Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Punk Rock Supergroup KING THIEF Releases New Single “No Allies”
King Thief (consisting of members of Teenage Bottlerocket, This is a Standoff, Choke, and ex-The Fullblast) have released the new single “No Allies” off the upcoming debut album, out this fall on Thousand Islands Records.
A fast and fiery punk rock juggernaut, King Thief was born as a musical call to arms for Edmonton’s underground scene in 2019. The band developed their honest and melodic approach to dirty rock and roll riffery throughout the pandemic shutdown, blending notes of post-hardcore and modern punk with underscores of 70s arena rock. Quickly recognized for their energy and technical facility, King Thief’s live performance is described as explosive and engaging – tight and raw, pure focussed energy. The gravelly delivery of Eric Nielson’s lyrics, often rooted in social justice, sit atop the punishing rhythm section that is Darren Chewka’s melodic drumming and Nick Kouremenos’ bass mastery. Shawn Moncrieff and Ryan Podlubny, both known for innovative and nuanced guitar playing, haunt listeners with adventurously rhythmic chording and inter-weaving lead-line crescendos. If nothing else, King Thief comes by their innovative approach to creating art genuinely.
The band has recently completed their debut, full-length album, which is slated for release in the Fall of 2024.
First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?
King Thief came together as five friends who love playing punk rock, with a commitment to making interesting art together. Ryan recruited the team in 2019 with a vision in mind of something fresh while familiar. Off the hop we aimed to incorporate elements of 70s arena rock with the melodic punk style we helped to develop in the early 2000s — I believe the elevator pitch included something like “…if the Bronx made a baby with Hot Water Music, and that baby recorded on ACDC’s gear during the Powerage sessions. Political lyrics are A MUST.” I think we’ve come pretty close to the mark, and we come by it honestly.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
The self-titled album had to cook for a while before we finally made our way to the studio (we recorded with Cody Blakely at the Audio Department). We first started playing with a handful of riffs and songs – and a different drummer – just before the pandemic hit. Obviously social distancing posed problems for any activities that involved people getting together, so we made some tough choices: effectively, we chose to prioritize our time together, and in the name of safety restricted our activities to exclusively include only our families and the band, so that we could continue writing. These closed circles continued for quite some time… we eventually parted with the original drummer and Darren joined the family, in a sense, making us whole. He was the perfect fit, and his skills and drive were integral to finishing the writing for this record.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
Songwriting for King Thief does follow a pretty specific process, yes, and it typically starts with Ryan in his underwear. He’ll sketch out ideas at home, and then bring them to the group later for fleshing out; sometimes it’ll be a complete skeleton, and other times just a couple riffs or ideas that we’ll jam out. Shawn and Pud (Ryan) have a long history of playing together, and Shawn has this magical way of hitting just the right notes to bring out the best of each new idea. Parts that can sound disconnected in isolation can really make an otherwise ordinary riff shine, and that’s a big part of our special sauce.
Like most acts, our best work tends to come together quickly (e.g., “Gymposter” came together almost in its entirety off the cuff in a single pass). That’s not to say we don’t spend a fair amount of time refining afterward — but vocal ideas take shape early on for Eric, and feel largely connected to the vibes Nick and D put together. But once the feel is there, things are more or less on.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
We’re looking to get in front of people whenever we can! Teaming up with Thousand Islands has been great for us, and opened up some fun opportunities… with two singles out now, there will be another to come before the full record drops in the Fall. As for playing, the remainder of 2024 will likely keep us in North America; but if all goes well, King Thief will hopefully visit Europe in 2025. In the way of writing, we already have 6 new songs in various stages of development, three of which sneak into our sets from time to time to test out with crowds. We’ve found the responses so far very encouraging.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
I feel like we’ve really sharpened our live show, and that feels like a major accomplishment/turning point for us. If people just wanted to listen to a band they’d hang at home on the couch with headphones on… so if they’re coming out we really want to engage with a crowd and give anyone sharing time with us a proper experience. Eric has really come into his own and, after having spent most of his time performing tethered to a guitar, has learned to own a stage and really command a crowd without that safety net. It’s been fun to see for us on stage, and for the cats out front to enjoy – he’s the real deal.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
False Body, Mouraine, Arts Major, Nuela Charles, Pet Blessings