw bike thing, for protests. We hook it up to a car battery and take it everywhere. We can play while the protests are moving. It’s very liberating and very important to us. I like to think we’ve breathed some life back into protesting.”
After being in several punk bands it was when the 28-year-old met Jamie Jazz, the guitarist, that The King Blues were formed. After getting doors closed in their faces they resorted to playing to queues going into other gigs and more extreme measures to get their music heard.
“We could never get gigs. This was before Frank Turner and people like that. When you tell people you’re an acoustic two piece they automatically think you’re boring.”
“So we dressed in black, got a crowbar, found some derelict buildings, hooked up the electrics, give them a lick of paint to bring them to life and threw some parties for us to play in. People just came for the parties but our name got passed around and more and more people came.”
After meeting their third member, Fruitbag, the band made their first album, Under the fog, in five days in their living room and was picked up by Island Records.
“The neighbours complained about the noise but we just told them: It’s ok we’re making history.
“And we are, we’re not in this for the money, there’s no glamour, we’ve toiled away on the toilet circuit but we do it because we love it and that’s all.”
The King Blues are not your traditional punk rock band. They are influenced by hip hop, reggae, rock, ska and rebel music.
“You can’t get Radio One in London, all you get is pirate stations, you’re always hearing new sounds and it’s those that you remember, and it’s those that have inspired us.”
The band loves performing in festivals but has had to pull out of this year’s Slamdunk as Itch has announced the birth of his first child with his girlfriend, Ashlie.
“I’m excited; I bought us some matching hoodies today. I just hope he doesn’t turn out like I did but I know he won’t. Being a father won’t stop me making music, I can’t wait to take him on tour.”
The King Blues are kicked off their third tour in March 2010 and released single, Headbutt, in May.
