We The Kings

So I met up with Travis Clark (Lead Vocals, We The Kings) outside their big red tour bus parked outside the Birmingham Barfly. Being greeted with a big hug and humorous chatter confirmed that this dude’s heart is as big, if not bigger than his hair. I asked him about seconds: the bands 2nd visit to the UK, album numero dos and got his take on British food the second time around... 

So you guys were here in May with Cute Is What We Aim for & Boys like Girls, how does it feel to be back? 

It feels good, I feel stronger about the response that tonight’s show will have based on all the other shows and I just think it’s been a great time so far. 

It is easier to play here now you know what to expect from the UK and the crowds/fans here? 

Yeah, well at first we were kinda like ‘I wonder if anyone will know who we are?’, and its like, not even that, the kids go crazy no matter what the band is so I love it. 

Do you think you’ve been getting a bigger response from shows since you’ve shelved your album here? It came out September 12th I think? 

Yeah, it came out like a week ago or something and it’s been awesome because people have been singing to the songs that we have on the internet and now they’re singing to the other songs on the album. So it’s very cool and definitely kinda flattering! 

Have you been out and seen your records in the shops here? 

We haven’t had the chance but its actually good luck to go and see your record on the shelves and actually pick it up and then hold it but don’t open it! 

Album number two, is it in the pipeline? Do you have any material ready for it? 

Yeah! We have like 16 or 17 songs ready for it, I think we’re releasing an EP of B-sides that we didn’t use for the first album just to kinda give everyone something to listen to that’s new and then I think we’re gonna to go the studio in May. 

A little bird called YouTube told me that you guys are doing a cover of Feel Good Inc by Gorrilaz on this tour, how did that come about? 

Last time we were here in the UK we got such a good response that we wanted to pick a UK band to cover and Gorrilaz just came to mind as its one of our favourite songs and it just kinda fits. It’s definitely a different kind of style than we usually do so we just wanted to try and apparently it’s gone down really well! 

What’s currently your favourite track to play live? 

Probably right now it’s Check Yes Juliet because even if people have only ever heard one song from the band, that’s the song they've heard and everybody just goes nuts. 

Are you stoked to be touring with The Academy Is... as I’ve heard you’ve wanted to tour with them for a while now? 

Yeah! We met them on warped tour in the states and it’s really awesome because they’re exactly like each one of us in the band and they’re some of the nicest guys in the world and they play good music. We’re doing a tour with them in the fall over in the states and even before we do that we’re already touring with them here.

What was it like to appear in TAI TV (The Academy Is... TV, a weekly web-isode posted by the band which has been running for a while now) in the two parter ‘Fury in Philly/ War Zone in Washington’? How was that? (Watch the video here) 

It was real good! 

Good to kidnap the Sisky-Business? (Adam Siska, Bass, The Academy Is...) 

Yeah, like, they had this idea that we would be kinda like wusses and we were like no, no let’s switch it up and let’s completely kidnap Sisky! 

I did spot Danny (Duncan, Drums) dancing during the fighting scenes though! (laughs) 

(laughs) Yeah! He’s a pretty good dancer... 

Have you had the chance to get out and explore the cities while you’ve been here? 

We had an off day in London but it was used for promotion, We did a version of Where’s Waldo there (Where’s Wally to us Brits!) and called it Where’s Travis! (Find it on We The King’s MySpace blog). 

Do you dig any UK bands? Have you heard any you like? 

Yeah! When we last came over here we met the kids in Kids In Glass Houses and You Me At Six and there’s a band called Bedouin Soundclash that we just think are incredible anyway, They’re just the underground ones and everybody else is huge. 

Last time you came here, you posted a blog saying ‘the food is awful (no offense)’, How’s the British food doing this time around? 

It’s actually... I haven’t had bad food this time! I think last time for the first three days we were eating at the hotel restaurant and they were just awful! And now we’re finding the kebab shops and finding where the good fish and chips are! 

You four in the band go way back, when did you first start jamming together and when did ‘We The Kings’ the name come into play? 

Its been like 5 or 6 years now, We The Kings came in because it was the school that we all went to (Kings school) when we were like 10 years old and it kinda gives a representation of how long we’ve been together in the band. 

Now you’ve been to the UK twice, where’s next for We The Kings? Where would you like to go in the future? 

Well, in January, We’re deeming it our ‘international month’ and we’re going to Japan and New Zealand and South East Asia and all over, including coming back here! 

You heard the guy, Catch We The Kings on their third set of tour dates in the UK next January-time!