To Kill a King (band)

To Kill A King are a British rock band currently based in London. The band has been compared to The National, Grizzly Bear and Frightened Rabbit.[1][2]

To Kill A King
Background information
OriginLondon, England
GenresRock, folk rock
Years active2009-present
LabelsCommunion Records, Xtra Mile Recordings
WebsiteTo Kill A King
MembersRalph Pelleymounter (vocals / acoustic guitar)
James Ball (bass)
Josh Taffel (drums)
Grant McNeill (electric guitar)
Ben Jackson (synth and keys)
Past membersIan Dudfield (electric guitar/funky trombone times)
Jon Willoughby (drums)
Josh Platman (bass/cello)
Peter Hakola (bass)

They have been the support act for recent Dog Is Dead and Bastille tour dates. To Kill A King played at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2013.

History

The band was formed in 2009, originally called Kid iD, by frontman Ralph Pelleymounter with Ian Dudfield and Josh Platman during their studies at University of Leeds. In late 2009, after a change of line-up, they renamed themselves To Kill A King as Jonathan Willoughby and Ben Jackson joined the band.[3]

Their first single, "Fictional State", was released on 29 May 2011.[4] A video, directed by Jack King, was made for the single in April 2011.[5] To Kill A King's first EP, My Crooked Saint, was released on 16 October 2011.

Between April and July 2012, To Kill A King uploaded videos for the songs "Funeral", "Let It Die" and "Rays", which were videos that they had made during rehearsals of the tracks. The Word Of Mouth EP was released on 23 July 2012. A video for "Howling" was uploaded to their YouTube account on 8 October 2012. The making of the video involved Ralph Pelleymounter being seated for 36 hours while 5,000 photographs were captured and used to form a video. The Word of Mouth EP was made available for free digital download. The band also held a competition in which those who spread the news of their new EP in the most creative way would receive a free copy of the Word of Mouth CD.[6] The CD can now be purchased from the band's official-website store.

The band signed with Xtra Mile Recordings in August 2013 and re-released their debut album Cannibals With Cutlery as a deluxe version, adding 4 additional tracks on 7 October. The album reached number thirteen in the Official Record Store Chart.[7]

In September 2013 the band had another change in line-up as Ian Dudfield and Jonathan Willoughby left. Grant McNeill (electric guitar) and Joshua Taffel (drums) stepped up in their places.[8]

The band's next EP—Exit, Pursued A By Bear—was released on 20 October 2014. Frontman Ralph Pelleymounter describes the EP as "a departure from where we were but not where we are going to end up. Call it a pit stop on the road to optimism, somewhere to pick up some snacks and petrol, maybe look at the local attractions, like a girl with a beard of bees or the worlds [sic] largest cigarette".[9] The EP features 5 new tracks. "Exit, Pursued By a Bear" is one of Shakespeare's most famous stage directions, which features in his 1623 play The Winter's Tale.

On 7 January 2015 the band announced the release of their second album, titled eponymously "To Kill A King" with 11 brand new tracks. To Kill a King is now available to order through iTunes and the band's page in digital download, CD and vinyl. It was released on 2 March 2015. <ref?>

Following the release of their self-titled album and a UK and European tour, the band will play a number of festivals in 2015, including a June main-stage headline performance at 110 Above Festival in Twycross, Leicestershire.

Discography

My Crooked Saint EP - (2011)

No.Song TitleLength
1Bloody Shirt3:46
2We Used To Protest/Gamble4:20
3Family5:15
4Wrecking Crew3:55

Word Of Mouth EP - (2012)

No.Song TitleLength
1Howling4:11
2Funeral4:55
3Besides She Said4:30
4Wolves3:31
5Rays3:55
6Let It Die3:40

Cannibals With Cutlery [Deluxe Version] - (2013)

No.Song TitleLength
1I Work Nights And You Work Days4:10
2Cold Skin3:20
3Funeral4:35
4Wolves3:32
5Cannibals With Cutlery0:42
6Besides She Said4:28
7Gasp/The Reflex3:45
8Choices6:28
9Rays3:55
10Children Who Start Fires4:34
11Fictional State4:52
12Family5:14
13Letters To My Lover, The Dylan Fan5:41
14Cannibals With Cutlery (Reprise)1:55
15Standing In Front Of The Mirror3:05
16We Used To Protest/Gamble (Gamblers Version)5:03
17Howling (Acoustic Version)4:04

Exit, Pursued By a Bear EP - (2014)

No.Song TitleLength
1Oh My Love4:33
2Breathe3:01
3The Constant Changing State of Us (Gold)4:51
4Love is Coal5:22
5So My Friends Want To Marry2:58

To Kill a King - (2015)

#Song TitleLength
1Compare Scars3:39
2Love Is Not Control3:11
3Oh My Love4:34
4Friends3:49
5The Chancer4:34
6School Yard Rumours3:15
7Good Times (A Rake's Progress)2:09
8Musicians Like Gamblers Like Drunks Like Me3:28
9Grace at a Party3:56
10World of Joy (A List of Things to do)4:20
11Today1:41

The Spiritual Dark Age - (2018)

#Song TitleLength
1Spiritual Dark Age3:10
2The Unspeakable Crimes of Peter Popoff3:26
3Compassion Is a German Word2:56
4Cherry Blossom Falls2:55
5No More Love Songs3:33
6Oh Joy3:30
7The Good Old Days3:39
8The One with the Jackals3:13
9I Used to Work Here, Perhaps You Did Too?2:26
10My God & Your God3:39
11Bar Fights2:20
12And Yet...5:18

The Good Old Days Acoustic - (2017)

#Song TitleLength
1The Good Old Days (acoustic)3:19
2The Problem of Evil (acoustic)2:59
3Musicians Like Gamblers Like Drunks Like Me (acoustic)3:53
4Children Who Start Fires (acoustic)3:28
5Wrecking Crew (acoustic)3:45

The Spiritual Dark Age Acoustic - (2017)

#Song TitleLength
1Spiritual Dark Age (acoustic)3:35
2Rays (acoustic)3:42
3Whisky and Remorse (acoustic)2:43
4Letters to My Lover the Dylan Fan (acoustic)5:12

No More Love Songs Acoustic - (2018)

#Song TitleLength
1No More Love Songs (acoustic)3:23
2Prince Charming (acoustic)3:09
3Compassion Is a German Word (acoustic)2:35
4And Yet... (acoustic)3:07
gollark: ↑
gollark: They are the closest thing in the world to Satan.
gollark: Printers are pure evil.
gollark: *steals for potatoS*
gollark: Maybe they rewrote it entirely.

References
  1. Introducing – To Kill a King | Folk Radio UK
  2. To Kill A King: "Fictional State" « The Wounded Jukebox
  3. To Kill A King - Cold Skin | Battery In Your Leg
  4. Scientists of Sound: To Kill A King | Fictional State
  5. Introducing: To Kill A King « Resonance UK
  6. Get to grips with our lips (aka how to get a Word Of Mouth CD)
  7. "Xtra Mile Sign To Kill A King". MusicWeek. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  8. "This is how the summer ends". ToKillAKing.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  9. "To Kill A King Brand New EP 'Exit, Pursued By a Bear' // Headline London Show". Xtra Mile Recordings. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
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