No King

This is a celebration for No King For Countrymen. A celebration of finding guidance, what you need, and knowing it’s okay to not be okay.

“Days Like These” feels heroic. It sweeps you off your feet and thrusts you into the air, giving you a purpose, one that most likely has you hugging the people that matter most to you.

As singer Dave Lindsay explains in an email to Chart Attack, that sentiment is intertwined in the background of the song, which we're debuting below. “By mid-2015, I was just about ready to quit the band life for good and focus my time and energy on something else. I probably would have too, if not for those special people in my life who remind me, each day, why I started this project in the first place.”

The visual, directed by long-time collaborator Miguel Barbosa, for the Hamilton group’s latest is strikingly beautiful. Your retinas are taken on a picturesque journey through Canada. The images allow you time to breathe them in and never rush you. Sit there with a coffee, hit full screen, kick your feet up and relax. Give your eyes a little vacation for three and a half minutes, and allow your ears to dive into the swirling, twinkling guitars. Like a swing, the chorus always comes whipping back, faster and more exhilarating than the last.

It's “a song about finding hope, when it seems you have none at all. It's about believing that, someday, the years of struggle will add up to something but it's OK to admit that you can't make it alone.”
Catch No King For Countrymen on their 4 month tour across Canada, performing in over 70 high schools in cooperation with a motivational organization called Live Different. - Chart Attack

With their classic alternative-rock sound, seamless punk-rock hookery, and burning on-stage presence, the band are quickly paving their way for success. The band’s sound is reminiscent of early Boys Like Girls music, with classic alternative sounds that are all-too hard-hitting. With music that is purposeful and compelling, the Ontario band are going to go on to do great things. - Angela Flores for Infectious Magazine

Hamilton, ON-based rockers No King for Countrymen are about to release their latest EP A Year in Recovery — and to mark the occasion, Exclaim! is streaming the new offering in its entirety.

The five-song set logically follows their 2013 EP Sick & Tired, with the recovery and recording process taking place at Taurus Recording in Toronto. It was produced and mixed by Crispin Day (July Talk, Shad) and mastered by Jon Drew (Arkells, Tokyo Police Club), who help captured the band's raw brand of power pop to tape.

It opens with the pounding "Alright You Win," which blends blasting percussion with melodic pop-punk vocals and catchy riffs. That sound that carries on right through "Hospital Beds," "Sun City" and "Cigarettes," leaving listeners engaged, energized and undoubtedly bouncing along. Final track "Breakthrough" gets a little softer and more sentimental, showing off a different side to the band and bringing the EP to a successful close.

You can get your first listen to the full thing in the player below. The band will celebrate the release of A Year in Recovery with a CD release show on July 18 at Club Absinthe in Hamilton. - Exclaim!

It's the Labour Day long weekend, so make sure you're sending summer out with a bang.

To help foster the party, check out these new tracks from Meike, Public Animal and No King for Countrymen as part of reporter Adam Carter's weekly spot from In the Key of C on CBC Radio 1.

You can listen to Adam and host Craig Norris talk these picks in the player above, and listen to the tracks right here.

No King for Countrymen: Alright, You Win

Hamilton's No King for Countrymen just released a brand new music video for this song — and man, do these guys ever sound like Motion City Soundtrack.

From the vocal tonality to the backbeat, it has that exact same sort of pop punk sound. This is in no way a bad thing however, and anyone who is into pop punk will find lots to like here. - CBC News

By: Sarah Ballagh

EP- A Year in Recovery
Release Date- July 18, 2015
iTunes- https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/no-king-for-countrymen/id459132260
Genre-Rock

No King for Countrymen are a four piece rock band from Hamilton, ON. Members consist of David Lindsay – Vocals, Guitar, Mark Morelli – Bass, Kyle Bell – Drums, Vocals Matt Foster – Guitar. The band has released two previous EP’s, Self Titled, and Sick and Tired.

For me this band has a strong punk influence, the first song on this EP titled Alright You Win is a punchy opening to the rest of the songs. Hospital Beds is the first single- with a video out as well. One of my top songs though would have to be Sun City, I really got into this one, it was very catchy. I also really enjoy the lyrics in all the songs, each song is written like true poetry.

Influences from what I can hear would be bands like Blink 182 or even a little bit of Dashboard Confessional (I think it’s the vocals and the deep lyrics that remind me of them).

Rating: 4/5 - Canadian Beats

David Lindsay (vocals, guitar), Kyle Bell (drums) and Mark Morelli (bass) had already grown up on local stages when they came together as No King For Countrymen. With their latest CD in hand, Sick and Tired, the band is poised to become one of the city’s, and maybe one of the country’s, stand out up and comers.

