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“I can’t wait to show people why we’re going to headline Glastonbury one day”
KING NO-ONE are a band on a mission. Undoubtedly one of the most hard-working and proficient young outfits in the UK right now, the band aren’t afraid to voice their hopes and ambitions for the future; and it seems that they’re hell-bent on making them happen. Crafting the kind of empowering, anthemic indie that yearns to be heard in the UK’s biggest arenas, the band have gradually gathered a cult-like following since their formation in 2013; seizing the hearts and minds of the younger generation with one impressive release after another.
And it looks like all the hard work is starting to pay off. After relentlessly touring the UK over the past couple of years, plying their trade in the streets aswell as some of the country’s most well-known small venues, the band’s growing popularity culminated in a sold-out UK tour earlier this month; a huge milestone for a collective who still remain unsigned.
If anything, it’s a brilliant precursor for all the exciting things coming up for the outfit, including a spot at Glasgow’s own TRNSMT Festival. Unwilling to rest on their laurels and with a huge 2018 ahead, TTV caught up with lead singer Zach in the midst of their sold-out tour.
“It feels pretty great that so many people want to see us and we really appreciate it. It’s really exciting to know how much it’s working. However at same time we need to turn it around and think of it as just another step to the bigger goal at the end. It’s great that we’re selling this many tickets but there is that desire that we’re looking for more and more, in a positive way of course.
A band who have become renowned for their impassioned and extravagant live shows, they kicked the tour off in Glasgow where they made a resounding impact: “The Glasgow show was amazing. There’s a reason we go there as it’s such a great city. It was a great first date to do and it was an awesome crowd. I really liked Oran Mor; it was a great sized-venue.”
No strangers to the city, the York outfit feel a special affiliation with the Glasgow crowds after a particularly special show in one of our most legendary venues: “I think King Tuts on the last tour was sold out and there was just a real energy in the room as we’d never sold out anywhere apart from Manchester before. It was the first time we’d sold out another city and it was Glasgow which is pretty far from us. We had something inside us that night, I ended up climbing all the way to the back of the room and climbing on the PA speakers and performing on a platform at the other side of the room. It was just really exciting and I think everyone who was there will remember that show”
The band’s recent ascent can be credited to a commendable mixture of overwhelming ambition and a tireless work ethic. Zach tells us that they’re unsigned by choice and that they have therefore resorted to traditional methods to get their music out there. Just a month before their headline show at Oran Mor, they surprised fans by taking to Buchanan Street for a busking session.
“The reason we busked is that we’re still unsigned by choice and we haven’t got the kind of finances other bands have. We don’t want to pump loads of money into Facebook advertisements and things like that. We thought that instead of forcing ourselves down people’s throats we could go and play in the street and people could decide whether they liked us or not by actually seeing us live”
It could be seen as a left-field move in today’s industry; but one that has ultimately paid off. Already they have been announced to appear at some of the UK’s biggest festivals this summer, including Glasgow’s very own TRNSMT. It’s safe to say that they can’t wait to return: “I think it’s great! It looks like such a great festival and we’re so glad to be a part of it. Glasgow is such a cool city and anything they do there is generally quite cool. There will be a proper Scottish spirit so we can’t wait to come and do it.”
With a line-up that features some of the world’s biggest acts alongside some of the most exciting breakthrough talent, there’s plenty to get excited about. “We’re just before Arctic Monkeys on the other stage so no doubt we’ll go and see them. Yeah, we kinda grew up with them. I didn’t really like them at the start to be honest, I was a bit of a music snob but I was a lot younger back then, thank god I’ve matured. That last album was absolutely great so I’ve seen them before and they’re amazing”
With more and more line-up announcements coming in thick and fast, it’s come to that time of year when music fans are counting down the days to festival season; and King No-One are no different. According to Zach, they can’t wait for the opportunity to make an impact:
“The amount of different atmospheres that you enter that sometimes you get to this point where so many different feelings in such a condensed amount of time overwhelm you and you lose your mind a little bit. What excites me about festivals though is that there’s lots of fans there but there’s also lots of people that have maybe only heard of you and haven’t seen you. It’s such a great moment to be able to show what you’re about and convert as much people as possible. We pride ourselves on what we do live and I can’t wait to lose my mind onstage and show people why we’re going to headline Glastonbury one day.”
When asked if that is his big dream, his answer is particularly telling: “It’s one of my dreams. Actually, I wouldn’t call it a dream as that’s for those who subconsciously can’t make it happen. I would say headlining Glastonbury is definitely one of the goals”
Like many bands that have come before them, there’s a feeling that King No-One have the bold confidence and tenacity to make things happen; a feeling fuelled by driving ambition and a mild streak of arrogance. While they don’t want to give too much away about new music, there’s plent in store for the next year: “Were going to nail festival season and then do a larger tour than this one. I’d like to be doing full O2 Academys by the end of next year. If we remain unsigned it could be difficult but you never know.”
