About Hey, King!'s Hey, King!
Songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Natalie London and her partner, vocalist and percussionist Taylor Plecity, approach music with a childlike curiosity and adventurous spirit—fitting for a band whose name comes from a Where the Wild Things Are line.
The duo's self-titled debut album will be released on April 2. Produced by 4x Grammy winner Ben Harper, the record is a dazzling 11-track collection that matches the overwhelming emotional intensity of the band's live show, a concert experience that Vancouver Weekly called "a powerhouse" and "quite possibly the music world’s best kept secret."
“If there’s ever been a year where people want to break free, this last year was it,” says London. “Both in the music video and in the song itself, we tried to convey that feeling of stripping away all the monotony, the disappointments, worry, and rage we all have and just get the f*ck out.” Plecity adds, “Especially during COVID, none of us know what our lives will be like even six months from now, so all that matters is to find adventure where you can and love the people (or animals) you’re lucky enough to love right now.”
The arrangements on Hey, King! are muscular, driving, and anthemic, recalling the most fist-raising Arcade Fire offerings and the most ornate songs by Sufjan Stevens. A stunning and epic album opener, "Beautiful" is the best example of this. The track is an absolute force with London and Plecity singing in harmony, “Come on now come on and get me / Cause with you, the world that I see / Is beautiful” in its cathartic chorus. It’s a hopeful salve and reminder when there’s much worldwide uncertainty. Even though no one knows what life will look like in the future, there’s excitement and beauty in the journey. London explains: "With all the uncertainties, insecurities, and worries, you just say 'I don't know where I'll be or where I'm going but I do know it's going to be beautiful.' " This is the ethos of Hey, King! and hearing these songs will give you that same optimism, even when things are dark.