What inspired the name of the band? What are your influences and are they the same as when you started out?
Good morning…Ryan from Little King here. Reporting from the studio in Tucson, AZ!
“Little King” is a translation of my first name from Gaelic, I believe. In 1997, I had just finished playing with a band called Tweed Quickly in El Paso, TX. We had a great run, and Shannon Brady (bass) and Scott Marestein (Drums and Vox) are still in and out of Little King, so we have continued our friendships and musical relationships for over 25 years. But I had my own songs, and I wanted to make a record, so the new project needed a name.
Influences are so wide and varied. I love Tchaikovsky and Rush, Grateful Dead and Tupac, David Byrne and Iron Maiden. I think the way that has manifested into Little King tunes is the dynamic range within our collective tastes. Eddy Garcia has been our drummer and engineer since 2007, and he is from a thrash and hardcore scene (check out his longtime band, Pissing Razors.) Manny Tejeda has been on bass on some vox since 2019, and he grew up in the Dominican in the 90’s. So, between the 3 of us, we bring a lot of passion for different styles and instrumentation. That keeps our sound fresh, I believe.
How do you approach songwriting?
Since the first record back in ’97, my MO has been to pick up my old Washburn acoustic and just start noodling. Sometimes I will go direct with an electric guitar, but mostly I like the notion that if a song isn’t good on an acoustic, it probably isn’t good at all…
I piece riffs together with a lot of trial and error. Tempo and time changes are key at the beginning, as it helps me find that groove that seems to best fit the mood of what I’m laying down. Oftentimes I do have a plan for the theme of the lyrics and how the flow of the music will work. That is, heavier and faster here, even faster, slow down, pick up, mellow, crush, really crush…something like that.
Lyrically, I always have a thematic concept in mind. Every album from Time Extension (1998) to the new single, “Silver Tongue” have a direct theme. Once we have laid the bed guitar, drum, and bass tracks, I will typically take some ruff mixes out into the desert for a couple months. I sing to the saguaros and coyotes, you know? I start to name the songs based on the theme of the album, and when I have a name I like, then the themes start to manifest into full songs.
Little King songs are HARD to sing and play. Trust me! So I have to make sure the music is second nature to my hands and in that part of the brain. Only then can I begin the lyric writing. From there, I can finish a song through more trial and error, finding my spots to syncopate or push/drag, and then it’s back to the mic to sing my legacy.
How do you approach songwriting?
Since the first record back in ’97, my MO has been to pick up my old Washburn acoustic and just start noodling. Sometimes I will go direct with an electric guitar, but mostly I like the notion that if a song isn’t good on an acoustic, it probably isn’t good at all…
I piece riffs together with a lot of trial and error. Tempo and time changes are key at the beginning, as it helps me find that groove that seems to best fit the mood of what I’m laying down. Oftentimes I do have a plan for the theme of the lyrics and how the flow of the music will work. That is, heavier and faster here, even faster, slow down, pick up, mellow, crush, really crush…something like that.
Lyrically, I always have a thematic concept in mind. Every album from Time Extension (1998) to the new single, “Silver Tongue” have a direct theme. Once we have laid the bed guitar, drum, and bass tracks, I will typically take some ruff mixes out into the desert for a couple months. I sing to the saguaros and coyotes, you know? I start to name the songs based on the theme of the album, and when I have a name I like, then the themes start to manifest into full songs.
Little King songs are HARD to sing and play. Trust me! So I have to make sure the music is second nature to my hands and in that part of the brain. Only then can I begin the lyric writing. From there, I can finish a song through more trial and error, finding my spots to syncopate or push/drag, and then it’s back to the mic to sing my legacy.
Why do you write what you do?
I think my brain has always craved variety. Musical tastes aside, I move to different cities often, I changed careers just as often, and I have a short attention span for routine. Certainly, as I get older, routine can speak to me. But that curiosity about what’s around the corner pervades most aspects of my decision-making, music included.