“We've been a band for 3 years now but 2014 really feels like a new start for us,” offers Lindsay. “We stopped trying to juggle other band, life and priorities and really give the band the attention it deserves. And it shows that the more we put into ourselves, others start to believe in us too. I think we finally feel like everything lines up: we're all great friends, we believe in the music, we have a record we can stand behind, a solid live show and undying determination. That's all that really matters, the rest will follow in time.”

With a punchy and powerful collection of songs, NKFC offer contemporary touchstones like Hollerado, Said The Whale, Pup and even Hamilton’s the Reason to their sound but their influences dig deeper.

“We’re definitely into The Reason as well as Alberta’s Ten Second Epic who have certainly influenced our sound. In terms of earlier influences, we’re all into bands like Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday and Blink–182,” notes Lindsay. “Growing up in the early 2000's, those sorts of alternative/ punk bands are what got us into music and have stuck with us all these years. There’s a lot of great bands in Hamilton and we’re still discovering more and more all the time. We’ve had the pleasure of playing many shows with bands like Black Rhino Riot and Rifkin and have made many friends in other locals like Small Town Get Up, Wild Night, Gentlemen Spectres, Born Wrong, Fighting Season and the list goes on. For a long time, we were somewhat sceptical about the music scene in Hamilton but soon learned that once you really start reaching out and supporting local talent, others reciprocate and the music scene thrives; that’s how it works. And Hamilton really does have a lot going on musically if you look in the right places. We wanted [our recording] to sound like a lot of our favourite records. We like for things to sound huge and very in–your–face; we’re not to be mistaken as background music. We certainly achieved the desired result.”

Recorded at Winona’s Tapehead Records and mastered by Noah Mintz, Sick and Tired bristles with energy but the break neck speeds don’t detract from the pop sensibilities Lindsay and company put into their songs. It’s power pop with a definite indie bent but categorization of NKFC has already proven to be difficult.

“The genre debate is ridiculous these days and I'm convinced no band really knows what genre they are,” argues Lindsay. “We call it rock but it's more alternative than a straight up rock band like Monster Truck. If we call it indie, we end up playing with Arcade Fire knockoffs. We’re not punk enough and too poppy to be emo so we’re sick of trying to fit in; we’re a rock band.

“Our nightmare is being a boring band,” confides Lindsay on their stage performance. “I think we take the description of loud and in–your–face very seriously and that’s how we come off on stage. Yeah, it’s hot, sweaty, and a little crazy. We like to be sure we put on a show and even everyone in the room doesn’t like the music, the worst they can say is, ‘they were really loud’.”

No King For Countrymen play this Saturday July 19 at the Casbah. The show starts at 9:00PM and cover is $10. Click on http://nokingforcountrymen.bandcamp.com - VIEW Magazine

These days, it’s common to find fans of indie rock with a nostalgic appreciation for early 2000s mainstream pop punk. While some dismiss it as a sound of yesteryear, others, like Hamilton’s No King For Countrymen instead choose to embrace the sound while incorporating it in their own style. The content on their recent EP A Year In Recovery channels this influence with modern indie rock production, resulting in five powerful tracks full of charging rock tempos and retrospective lyrics. “Alright You Win” a tour de force of heavy guitars, pulsing basslines and the signature passive-aggressiveness found in pop punk lyrics. No King For Countrymen have made a science out of blending introspective content with bursts of indie rock energy, all neatly packaged together with clean production. The Countrymen will be bringing their signature sound to The Cavern in Toronto on August 20. -Chris PJ D - The Deli Magazine

No King For Countrymen, a rising band based out of Hamilton, has recently made a name for itself. With a few band members being York students, an accessible sound, and pop familiarity evocative of bands like Blink-182, it’s no wonder why.

With the band’s EP, Sick and Tired, having dropped a few months ago and more noticeable buzz developing around them on and off campus, Excalibur sat down with frontman David Lindsay.

Excalibur: What was the inspiration behind the name of the band?

DL: It’s taken from a page of The Hobbit. What caught me about it was the ordering of the words; they just seem to fit together so well. I’m big into perspective writing and the way you read the name meaning different things depending on what perspective you’re reading it from.
[There’s] the perspective of the countrymen, where it’s the idea of rebellion, or the perspective of the king, where it’s the idea of the enthroned and dethroned. It’s always just fascinating to me, and these words stuck with me when reading the book.

E: How did the band come together, and what is it like working with each other?

DL: There’s always been the thing of a band growing up in high school; Kyle and I have been playing together for as long as I can remember. We definitely get along really well, and we’re at a point now where we can finish each other’s thoughts. Being around one another becomes a creative process.

E: So you released your EP titled Sick and Tired back in October last year. What was the thought process behind that album?

