Kings West Coast Interview

Kings West Coast Interview

Melbourne-based electro-pop newcomers, KINGS. have today announced their infectious new single (u) West Coast, a gem of a song that is soaked in seasonal nostalgia, set for release on July 1. The band have also announced the fittingly sun-kissed video for (u) West Coast, directed by Lawrence Phelan (Chris Watts, Reika).

(u) West Coast is a shimmering example of uplifting electro pop. Characterised by its sharp production and cyclic synthesisers, the song is intricate, dense and seriously satisfying. It transcends time and transports the listener into the haze of an Australian summer, intrinsically narrated by lead vocalist Hayden Jeffery's honeyed, soaring vocal. The chorus is joyous, effortlessly cool, and buoyed by endlessly catchy hooks. Speaking on the inspiration behind the tune, Jeffery says, '(u) West Coast draws on the feeling of nostalgia, it's one of my favourite emotions to feel; it sparks a very colourful and creative energy. The letter (u) in the title refers to a place where I once was and once experienced, it holds plenty of memories, stories and sentimental feelings."

The lyric video for the tune is reflective of this energy, and consists of stunning, sparkling footage of beaches so picturesque they could have been plucked straight from a daydream. Rolling in and then receding, waves flow underneath the words as they flicker and fade, perfectly timed to emphasise the ebbs and flows in the music. Speaking on the clip, Jeffery explains, 'We wanted the lyric video to tie in with the aesthetic of the artwork, as well as the themes of the lyrical content. The video is more or less a pleasing sight to envisage while listening to the song."

With 80,000 spins across Spotify and Soundcloud, and 30,000 YouTube views for their last single, Whispers, KINGS. have the industry and music lovers' primed and waiting for this anticipated second single and it will not disappoint. The skilled producers and musicians have a jam-packed year ahead, continuing to create new tunes for themselves and for other musicians, as Jeffery enthuses, 'The unique thing about KINGS. is that all the music is DIY from home. We have a little rehearsal studio built in my garage and all of the records come together on my laptop. In our spare time we'll be making more music and producing for other artists."

KINGS. is Hayden Jeffery, Sam Buirski, Caleb Williams, and Tim Cox.

Pre-order (u) West Coast

Stream (u) West Coast

Watch the video (u) West Coast

Interview with Hayden Jeffery

Question: How would you describe your music?

Hayden Jeffery: Smooth, majestic, electronic, rock.

Question: What inspired West Coast?

Hayden Jeffery: The single is inspired by memories of a warmer time and place. Any hint of those times always triggers a sweet feeling of nostalgia. Now I've written a song about it I guess I can always carry that with me.


Question: Can you tell us about filming the video?

Hayden Jeffery: I had the idea and brought it to a friend, Lawrence Phelan. He gathered a collection of footage from his media friends who have travelled here and there and I sat with him to sort through it all while he made it look nice and shiny.


Question: Did you have any pre-conceived ideas about the music industry?

Hayden Jeffery: Apparently no one makes enough money.


Question: Do you write your own songs? What's your inspiration?

Hayden Jeffery: Yes we do.

Hearing good music and seeing a good music played live is what's most inspiring to me.

Question: What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?

Hayden Jeffery: I'll listen to albums, Rihanna, Drake, Chance The Rapper and James Blake's albums are killing it for me this year, and just recently Dope Lemon (Angus Stone), that's a really sweet vibe.


Question: What's next? Tour/Album/Single?

Hayden Jeffery: We've got a few exciting things to announce that are happening real soon, every day we're grinding away at new music too.

Singles and keen to tour.


Question: Was there a moment you contemplated throwing in the towel?

Hayden Jeffery: There are moments that haven't been easy, being a relatively new artist, you have 4 different minds all trying to understand how to make music with one another for the first time, but when we get into a flow we're in it.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Hayden Jeffery: The beauty of performing and sharing the final product that you've spent many many hours creating is what does it for me.


Question: What/who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?
Hayden Jeffery: To go in it was Daniel Johns from Silverchair, but today Frank Ocean and Bon Iver are my big two.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

Hayden Jeffery: As I mentioned earlier on creating as a team of 4 people, the biggest challenge is how hard I push my creatively to bring the music into its final form.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Hayden Jeffery: I work a job 7:30am to 3:30pm, then I'll run home and I'll write from around 4pm into the night, usually finishing up around 1am.


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Hayden Jeffery: That I'm working towards fulfilling a passion.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Hayden Jeffery: Anyone in the world? Ariana Grande.


Question: Do you have a website fans can visit?

Hayden Jeffery: Visit our Soundcloud and hear our tunes… soundcloud.com/kingsaus


Question: What is the story behind the band's name?

Hayden Jeffery: Our guitarist Sam came up with the name. When we started creating music together we saw the opportunity to take a leap and try something new. He decided then and there that KINGS. would be the best representation for what we were setting out to achieve.


Interview by Brooke Hunter