Interview With Little King

How would you describe your music to any person who may have never heard it before?

Little King: Good morning! The best description I have been able to cull over 28 years of making music is "dynamic, progressive, melodic rock." I know...it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it's appropriate just the same.

We try to blend a lot of influences from each band member into a synthesis of focused, intelligent, and thoughtful rock and roll. I mean, no one really does anything totally in a vacuum, right? Creating music is no different, as we are a product of our influences and experiences. Because the lineup has changed this time for the new album, Lente Viviente, I can hear the different flavours of Dave (Hamilton, bass and cello) and Tony (Bojorquez, drums) all over this record.

What's the significance of your band's band?

LK: Little King = "Ryan" in Gaelic. It was a brainstorm from 28 years ago...it's still funny to me. "Don't let the little king do the thinking for the big king!"

What are your musical influences?

LK: They are always evolving, for sure. I grew up mostly in the late '70s and '80s listening to KISW, Seattle's Best Rock. That fed me a steady diet of Zeppelin, Rush, Floyd, The Who, and the rest of the classics. In fact, the second song on our album, "Dawn Villa," was my willing attempt to pay homage to those days. That was the name of our neighbourhood on Mercer Island, WA, and the kids who were a bit older than me, along with my brother, worshipped at the altar of the greats.

I branched out once I left Seattle and came to the Southwest. More hip-hop, more Midnight Oil and John Mellencamp and less Iron Maiden. But I do still love "Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills!" But outside of that little Dawn Villa bubble, the lens shifted, and I was eager to accept some new influences. Especially jamming in El Paso in the 1990s...Pissing Razors, At The Drive In, and the popular Tejano hits were everywhere.

There is SO MUCH that I've never heard of, much less listened to. I tend to gravitate towards local music when I am in the writing stage, and so I've been immersing myself a bit into the Tucson Music scene, particularly some of the great singer-songwriters like PJ Bidwell, Stephen E. Lee, and Maree Montagnini. KXCI is the local radio station here that plays it all, and we are grateful to have such a supportive and COOL local outlet. I also wanna mention that our engineer for this record, Ricky Wascher at Cimamusic in Tucson, kicks out a ton of great local music. He's really opened my eyes to the local talent here.

If given the chance, what musician(s) would you like to collaborate with? Rather, this is to either write a song or be featured on a track.

LK: Oh, I've always fantasized about having Snoop or maybe Bog Hutch from ATL collaborate with us on a hip-hop prog track. I think there is way more crossover than one might think, especially when it comes to the art of telling a story within a track. I love rap for that, and it makes perfect sense to try and create a concept album with some of those '90s rap production themes. '16 bars and to the stars!"

What's the album about?

LK: Lyrically, Lente Viviente (Spanish for “Living Lens,” a play on Rosoff’s Video Memoir production company, LivingLens Memoirs) explores the delicate dance between memory and presence, perception and truth. The songs span a wide emotional arc—from reflections on childhood and lasting friendship (“Catch and Release,” “Dawn Villa”) to meditations on immigration and identity (“Who’s Illegal?”), aging and addiction (“Pass Through Filters”), and the blurred line between strength and vulnerability (“Kindness for Weakness”). At its core, the album asks how we see ourselves—and each other—through the ever-shifting lens of time, emotion, and experience. Tied together by dynamic arrangements and textured performances, Lente Viviente is both personal and universal—an honest portrait of life’s sharp edges and soft light.

What's something you hope people take away from the new songs on the album?

LK: Songs can be catchy, interesting, unique, and epic...all in under 4 minutes! My faves over time (especially with Steely Dan, Rush, and Talking Heads) evolve and take on different meanings through the years. They're repeatedly worth listening to...if I can create that emotional arc, that NEED to hear a song again and again, then that's my big win.

All we are is perception. Ours, our peers, our faith, our nationality. It can be altered so easily by minor external forces. Are we aware of the filters through which we see the world? How about those that we hear music through? I mean, the album sounds different from my car to my earbuds, from Apple Music to YouTube, recorded to live. I want to respect those filters of perception while at the same time asserting some universal truths. Kindness, wellness, honoured memories of childhood, and the blight of drugs and homelessness all play a role on Lente Viviente. But it is a Living lens, for sure...and it changes if you let it. This is where I want to take our listeners.

Which songs on the album were the most fun to write and which were the most challenging to write?

LK: They're always challenging...I mean, they're Little King songs! Ha...it's true, though. Time signatures and tempos be damned! I want to point out that nothing is tracked until it's been thought through, vetted through the band, rehearsed, edited, and dumped on. Then rewritten. I know, I know...silly artist. But it's true. The process is painstaking in an effort to make the end product worth it all. This one definitely was worth it.

The last song, "The Living Lens," was actually the first one I wrote musically and lyrically. Always music first, for all of the songs, but I came right back to this one when it was time for the lyrics. It just flowed, and I knew what I wanted to say...just had to figure out how to say it. It really wraps up the ethos of the album nicely, and it will be very fun to play live. Special note that Tucsonan Laura Sadie Bette crushed the backing vocals on this and "Kindness for Weakness."

Looking back, we worked on "Catch and Release" a lot, and it took a bit to get it right. It was the first song we mixed, and that's always a process that involves close attention to detail and a good deal of self-loathing. Once that's abated, we can get down to the bits and bites, and when "Catch" was done, it became clear that it was gonna be the first single. I have such warm memories of fly fishing in Montana with my dad, and I wanted to impart that back to him and our audience. It was also important to state that I, in so many words, fully endorse that bumper sticker that reads "The worst day fishing is better than the best day working." Amen.

