A Dirty Dozen with BETWEEN KINGS – April 2020

According to a recent press release: “Rising alternative pop-rock band Between Kings – Nic Machuca [vocals], Jordan Coyne [guitar], Jayden Marsh [bass], and Nick Fanning [drums] – has unveiled the official music video for their current single “Antidote,” the lead track off their upcoming Antidote EP, out April 24th via The Regime. PRESS HERE to watch the new video, directed by Estevan Oriol and filmed in Los Angeles. With its personal take on mental health, “Antidote” is a non-judgmental observation of how society copes with the pressures of modern society. PRESS HERE to stream the song on DSPs, which is making waves at alternative rock stations across the country.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

Photo Credit: Estevan Oriol

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Nic: Our latest release “Antidote” is a song that deals with mental health and the stigma surrounding mental health issues. It’s about coming to terms with and accepting the fact that sometimes it’s okay to need help. We all have an antidote, something that we use to keep us going through tough times. Whether it be prescription medication or self-medication, it’s okay to need help. There may or may not be hidden gems. If we told everyone it would defeat the purpose 😉

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Jayden: Everyone in the band got into music from an early age. I (Jayden) took inspiration watching my dad play bass in bands from a young age. Our drummer “Trick” (Nick Fanning) has always had a love for dancing and drums and got into playing drums after listening to bands like Blink 182 and Paramore. We all have different beginnings, but it’s what makes our music sound like it does.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Jordan: We all have slightly different tastes in music but we use that to our advantage when writing as we are able to be open and experiment freely with our music. There are a few that we all have in common though. We all grew up listening to early punk and blues music. Then later we have been inspired by bands like Twenty One Pilots and Bring Me The Horizon as their shows are such high energy and that’s the way we like to perform.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Blink 182, Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Earth Wind and Fire, and The Killers.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Nick: I think 5 Seconds of Summer could be cool. We are both high energy Australian bands. That would make for an awesome tour too.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Nic: I would say we are a high energy Alternative/Pop/Rock band who have a soft spot for a great hook and melody that everyone can sing along to. I think the weirdest one we had was being compared to Arctic Monkeys. We love them though so we will take it as a compliment 😉

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Jordan: We all live together so we all figure out our own food but Nic does a mean BBQ. Myself and “Trick” are usually the first to get the drinks going and Jayden is usually the first dancing around getting the vibe right. We are all pretty ‘in your face’ so if you are ever invited to a Between Kings party, come ready!

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Jordan: We recently got to meet and watch a very intimate show by Asking Alexandria. Our music is miles apart but we all grew up listening to them so it was pretty cool to meet them!

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Jayden: It’s all an amazing journey! We love all aspects of it from the writing process to the live shows. I honestly can’t picture us doing anything else. We would make a pretty great Stomp The Yard-type dance crew though so watch this space! 😉

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Nic: We never get asked why we are so good at hacky sack and the answer is years of dedication and practice! We have a tradition that we play hacky sack before a show to get the blood pumping. We like answering questions as it helps our followers get to know us on a more personal level, so we are always down to answer any question.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Nick: I think we would keep things the same. For every time we messed up or had a bad experience, it has been a great lesson on how we can do things different and better next time. The music industry is very good at teaching you those lessons so who knows where we would be if we didn’t learn from all of those past experiences.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Jayden: To be in the room when Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was written and recorded would be amazing. Another one would be every Phil Collins song ever made! We love the process of writing and creating and bands like Queen put it all together so well that it’s hard to not be inspired by those albums.

BETWEEN KINGS LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Category: Interviews