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EXCLUSIVE: Between Kings say 'it is okay to not be okay' as new EP 'Antidote' focuses on mental health

The popular young band talked about the differences in the LA and Australian music scenes, their hacky sack pre-gig ritual and the hilarious origins of their band name
UPDATED APR 21, 2020
Jordan Coyne, Nick Fanning, Nic Machuca and Jayden Marsh (Estevan Oriol)
Jordan Coyne, Nick Fanning, Nic Machuca and Jayden Marsh (Estevan Oriol)

The LA-based band Between Kings are a young four-piece rock band who were originally one of Australia's top-touring talents, but later relocated to the United States, thanks to their growing international appeal. The alternative pop-rock quartet, comprising vocalist Nic Machuca, guitarist Jordan Coyne, bassist Jayden Marsh, and drummer Nick Fanning have been making waves at radio stations & historic venues in recent months with their anthemic tunes and energetic live shows.

Influenced by bands like the Beatles, Blink-182, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Rage Against the Machine, their songs remind us of the best of modern pop-rock infused with a classic old-school vibe, complete with turntable scratches, synths, and even hip-hop beats. 

The band Between Kings (YouTube)

Although the band had been scheduled to release a full-length album 'Young Love' on April 24, the recent coronavirus lockdown made getting the studio time impossible, so they have shelved those plans for later this year. But since they still wanted to give their fans some new music by the end of April, they’ve decided to issue a four-song EP called 'Antidote', produced by Jimmy Messer of AWOLNATION, Kygo, Kelly Clarkson and Selena Gomez fame.

The EP's title track and lead single, 'Antidote' recently hit No 70 on the Alternative Radio chart after being in heavy rotation at radio stations across the country.  'Antidote' is a non-judgmental observation of how people cope with the pressures of modern society – it's a timely reminder to take care of our mental health as we navigate the pressures of these uncertain times.

We caught up with Between Kings ahead of their upcoming EP release on April 24.

Artwork for Between Kings - Antidote (courtesy of artiste)

Can you talk a bit about where the band name 'Between Kings' came from? 

Well, it all started in a hot dog eating competition, believe it or not. We thought it would be funny to enter and on either side of us were the defending champion and the previous champion. Now, the man introducing us all said that these two were the "kings" of the hotdog world to which Jordan spun to us and said, "Watch out, we are stuck between kings." Later on, we were laughing about the day with full bellies and we really liked how "Between Kings" sounded. 

You draw on a wide variety of musical styles and modern genres. How do you find that balance between your influences and your own unique sound?

We feel like the music we are making right now is at the point where we aren't directly influenced by the artistes we look up to. It can be hard as an artiste to get the music sounding as good as it does in your head, and we feel like we are at a place where it comes from within, rather than us trying to sound a certain way. We write what we want to listen to, so it helps to have that outlook and give the song what it needs instead of what we think it should have. 
 
Since you've been in both music scenes, how does Australian rock compare to American rock? Did you have to change or develop anything to better suit an American audience?

We love both the American and Australian scenes! We have been told by many people that we sound more like an American band. The Australian music scene is rich with indie bands, heavy rock, and hardcore but there aren't too many alternative bands coming out of Australia at the moment. We have a great amount of support from Australia with some die-hard loyal fans.

The move to America made sense to us, as so many of our followers are from America. We haven't really had to change anything, which we are grateful for. 

Live music venue The Viper Room remains closed due to restrictive Coronavirus measures on April 14, 2020, in Los Angeles, California (Getty Images)

You got to perform at the legendary Viper Room, right before the world shut down. What was that experience like?  How are you coping with the current lockdown? 

Performing at The Viper Room was amazing! The amount of history that came out of that venue is crazy! We have been lucky enough to play quite a few iconic venues now. Coming from Australia, you hear about iconic venues like The Viper Room and Whisky A Go-Go, so to be able to headline them has been awesome. This whole pandemic has put everything on hold for us at the moment.

We aren't able to put on shows at all, so we are focusing on making new music, getting this album recorded and released and engaging with our followers on social media. It’s been great having time to get to know so many of them. 

 What was it about Jimmy Messer that made you want to work with him on the 'Antidote' EP?

We knew of Jimmy Messer from some of the albums he has done before we met him. He is a legend of a producer, so when we were asked who we want to record this album with, it was an easy decision. Jimmy is the man. He has helped us capture our own unique sound and has been a big part of bringing these songs to life.

Regarding your single 'Antidote' and its subject matter, what's the best advice you would offer to fans who are suffering from mental health issues?

It is okay to not be okay. There is nothing to hide and nothing wrong with having these feelings, you are not alone. We are raised in a society that told us to keep our problem to ourselves and to only be positive and happy because no one likes being around anything other than that. It is not true, everyone, no matter how stable and complete they may seem, will have times in their lives where they need a helping hand in some way, shape or form. Reach out any way that you can and people will be there to catch you. 



 

Do you ever discard ideas in your songwriting process because you know they won't work, but hang on to them to see if they become something worthwhile later? 

Writing never stops for us. It is something we like to keep doing day in day out as you never know when and where inspiration will strike. It could come from a smell or a sound. You could be looking around and see a word you haven't seen in a long time and it triggers something inside you. We don't like to put limitations on creativity. When it comes to the early stages of music creation, you want it to flow smoothly as it helps form the song faster.

We never throw anything away either. We have a massive back catalog of ideas that may have not worked for that specific song but we know will still work in other areas or types of songs. 
 
How did your tradition of playing hacky sack before a show first start?

All credit for that goes to Nick 'Tricky' Fanning, our drummer. One day whilst we were down in Sydney for a week, he pulls out a hacky sack. Now when it comes to the band odd and weird things just turn from something fun and small to all-encompassing, obsessive games and it gets out of hand quickly. We did nothing but hacky in our spare time whilst in Sydney and from that there is just always a hacky sack in someone’s bag ready for any spare moment. Hacky sack is no longer just a game, it is a way of life. 

There's a ton of crazy good rock bands in Australia & LA right now, can you name some of your favorites?

5 Seconds Of Summer are great, Gang Of Youths are awesome, I think they are in the UK now though. There are some great LA-based bands we have been lucky enough to play with from Mason Gold to Calling All Captains too. It has been an amazing experience touring America. We can’t wait to get back out there and put on more killer shows with more killer bands! 

Between Kings will be releasing their impressive 'Antidote' EP on April 24.

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