What did you allow yourself to do creatively for this song that you haven’t in the past?

LK: Ahh...that's an easy one! Harmonies...subtle and honest. Dave and Tony both sing beautifully, so we can cover them live in a way that Little King hasn't before. So, I allowed myself to create freely, and the textures that the vocal harmonies bring to the table on this album create a whole new dynamic for the album that we haven't had before. Ricky Wascher is a brilliant vocal harmony suggester...we had a ton of fun doing it. I was proud to sing them real and true so that there was very very little tuning/correction in the post-production. That was a challenge that Ricky laid out for me, and I was eager to meet it. Think we did!

Do you have any favourite song(s) off the new album?

LK: Awwww...you're asking me to choose one out of my 7 children? No fair! Okay..."Pass Through Filters" gets some special mention because it evolved from its original structure significantly. The song is inspired by the surroundings at my studio in downtown Tucson, smack dab in the middle of a lot of chaos and strife. In my 3-plus years there, I've seen the best and worst of humanity, and unfortunately, the drug and homeless problems are right in your face down there. It's a huge problem, and I'm not sure I see the will of most to understand or care too much about it. So, this song is my contribution to that awareness.

It also takes some inspiration from the mental health profession and the medication that so many are on, prescribed or otherwise, to just try and get through the day. Pain, mental and physical, can be numbed through the filter of narcotics. But the problem doesn't go away...instead, it spirals us down to a place that can seem hopeless. "That's what the voices said..."

What's the new single about?

LK: As I said, "Catch and Release" captures a few moments frozen in time from the Yellowstone River near Livingston, Montana. I grew up visiting my grandparents there in the summer, and we spent a lot of time beating the river and the adjacent spring creeks trying to become confident trout fishermen. It's HARD. Dry fly, especially...bounce bounce bounce BANG! That thrill is no joke.

My dad and I like to fish with a guide named Marcus McGuire. He's been a friend and supporter of Little King's music for a long time, and I was thrilled to let him know that yes, I'd rather be fishing than working. Paradise Valley is one of the most spectacular places in the country, by the way. Please don't go there.

What's something you hope people take away from the new single?

LK: "Catch and Release" can bring some sense that nostalgia is good and worthy, and that connecting with the outdoors and your family is an experience to be passed down, as it is to my kids in the bridge of this song. Polarized glasses allow us to see underwater, and the depths become clear when you put them on. I think this song takes a willing listener to some depths, too. So..."Tight Lines!"

When you find yourself in a creative rut, what do you usually turn to? Any habits, environments or even non- musical sources that help you reconnect with your creativity?

LK: I'm willful, to say the least. When I have determined that it's time to write, I f'ing WRITE! I mean, there are breaks and respites, but there is a job to be done, and work ethic is talent's full enabler. A creative rut is fine, but the persistence needed to overcome it is something that perhaps I have learned over time. The thrill of the end product, the legacy it leaves, and the joy of sharing it with the band and our loved ones and fans is enough motivation to fight through every single time.

Do you have any favourite songs to perform live? Could be your own music or even a cover. Any reason why?

LK: We have a song called "The Skin That I'm In" that came out in 2019 on the EP Occam's Foil. It's so fun to play! There are some great dynamics, interplay between each of the clever players, and some violin and cello parts which we've been fortunate to recreate live a number of times. Oh yeah...I get to totally wank, too. Shredding is in my blood, but it's not usually the end-all of my playing. But damn it's fun on this one! Recording sounds good, too.

If you could perform a show this very second anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Housewarming party at my new place in Tucson. The sound is immaculate!

Is there any particular venue(s) or city/cities that comes to mind?

LK: The short answer is that we really want to focus on festivals next year. I think we are a great festival band...we have so much material that we believe in, so if we have 25 or 45 minutes or whatever, you can bet we bring it. Dynamic, Melodic, Progressive Micro-epics, remember? I love that term. It fits what we do.

When I go see a band, I'm looking for some dynamics. I want power, but I want it in doses interspersed with some reflective passages. It makes it all so much more effective in the end. That's our goal in a live setting - the push and pull of emotions and connection with an audience, no matter how limited our time together may be.

What do you currently have planned for the remainder of the year?

LK: We are busy dudes, but there are shows in the works for later this year. I think we will mostly focus on the east and west coasts, time and finances permitting. I want to promote Lente Viviente, as I know it's the best work we've ever done. The songs deserve the live treatment, and I am already in the woodshed prepping the new versions of the songs for an audience. More extended passages, more harmonies and tricky tricks, but mostly just a connection to the audience. We will be ready.

If your music was a type of food, what would it be and why?

Vegan Pudding, of course.

What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you while performing?

LK: Pulled my guitar cable out 3 times in one show. Sober. I'm wireless now!

What's the most random thing that has ever inspired you to write a song?

LK: I watched that Elvis movie Blue Hawaii or whatever, and it was so cheesy that I wrote "Name Your Price" all the way back in 1998. Also still makes me laugh.

What's the most useless talent you have, and would you incorporate it into your music if you could?

LK: NSFW, bruh. Next question.

Thanks for the time today. Is there anything else you may want to add that I didn't cover before you go?

LK: All of our info is online at www.littlekingtunes.com or on the socials @Littlekingtunes. I truly hope you dig it.