INTERVIEW: Ladies and gentlemen, King Cardinal is ready for your attention
King Cardinal, a five-person band founded and fronted by Brennan Mackey, are set to release their debut album, Great Lakes, Friday, Sept. 29. The songs promise to feature roots rock with a little bit of country and folk thrown in for good measure.
They recorded the studio effort with producer Ted Young at Sonic Ranch studio in Texas, completing the project in seven days.
The band features Mackey on vocals, guitar and banjo. Joining him are Scott Roush on drums, Andrew Porter on bass, Ben Waligoske on pedal steel and Texanna Dennie on vocals. They toured extensively this summer, and fans can expect to hear “Holy,” “Better,” “Boulder,” “Standing Down” and “Chicago” — all new songs — as they take the stage Oct. 22 at Mountain Sun Pub in Boulder, Colorado.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Mackey about King Cardinal. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What can fans expect on your debut album, Great Lakes?
Whereas the first two EPs that King Cardinal released were mainly solo efforts, this is the first full band statement. We like to describe the band as a cross between The Band and Bon Iver. We are proud to be a Denver band, and we think it shows. Great Lakes sits comfortably at the crossroads of the indie, folk, soul and country sounds that have been coming out of Denver in the past few years.
How long did the recording process take?
We finished the tracking in seven days. However, those seven days were a culmination of two years of touring, writing and working on these tunes as a full band. The limited amount of studio time allowed us to work efficiently and not overthink the songs. Our producer, Ted Young, fed that mindset. He likes to work live and really let the recordings develop organically.
How would you define your sound?
We’ve been described as a post-folk or Americana band. At the core, we’re a roots rock band that can lean into indie rock, r&b, country or even ambient. Every member of the band comes from a diverse musical background. Once everybody has been allowed to imprint their personalities on a song, it really becomes something unique.
Growing up, who were some of your musical influences?
The artists that had the biggest influence on my (Brennan’s) musical taste throughout the years are Weezer, The Band and Bon Iver. Weezer was the first band that I really obsessed about when I was about 14. I can still play some of the songs of The Blue Album and Pinkerton note for note (and will still bust out a rendition of “El Scorcho” at parties if the moment is right). The Band and Bon Iver were the groups that pushed me towards the Americana style that really informs King Cardinal.
When audience members catch a live performance, what do you hope they experience? What is your goal for an evening of live music?
We try to give people a show as close to the record as possible, as far as the sounds and instrumentation go. While we still keep elements of the acoustic parts of our music, the electric guitar and pedal steel are featured much more in our live show. We try to inject as much energy into our songs while still allowing for those quiet and intimate moments. We’ve spent the last few years playing shows that range from all nighters at rowdy honky tonks to intimate house concerts. It’s allowed us to become very diverse in the way we interact with the audience.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
King Cardinal’s new album, Great Lakes, will be released Friday, Sept. 29. Click here for more information.
