The trumpets sound, And warlike symphony is heard around. - John Dryden
Trumpets, trombones and saxophones don't always denote shrill solos in some Dixieland band or a lonely busker honking for some spare change in a damp subway station. They can't always be filed neatly according to the dewy decimal system under Ska either.
Uniquely, with Crowned King, horns become part of the rock foundation that fuels this band's fire, (both figuratively and literally as any witnesses to their trombone / fire breathing show will attest). Crowned King uses instruments, without limiting themselves by run of the mill definitions, the result: total ear indulgence.
Quick stop back in high school, Argyle Secondary, in North Vancouver. Yeah whatever, it's the same one Bryan Adams, Jason Priestly and Soul Decision all trundled through, so it's gotta get better from here. Six mates – Jordan Frank, Chonger, Jonny Frommage, Ryan, Lammy, and Adam all met up in the school's highly bragged about music program. Left to their own devices, and joined by Jordan's younger brother Shaun (fellow music program alumni), the raving, screaming, maniacal lead singer and the lightning bolt seemed imminent. Simple math: drums + bass + guitar + vocals = 4 people and we have 7, meant it was back to the drawing board on how to build a rock band. Reinventing the wheel it wasn’t, but what resulted was a symphonic hybrid of textured layers of sound, accentuated by a punchy horn section.
Tempting Fate was Crowned King’s first indie kick at the can, selling a healthy 3000+ from the stage, winning them Vancouver's XFM – Last Band Standing – contest in 2002 for their indie rendition of "Don't Wanna Go". The nods didn't stop there; Crowned King also reigned atop the pile last year for, most spins by an indie artist on MuchMusic for their video "A Million Pictures". Tempting Fate was also well traveled, being sold to the highest bidder during 3 cross Canada tours and at merch booths alongside SUM 41, Papa Roach, Jimmy Eat World, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish and 3 Vans Warped Tours in a row.
Signed to Aquarius Records in 2003, Crowned King is poised to endure with their label debut, Break The Silence. Produced by Rick Colhoun and mixed by Arnold Lanni (Our Lady Peace, Finger Eleven, etc.) Break The Silence is about just that – it’s about transcending the path your ears have been trained to accept, and rewarding you with what is possible to enjoy.
Osmosis reared it’s timely head through Crowned King’s music, as evidenced by their inescapable politically minded songs on the album such as "Playing God", "Turn It Up We're Going Down"’ and "Tired Eyes".
cause you can't save yourself so clear the city streets go lock and bar your doors and turn on your TVs and you can save yourself by trusting what I choose and I'll just keep on playing God I'm getting back at them for you
- "Playing God", from Break The Silence
Oh and don’t worry… they don’t get all heavy for long. The band’s first single ‘Don’t Wanna Go’ throws a bone to the meaty subject of post youth frustration, expressed through the song’s wall of sound guitars and unmistakable hooks. Other tracks like ‘Impatience’ and ‘All She Wanted’ turn to lighter subjects like heartbreak and anguish, again articulated with Crowned King trademark abandon.
So watch for the souped up yellow school bus as it pulls into your town this fall. Crowned King – they’re like the collective consciousness of Richie Cunningham, Van Gogh, a happy Chinaman, Dennis The Menace, Bi-Polar Alcoholic, Austin Powers, and a lunatic spaz all rolled into the pensive, evolving art we like to call rock.
Crowned King is:
Shaun Frank (vocals) / Jordan Frank (sax) / Ryan Delmaire (guitar) / Adam Brown (Bass) / Jonny "Frommage" Luccock (trombone) / Chris "Lammy" Lambert (drums) / Chris "Chonger" Hong (trumpet)