DL: It actually us took over a year to record that album in full, and before that, we rushed out our recording and wanted it to get recorded as fast as possible. This time, we went through the songs and picked the best ones. It took a long time to record and get everything sounding great. So, that’s the idea. The album is something we’re really proud of.

E: How does Sick and Tired differ from your first single album?

DL: We picked the songs to fit together really well. It’s a lot more in tune with our sound, but at the same time, it expresses the diversity of the styles of music that we’re interested in and that we play. I think it speaks for what the band really is more than the first album.

E: Which direction do you plan on taking with your music?

DL: We’re all finishing up university now, and we’re going at it full force, trying to get tours booked, get the record played on more radio stations, and just doing it as hard as we can.

E: Talk about some of the biggest milestones for No King for Countrymen so far.

DL: We’ve played at many different music festivals and places in Canada for shows. There’s also is this paintball DVD preview, and they used our music on multiple occasions.

E: Who in the music industry do you identify with, and how have they inspired you?

DL: We got together because we had some mutual interest in bands from the early 2000s, like Blink-182, Switchfoot, Jimmy Org. We’ve always loved those bands.

E: What can we expect from “No King for Countrymen” in 2014?

DL: For 2014, we’re working on a music video for our first single, and we have lyric videos for a couple of songs. We’d like to make a few music videos for all of the songs on the album, and I think we’re going to start touring once the summer hits and go to places we’ve never gone before in Canada and in the States, so it’s going to be a big year.

E: I understand that all of you are studying music in university, so how has professionally studying music impacted your view on the indie scene in the music industry?

DL: Studying music showed us what we really wanted to do and options of other things you can do with music—a lot more sophisticated things, like playing jazz; I know we all came here playing jazz, and I think we’re all leaving knowing exactly what we want to do – play in a band. It’s been an important growing process throughout the years.

E: Lastly, describe your music in five words or less.

DL: In your face – we’re not low-key background music, we like to control the room. Actually we’ve been described as angry Canadian pop.

Alice Wang
Contributor - Excalibur Newspaper

Interview By: Jenna Melanson


Hamilton, ON based rock band, No King For Countrymen is made up of David Lindsay (Vocals/ Guitar), Mark Morelli (Bass), Kyle Bell (Drums/ Vocals) & Matt Foster (Guitar). The band released an EP in October 2013, but has been hard at work on a new release, which is due to be released this year. I had the chance to ask them a series of questions that may help you get to know this talented Canadian band a little bit more!

How did the band meet and form?

Kyle and I (Dave) had always been in bands together and we knew the other guys through other bands we had often played with in the scene. So when we had spots to fill for NKFC, we knew who to turn to.

How did you choose the name, “No King For Countrymen”?

It was taken from a book I was reading at the time. The phrase stood out to us as having a lot of meaning; the idea of standing for something rather than nothing and making a difference in the world with the limited time we have.

You released your EP, “Sick & Tired” in October of 2013, what can you tell us about the writing process behind the EP?

With that record, it was a really widespread collection of our songs to date. We had demoed pretty well every song we’d written and selected our 5 best. So, each song was coming from a different place. Some of which (like “Growing Up”) were written as early as the formation of the band in Spring 2011 while “In Hiding” was written just before hitting the studio later in 2012.

Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?

Real things that happen in our lives. Whenever something goes wrong or life has got me down, it will come out in a song. Sometimes I try to write about situations that didn’t happen directly to me but rather what I watch others go through and use my own personal experiences to channel that emotion.

You will be releasing a new album this Spring, how has your sound changed since your previous release?

Yes! Our sound is definitely more honed and mature than our previous releases. I think what sets this record apart from the others is just how cohesive it is. We literally spent the better part of a month in a our space writing a lot of songs and recording demos. All these songs came from those sessions and thus the EP is a lot more concise in its lyrical themes and musical style. We are really proud of this one and cannot wait to show everyone.

Can you give us any hints as to when the new single will be released?

Mid-June!

You have played many festivals, including Burlington Sound of Music & KOI, can fans expect any festival shows this year?

Absolutely, there are some awesome announcements in the works, we just can’t say yet. We are, however, playing as part of the Burlington Sound Of Music Club Series June 17th. So, come out to see us then!

Can fans expect a Cross Canadian tour coming any time in the near future?

That’s the plan. The album will come out mid-July and from there we want to hit the ground running, playing as much as we can. There’s even some stuff in the works to go south of the border which is really exciting. But again, it’s all under wraps for now.

Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?

There’s too many to say, we love PUP, The Dirty Nil, Hollerado, etc. Lately, we’ve been checking out a band called First Ghost. They’re on tour with Prawn and they absolutely slay.

Here, at Canadian Beats we like to include a small portion of questions that may help your fans learn something new about you, so here goes:

You’ve been known to post some Covers to your YouTube channel, how do you decide the song you want to cover?

