The Sea Kings have added a fresh batch of shows in Cornwall to their tour schedule.
Sat, Aug 25 - Halsetown Inn, St. Ives, UK - "The Kings return to this lovely restaurant/pub, just outside St Ives. Enjoy the ambience of the early 19th Century inn, and enjoy the world-famous pies, hand-made by the Pieminister himself, at Cornwall's first and only Pie Pub! - Halsetown, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 3NA"
Mon, Aug 27 - The Engine Inn, Penzance, UK - "Happy Bank Holiday Monday! And why not join The Sea Kings as they return to this lovely inn with a reputation for quality live music. Well, why not? - Cripplesease, Nancledra, Cornwall TR20 8NF"
Fri, Aug 31 - Jacob's Ladder, Falmouth, UK - "The Sea Kings call upon this well-known Falmouth Inn, named after a terrifying and horrific film. Let's hope that any vivid hallucinations and/or flashbacks to Vietnam had at this gig are of purely of the most pleasant kind, and any patrons that bear a likeness to Tim Robbins is but a coincidence. Enjoy! - The Jacob's Ladder Inn, 1-2 Chapel Terrace, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3BQ"
Sat, Sep 01 - The Godolphin Arms, Marazion, UK - "Pinch-Punch-First-of-the-Month's gigs for The Sea Kings, although coming to the twilight of their 2012 Summer Tour, revisiting this fantastic venue overlooking St Michael's Mount - oooh, mind them Giants! - Godolphin Arms, West End, Marazion, Cornwall TR17 0EN"
"The Sea Kings head down homeward to complete their pre-summer tour. The only question that remains is; have you been Spingo 'd today? - 50 Coinagehall Street, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8EL"
"A triumphant return to this prestigious venue, home to the London debuts of Bob Dylan and Oasis. And Ra Ra Riot. Early-Bird tickets available; join the Facebook Event , or email us at theseakings@hotmail.co.uk! - 328 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8BZ4RL"
"So... you STILL haven't been Spingo 'd... Well, here's another chance, as The Sea Kings return to this Helston venue as part of their Summer Tour. - 50 Coinagehall Street, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8EL"
"The Sea Kings continue their Summer Tour at this lovely beach-side venue; think Summer Bay, but without the accents. - Praa Sands, Penzance, Cornwall TR20 9TQ"
Next up were The Sea Kings -James [ vocals/guitar] ;Joe [vocals/mandolin] and Jake [vocals/percussion]. Originally from Cornwall, they met up in London when performing as solo artists. In appearance, they look like characters out of a Thomas Hardy novel but they have a really distinctive sound with glorious vocal harmonies and complex rhythms. Their songs have a very English pastoral quality, somewhat reminiscent of the gentler side of XTC. Several of their songs are, not surprisingly given the band's name, about the sea [ Swim ; On The Beach]. Another excellent find.
The Complete Review:
Bird/The Sea Kings/Thom Morecroft-Liverpool Acoustic eXtra Venue: View Two Gallery, Town: Liverpool, Date: March 9th
The fact that the Acoustic Music scene is thriving in Liverpool is due in no small part to the sterling efforts of Graham Holland and his Liverpool Acoustic organisation. As well as running the Liverpool Acoustic website, Graham also runs monthly acoustic music events featuring the best in acoustic performers. Occasionally he puts on a special event, known as Liverpool Acoustic eXtra. This was one of those special events which featured a very impressive line up of artists, hand-picked by Graham as his "dream line up". We were treated to Bird [top-notch psych-folk band from Liverpool] ; The Sea Kings [excellent acoustic trio from Cornwall] and Thom Morecroft [powerful singer-songwriter from Shropshire]. More about them later, first a word or two about the venue, the View Two Gallery on Matthew Street, Liverpool.View Two Gallery is one of the leading independent art galleries in the region. It's a wonderful place to go because not only can you listen to great music, you can look at some beautiful art at the same time. Gallery owner Ken Martin is an enthusiastic supporter of the music and his Gallery is an oasis of calm and beauty compared with the boisterous tourist trap of Mathew Street [The Cavern, Eric's, The Grapes, Lennon's Bar etc.] down below. Its intimate atmosphere makes it one of my favourite places to hear live music.Back to the music. First on was Thom Morecroft. Graham had told me that Thom stands apart from the usual run of singer-songwriters and he was dead right. Thom is possessed of an amazingly powerful voice which brings to mind such singers as Joe Cocker or Kelly Jones . Accompanied by Chris on percussion, Thom performed a set of powerful, muscular, acoustic-guitar driven, self-written songs. He also showed another side by performing a lovely ballad on the conveniently-placed gallery piano.Thom got the night off to a great start .
