Words and Photos by Alex Lindsay
So far, I have only seen Kingsmen twice in my life. That’s okay, because they’ve only played -at the time that the article was written- a total of four shows. It’s shocking, because once you attend a Kingsmen show, you will realize that they don’t play or act like a group that are still infant in their careers.
“We decided to launch in December [2016] after a few months of planning of what we wanted to do,” Said lead vocalist Tanner Guimond. “Next thing you know, we popped up on the internet. All it took was time, energy, and patience.”
Guimond further attributes their ongoing success to their hard work and dedication. It isn’t a new concept, but for this five piece Rhode Island based metal troupe, they realized that they could walk the walk sooner than expected, gaining a newfound confidence. For bassist Adam Bakelman, it’s all about commitment.
“On average, each of us put about 70 hours a week per person,” said Bakelman. “That’s not an exaggeration, that’s just the worst part. You got to sleep, wake up, and dream of Kingsmen.”
This dedication is apparent in their live performances. According to Guimond, each member wanted 100 percent investment both on stage and in the studio.
“If you come see a Kingsmen show and you look at what we use, that takes a lot,” Guimond said, referencing the band’s arsenal of personally owned stage lighting and equipment.” We work 40, 50, 60 hours a week to afford what we could get… we all want to play music so we invested ourselves entirely into [the band].”
The dedication is paying off. By catching the eyes of local and out of state promoters, Kingsmen are quickly thrusting themselves prominently onto the New England metal scene. That was evident during the release show of their debut EP “Revenge, Forgiveness, Recovery,” their second show ever, when the band played to a near-capacity crowd at the ballroom side-stage of Providence’s Fete Music Hall.
At first listen, “Revenge, Forgiveness, Recovery” sets the band’s chaotic mood right. It’s equal blend of melodic singing and deathcore-style instrumentals bring out a beautiful, destructive tone. “Outsider”, the catchiest song of the four track EP, became Kingsmen’s weapon of choice for their first ever music video and, subsequently, the standard-bearer of the band’s musical identity. According to guitarist Tim Lucier, he had a specific formula during the writing process.
“I have this formula of colors. When I write our music, I think about colors, textures, smells. Like, when someone hears ‘Outsider’, I want them to think ‘wow, I can remember the smell of the beer on the floor during Kingsmen’s EP release [show],” Lucier said. “When I write the melodic stuff for our album, [the formula] is what I picture. Do I want this to be a dark colored album? Do I want this part to be bright and big sounding?”
In a resurging New England metal community that gave birth to a fellowship of current international metal and hardcore sensations, Kingsmen strive to set themselves apart from the pack. Although young in their careers, do not be surprised when you see Kingsmen at the top of the marquee.
“We are going at this professionally,” Guimond added. “We are going at this as best as we can, and it creates a unique image and sound.”
Listen to the whole interview with Kingsmen below!
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You can also follow Kingsmen on Facebook and Instagram. Their EP “Revenge, Forgiveness, Recovery” can be bought on ITunes, Google Play, and streamed on Spotify.
