The Orlando rock outfit up the ante with their powerful new release.
In the heart of Orlando, FL, rock band Kings County has been on a relentless journey over the past year, pouring their hearts and souls into creating new music. Serving as the follow-up to their critically acclaimed single “Equilibrium,” “Holding On” is a testament to King County’s refusal to rest on their laurels and commitment to pushing their musical boundaries as much as possible.
High energy and possessing a dogged obsession with their craft incomparable to any other, Kings County is comprised of Rob Dexter on vocals on bass, Steve Bell on guitars and vocals, Joe Lopez on drums, and Bill Kania on guitars and vocals. Part of what makes Kings County unique is their ability to switch seamlessly and alternate vocal and other musical duties, tag-teaming their wicked beats like seasoned pros. The band is eager performers, too, never shying away from the stage and always down to shred some live performances.
“Holding On,” Kings County’s latest offering, is a riveting performance of the quality we expect from them. Underlined by a feeling inspired by their signature energy and power, the instrumentals feature intense guitar riffs that are expertly balanced by other melodic qualities. Dropping lines like “Surround yourself yea, with every single dirty lie / You never wanna compromise” and “It’s just another day, bled out in full display,” it's the kind of performance that leaves you with chills.
“Holding On” is a powerful new release best described as a sonic force. Whenever you’re ready, tap in and stream Kings County’s “Holding On,” available now on all major streaming platforms.
Welcome back to BuzzMusic, Kings County! Wow, what a powerful song “Holding On” was, so intense! Can you take us through the creative process you guys went through with this song?
Thanks for inviting Kings County back to Buzz Music. We are super excited about our newest release, "Holding On." It was the song we needed to write. After months of performing live in 2022, we knew we had to return to creating music. You are as good as your last song, and "Holding On" came together fairly quickly. Guitarist Steve Bell and I had the song's basic framework together, and in November 2022, we headed to Detroit to meet up with our producer Chuck Alkazian at Pearl Sound Studios. Within 2 days, we had the structure arranged and most guitars recorded. The vocal melody was pretty much solidified, but Chuck needed to take the vocals to a new level. The last thing I remember Chuck saying was he would "kick my ass" vocally, and that's exactly what he did. When the smoke cleared, I was blown away; it was all worth the pain and sweat I endured in recording these vocals.
So, there’s also an accompanying music video for “Holding On”! What was your favorite part about seeing the video's vision coming to life, and what inspired the direction for the music video itself?
Nowadays, people listen with their eyes, and we knew we had to create an amazing visual experience to accompany the song. We needed to make a video that would blow the viewer away, and that's why we recruited director Jon Vulpine of Glass Dagger Films to work on "Holding On" Jon's resume is pretty high profile, working with many of the top national hard rock acts out there (Three Days Grace, Seether, Skillet). Jon heard the song and had an amazing storyboard in a few days. We shot the video in an old abandoned bank in Jacksonville, FL. The 1902 structure had some awesome architecture that enhanced the look of the video. It was a struggle filming there. Besides having no power and a rare cold day in FL, the building had gaping holes in the floor that was easily a safety hazard, but we managed to finish unharmed. We were looking for a video that had a dark feel to it, and the building and how Jon filmed and lit the scenes blew us away. You never know how the final product will look until it's all put together and edited, but it passed our expectations.
What do you want to achieve with your music?
Writing music is a personal extension of your thoughts and beliefs. We try to write music, and subject matters that any listener can personally relate to. When you make that connection, there's a greater chance your music will last longer in the viewer's mind. Nothing is more satisfying than when someone says your music helped them through tough times.
How would you describe your music to any new listeners?
Music genres have changed and expanded drastically over the years. One person might call our music metal, while another describes it as a rock. We are more like hard rock with guitar-driven, melodic overtones.
What’s next for Kings County? Do you have more new music coming soon?
The band's goal is to keep creating quality music and build a solid following worldwide. We also recorded another song at the same time we recorded, "Holding On," called "So Cold." The song is finished, and we just filmed the video for it again with director Jon Vulpine in Miami, FL. Don't want to give away too much, but the video will be way different from "Holding On" We're hoping these 2 songs will be the one / two punch we need to break the band in the music industry. Only time will tell.