Next up were The Sea Kings -James [ vocals/guitar] ;Joe [vocals/mandolin] and Jake [vocals/percussion]. Originally from Cornwall, they met up in London when performing as solo artists. In appearance, they look like characters out of a Thomas Hardy novel but they have a really distinctive sound with glorious vocal harmonies and complex rhythms. Their songs have a very English pastoral quality, somewhat reminiscent of the gentler side of XTC. Several of their songs are, not surprisingly given the band's name, about the sea [ Swim ; On The Beach]. Another excellent find.
Headlining the night were the wonderful Bird, led by the charismatic Adele Emmas on guitar and vocals. Bird describe their music as 'atmospheric folk' but I would add the words 'haunting', eerie', "mesmeric" and "other worldly". The nearest comparison I can make, as a rough guide, is to the Cowboy Junkies and such current bands as Trembling Bells and Two Wings but comparisons don't do Bird justice, they sound like nobody else . There is a clue in their song titles- "The Witch Hunter"; "Hey Hey Moonshine " and "Phantoms", all of which feature on their critically-acclaimed debut EP. They also played some as-yet unreleased songs [which may appear on their forthcoming album] including the new single "My Love Sleeps With Lions". Their final number [before the encore "Phantoms"] was a sultry, slowed down version of The Stooges "I Wanna Be Your Dog", complete with lashings of fuzz guitar. Brilliant stuff !I could have listened to Bird for much longer but all too soon it was over and it was time to join the throng of revellers down on Mathew Street. ~ Peter Cowley"
Having played three shows over the weekend in London, Liverpool & Manchester, The Sea Kings are continuing to add new shows for this spring tour. The newest batch of shows will all take place in the London area.
Fri, Apr 27 - The Cavendish Arms, London, UK"A nice warm Friday night at the Cavendish, for this FREE gig! - 128 Hartington Road, London SW8 2HJ "Tue, May 15 - Nambucca, London, UK
"The Sea Kings return to the Tuesday night of music at this prestigious London venue. - 596 Holloway Road, London N7 6LB"
"The pre-summer tour continues in this up-and-coming Battersea venue, which is gaining a reputation for hosting quality live music. The Sea Kings will be playing originals and covers, and blushing modestly. Also performing will be the soulful Queenie Moy. - 231 Battersea Park Road, London, SW11 4LG"
The Sea Kings have added 1 show in Manchester & 3 shows in London to their spring schedule.
They kick of their spring schedule with the first show of the year this upcoming Thursday (Mar 08) @ The Mondo Water Rats "Can't Afford The Rock" Festival, before they are off to Liverpool & Manchester for the weekend. So if you want to Party with The Sea Kings, check out the schedule below and give them a Holla!
"Liverpool Acoustic eXtra returns for a one-off event on Friday 9th March with a special show featuring local atmospheric folk favourites Bird. Joining Bird from Cornwall and London are the fantastic folk trio The Sea Kings. Expect tight harmonies, great songs (some of them even about the sea!), and wonderful musicianship. Finally we've singer-songwriter and youtube star Thom Morecroft, who's already a firm favourite and a crowd pleaser on the local acoustic music scene. Doors open at 8pm and the music runs from 8.30pm to just after 11pm. Unfortunately there is no disabled access as the venue is on the third floor of the gallery. There is a full bar, and it's an over 14 event. Tickets are £5 in advance and £6 on the door. This is set to be a popular night and demand for tickets will be high. Tickets are currently on sale only via a secret link available to those who subscribe to our Events Publicity mailing list. To sign up to this list click here http://​liverpoolacoustic.us2.list-​manage1.com/​subscribe?u=d03f1555f3bf1e1​... Tickets will go on general sale from Friday 27th January and will be available from http://wegottickets.com/​liverpoolacoustic"
Sat, Mar 10 - Playing At A Party, Manchester, UK
"Playing for a party - if you live in Manchester and would like to come let us know."
