Crown The King formed in 2020 and quickly established themselves as one of the most exciting up and coming artists in pop punk. In 2022 following a sold-out debut headline show to celebrate the release of their debut EP ‘Groundhog Day’, the band were invited to open for pop punk heavyweights Neck Deep in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. The release of ‘Groundhog Day’ also saw the band featured in Rock Sound Magazine, receiving international airplay across Idobi Radio, BBC Radio NI and Rautemusik Rock and being playlisted on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music’s editorial playlists.
In May of this year the band travelled to a 15th-century castle in the Irish countryside to write and record the first track from the follow up to the ‘Groundhog Day’ alongside producer Stephen Youster, the song which is titled “Reel To Reel” will be released on November 10th.
On ‘Reel To Reel’ Crown The King tell the story of a friend who is dealing with emotional turmoil but is attempting to carry on as if everything is okay. As the mask slips, vocalist Daniel Gannon asks the protagonist to “Tell me how you really feel”.
The single was written and recorded with producer Stephen Youster in Clomantagh Castle, a 15th-century tower house located near Freshford, County Kilkenny in Ireland.
“The recording process for Reel To Reel was entirely different from every track we’ve done so far.” says drummer Jamie Doran. “The space we recorded in was so unique that we literally had to stomp around shouting to find the spot in the castle with the best acoustics for each part of the recording process. For drums we ended up in a tiny landing at the top of the stairs, with a sound so big that we used a microphone on the floor below. There was a winding stone stairway that offered some of the best natural distortion and reverb on a snare I’ve ever heard. It was a rewarding experiment in sound”.
Reel To Reel marks a departure from the high-octane punk demonstrated on their debut EP ‘Groundhog Day’ earlier this year, in favour of a more intricate stripped back soundscape that still retains the bands signature storytelling and polished production.
“With the EP earlier this year, most of it was written in isolation during the height of the pandemic and I think that really lent to the frustration and anxiety that is present in both the music and the lyrics, this time around we were fortunate enough to be able to gather in the beautiful surrounds of Clomantagh Castle which I think really helped us approach the writing process from a less insular place and opened us up to diving into less familiar musical territory.” adds guitarist Sean Hodson.
The band will mark the release of the song with headline shows in The Workman’s Club, Dublin on November 25th and The Oh Yeah Centre, Belfast on November 26th alongside Belfast’s Harley and The Wolf.