From that, Little King music is pretty dynamic in a rock context. We rage and we pull way back. Yes, I think it always sounds like US, but there are elements of the aforementioned styles that sometimes happen within even the same riff. I hope that entertains, captures those who are willing to actively listen, and if nothing else, it will leave a legacy of music behind that speaks to the fact that we TRIED REALLY HARD.
Prog Rock? Eh. I prefer the “self-gloss” of the term Dynamic Rock. That suits us better, even though we certainly play in about every time sig known to man. And again, sometimes in the same riff. But that’s not the goal; songwriting with verite and passion is primary. If the song needs to be in 4/4, so be it.
how do you decide what to play live?
The fact is that Little King was a studio band from 2006 to 2021. We made Virus Divine in 2004 and toured quite a bit for that record (with Shannon and Scott.) That was FUN. We got really good, I’d humbly assert. But life intrudes, and I’ve been a single dad for a lot of my life, and I have also had careers outside of music to pay the bills in a manner that afforded my kiddos a decent quality of life. And so that I could be PRESENT to them and not on the road, which, let’s face it, is THE KEY to a successful rock band.
When I finally freed up some time and money, we decided to do some shows and record them in September of 2022 as an effort to really tour hard in 2023. I went back through the entire LK catalog, and that was a trip! Fun, sometimes exhilarating and equally embarrassing, and I just tried to find 90 minutes of music that still moved me. And that I could feasibly play and sing properly.
Our last full record, Amuse De Q, came out in late-2021. That is BY FAR my favorite Little King album, and so the set is heavy on those songs. Outside of that, Eddy and Manny both played on 2019’s EP Occam’s Foil as well, so we wanted to make sure those tunes were well-represented. I really feel like our set has exactly what I want to say at this time. We have the new single out, though, so that will be included as well. But what to drop?
how do you decide what to play live?
The fact is that Little King was a studio band from 2006 to 2021. We made Virus Divine in 2004 and toured quite a bit for that record (with Shannon and Scott.) That was FUN. We got really good, I’d humbly assert. But life intrudes, and I’ve been a single dad for a lot of my life, and I have also had careers outside of music to pay the bills in a manner that afforded my kiddos a decent quality of life. And so that I could be PRESENT to them and not on the road, which, let’s face it, is THE KEY to a successful rock band.
When I finally freed up some time and money, we decided to do some shows and record them in September of 2022 as an effort to really tour hard in 2023. I went back through the entire LK catalog, and that was a trip! Fun, sometimes exhilarating and equally embarrassing, and I just tried to find 90 minutes of music that still moved me. And that I could feasibly play and sing properly.
Our last full record, Amuse De Q, came out in late-2021. That is BY FAR my favorite Little King album, and so the set is heavy on those songs. Outside of that, Eddy and Manny both played on 2019’s EP Occam’s Foil as well, so we wanted to make sure those tunes were well-represented. I really feel like our set has exactly what I want to say at this time. We have the new single out, though, so that will be included as well. But what to drop?
What plans do you have for the future?
We released our 25th Anniversary single, “Silver Tongue,” on March 25, 2023. The song is really a throwback to early LK energy but with some modern polish. Lyrically, I wanted to examine the journey of the last 25 years (a Silver Anniversary, of course) and find a way to express what it has been like for me. Criticism, success, joy, pride, shame, crashing and rebirth…those themes are what I felt needed to be explored. So I did! And I think the music reflects the different parts of the journey so well. Really proud of it, and how raw it came out. Had more than a few people tell me it felt like modern 80’s metal. Thanks?
I am writing more music as we speak. But the short-term looks like a West Coast Tour October 7-15 followed by an East Coast tour before the end of the year. We did pro-shoot some live video, and that will be released this summer. The touring will be ON POINT…I am working my ass off on the performance as well as the production value. I am so happy to report that objectively, finally, I don’t suck. But please do come and judge for yourself.
We always update www.littlekingtunes.com