"The Sea Kings meet The Long Dead Kings and take part in the latter Kings' second night of folk and Americana, whilst the former Kings shake their heads from all the confusion. In Clerkenwell. - The Wilmington Arms, 69 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4RL"
The Christmas Giveaway are now closed for further entries and a winner will be drawn and announced shortly. The winner will get her/his hands on this cool present handmade by The Sea Kings
A 'digital copy' of 'An Introduction To The Sea Kings' EP sent to your inbox. Christmas card in the post from the Sea Kings to include: -a photograph -a signed Sea Kings flyer -Handwritten lyrics to songs from the ep
Thank You! - To all of you showing an interest in this and keep spreading the word about The Sea Kings.
The final 'End Of The Year' interview with the crew from The Sea Kings are Joe Holtaway (Vocals/Mandolin). Still the same set of questions as we get to find out about their highlights of this past year, the band’s plans for next year (first full-lenght album..) & last but not least; What's on their Christmas dinner menu?
And check out the fabolous Christmas Present Giveaway that we're doing right HERE - You can get your hand on the following:A 'digital copy' of 'An Introduction To The Sea Kings' EP sent to your inbox. Christmas card in the post from the Sea Kings to include: -a photograph -a signed Sea Kings flyer -Handwritten lyrics to songs from the epBack to business...Thanks for doing this! How was the year 2011 for you?
JH: Working as a band has been a good journey this year, learning from each other, bringing our album together and travelling - from warm summers playing beside our tour van to rooms in our houses this winter and everything in-between.
2012: What plans and high hopes do you have in store for next year?
- Looks like our first record will be done next year. All our old friends, family, bands we've played with and new friends we've made along the way are all part of it I feel and being able to share it with them is something special.
What are your favourite band at the moment? Any lesser known bands you want give a shout out?
- I recently heard this song called 'Up Up Up' by a band called Givers from the states - just really fell for it, will be spending sometime with them for sure.
What was your Musical Discovery of the year?
- A band out of Toronto called 'Wildlife' they have this album called 'Strike Hard, Young Diamond' - I've been listening to it a lot while cycling - love it.
Are there any bands/artists or albums that you have high hopes and are particularly excited about in 2012?
- I'll say Givers again and maybe Bon Iver will make some more magic for us.If you had to pick one Experience and put it above the rest, what would that be?- Jake and I, and some friends went to see Bon Iver when they came to London a few months ago - to be there with a room full of people opening up to these songs was moving; from his winter shed to this indie pop star I feel his journey is honest and if you like his music, it's as though you're there with him like he's a friend. I still have no idea really what all his songs are about, at least in my mind - though my heart knows exactly!Your Album Of The Year?- Some nice albums out this year, hey - I'll go with 'Smart Flesh' - by Low AnthemYour Song Of The Year?
- I really fell for 'Old Pine' by Ben Howard a few months ago
Your Book Of The Year?
- Not current by any means but I've been really soaking up Buddhist teachings this year - one Zen guy called 'Thich Nhat Hanh' still alive living in the South of France, wrote a book called “True Love”, I've read it many times these last 12 months.Your Movie Of The Year?
- Went to a screening of a film called 'I am' recently, due for DVD release in January, I understand. The film is a documentary made by a Hollywood comedy producer - he suffered a accident on his bike that almost ended his life - as part of his recovery he took a film crew to visit a list of world leaders and writers to ask them what they thought about life.
What are your own personal favourite The Sea Kings song or songs?
- Hard to say about your own songs - there are parts in all the songs I particularly love playing and those parts change and shift each time we play them.If you could pick anybody from the present or past to collaborate with, who would that be?- Just now I'd say Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsburg; they was more of a jazz fans I think but maybe if I played some mandolin tunes they would start rolling out some poetry about love and brotherhood over the top. If you could choose from all the songs in the world and make it your own, which one would you have liked to have written?
- The other day was listening to 'Heart of Gold' by Neil Young and feeling like it was the most beautiful song I had ever heard, today it happened with Tom Waits 'Ol'55' - it changes but there's two for you.
And finally as Christmas are sneaking up on us. What will be on your Christmas Dinner Menu?
- vegetables put a smile on my face: so any of the following; Potatoes, Beetroot, Parsnips, Sprouts, Carrots, Parsnip - I leave to my mum to decide which.Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!!
Second in my series of 'End Of The Year' interviews with the crew from The Sea Kings are James Wills (Vocals/Guitar). Same set of questions as we get to find out about their highlights of this past year, the band’s plans for next year (first full-lenght album..) & last but not least; What's on their Christmas dinner menu?
And check out the fabolous Christmas Present Giveaway that we're doing right HERE - You can get your hand on the following:A 'digital copy' of 'An Introduction To The Sea Kings' EP sent to your inbox. Christmas card in the post from the Sea Kings to include: -a photograph -a signed Sea Kings flyer -Handwritten lyrics to songs from the epInterview time...Thanks for doing this! How was the year 2011 for you?
JW: 2011 has been good for me; as well as working with The Sea Kings I have been recording my own songs and have done a lot of writing independently. Within the band I am most proud that we have (nearly) finished our first album!
2012: What plans and high hopes do you have in store for next year?- Getting the album finished, mixed and pressed early on in the New Year is, for me, the main thing. After that I am looking forward to getting back into writing and developing new songs and increasing our set.What are your favourite band at the moment? Any lesser known bands you want give a shout out?
- A friend of mine is doing really well in his band, Brother & Bones – I really like their music and totally want to lend my support. But not any money.
What was your Musical Discovery of the year?
- Ben Howard – another Westcountry boy!Are there any bands/artists or albums that you have high hopes and are particularly excited about in 2012?- The Sea Kings’ first album. There! A shameless plug!If you had to pick one Experience and put it above the rest, what would that be?- In late August we spent some time back in our homeland of Cornwall, where we had organised a Summer Tour. That two weeks was special for me, as well as the solo busking I did, seeing as it was the first time I’d ever attempted it, and the setting (alongside the harbour, with the sea behind me and the summer traffic and tourists passing in front of me) made me feel connected to the town more so than I have felt in the past.Your Album Of The Year?- James Blake’s debut album – not usually the kind of music I’d go for, but I really got into the album as a whole.Your Song Of The Year?
- I heard Feist on Jools Holland play “The Bad In Each Other” from their album Metals, and really liked it.
Your Book Of The Year?
- Not a book published this year, but around the time of Remembrance Day I read “Forgotten Voices of the Great War”, which is a truly incredible account of the day-by-day existence of the soldiers (on both sides), as well as those that were left behind.Your Movie Of The Year?
- I agree with Jake – must see Trollhunter.
As for a film from this year I did see, it would have to be The King’s Speech.
What are your own personal favourite The Sea Kings song or songs?
- Easy! No, not really. I really enjoy singing Lifeboat, and feel Villages really encompasses our feelings towards where we come from. Then again, the surge I get when Sails & Boards kicks can’t easily be ignored…If you could pick anybody from the present or past to collaborate with, who would that be?- My favourite guitarist is Richie Sambora, so it would have to be him. On the ‘dead’ side, I’d probably go for (aside the obvious Elvis/Michael Jackson route) someone like Muddy Waters or Stevie Ray Vaughan.If you could choose from all the songs in the world and make it your own, which one would you have liked to have written?
- It’s hard to differentiate between the songs that feel most personal to you, and the ones you want to choose because you’d own an island by now. I think I’d go for either some old standard, like “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”,
or something more modern, like “Wild Wood”, by Paul Weller.
And finally as Christmas are sneaking up on us. What will be on your Christmas Dinner Menu?
- Usually it’d be fairly traditional, though perhaps with chicken as my family have gradually realised that no-one much likes the traditional main. Having said that, this year I’m visiting my sister in Holland, so maybe it’ll just be dope!