The whole cover thing started as simply as us just joking around with top 40 pop songs. We would attempt to play them in our own style. Eventually we thought that some of these covers actually sounded pretty good and would be a cool thing to record and release to the world. So, the ones we choose are just really whatever’s stuck in our head that week, I guess.

What was the last concert you attended as a fan?

Taking Back Sunday with Menzingers, such a good show.

If you were able to put together a festival lineup, which other Canadian bands/ artists would you want performing along with you?

All our fave Canadian locals for sure: RocketRocketShip, The Stringers, City Limits, New Design, Fighting Season, Parkside, Rydell, Pine, Harbour, Long Point, Cheap Date, Eavesdrop, Synerah, We Were Sharks, JJ and The Pillars, The Maysides and the list goes on.

This would be a stacked festival!

Do you have any tattoos? If so, what are they?

Surprisingly, no one in the band has any tattoos…yet.

What is your favourite summertime activity?

Roadtrips to music festival and late night bonfires.

If you were able to write a song for any existing TV show or Movie, which would you choose?

That’s tough. I think most of the band is watching Game Of Thrones right now so I’d say that. Also our band name is pretty fitting. And on top of that, we channeled a subtle GoT vibe in our music video for “Unrehearsed”.

Last but not least, is there anything you’d like to say to your fans?

We just want to say thanks to anyone who has supported this band or even checked out our stuff, it really means a lot. And stay tuned for our new record! - Canadian Beats

Band Name: No King For Countrymen
Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Band Members:
David Lindsay: Lead vocals/guitar
Kyle Bell: Drums/backup vocals
Mark Morelli: Bass guitar
Matt Foster: Guitar
Genre: Pop rock/Pop punk



First of all, I want to thank 'No King For Countrymen' so very much for agreeing to do an interview with me!

Q: What really made you guys want to be in a band or start one? Was it just spontaneous or was there some thought about it beforehand?

Kyle: "David and I started out jamming and playing in a band together for many years before we started this one. Matt and Mark also played in a different band together for many years during the same time that David and I were playing together. When those projects ended, David and I wanted to start a new project and called up Mark to be our bass player. Some time after, we added Matt to the lineup. There was no real thought process behind the whole thing other than the four of us wanted to play in a band again, so it made the most sense for us to start this one."

Q: I know that on your band camp (which I’ll link below) your first music came out in 2011, is that the year you became a band?

Kyle: "We became a band just a little before that time. It was approximately a couple months before we released our first material."

Q: Since, 2011, I’m guessing there have been a lot of changes with musical direction and how you go about things because as you grow you progress…is there 3 things you can name that you think as a band has changed for the better since 2011?

Kyle: "Definitely! For one, our musical sound has grown, developed, and matured since our initiation. Secondly, our resume has grown. We’ve definitely accomplished a lot of our goals. Lastly, our reputation continues to grow and we’ve been able to reach people in places we didn’t think we would when we started the band."

Q: Who are your biggest musical influences? Bands, artists, etc..

Kyle: "We currently all have slightly different tastes in music, but our musical roots all stem from the same bands and artists. Some of our influences are:

· Blink-182
· Jimmy Eat World
· Taking Back Sunday
· New Found Glory
· Tokyo Police Club"



Q: Who are your biggest personal influences? Family, friends, fans, etc..

Kyle: "Definitely our biggest personal influences would be our families. They’re the ones that have supported us through this whole process and continue to support us through it. It would be very easy to lose motivation without them. Our fans are equally just as important to us. If people didn’t like what we do and didn’t want to hear new material from us, there would be nobody to play music for and we wouldn’t be a band."



Q: What is the best part of being in this band? Or being in a band in general?

Kyle: "The best part about being in this band is just being able to hang out with three of our closest friends and share a bunch of cool experiences together. It’s cool to play music for people, but it’s even better when you have three of your friends on stage right beside you at the same time. It just makes for a really good, close-knit support system because the four of us are all going through the same thing."

Q: What is the worst part? Be honest…

Kyle: "That’s a good question. The worst part or toughest part would be when we disagree on something. Since we’ve known each other for a while, we’re not worried about what the other guys think of our opinions, so we can all be pretty stubborn sometimes when it comes to decision making."

Q: Have you guys gotten to tour much and if so, do you have any stories from the road?

Kyle: "We did tour to the East Coast of Canada a few months ago. Nothing over the top crazy happened to us, other than going to a hockey arena and nearly begging them to allow us into their locker room to take showers because we were in dire need of them."

Q: How did you come up with such a creative name for your band? Naming bands can be hard!

Kyle: "Our name comes from the idea that the lone wolf has no leader, other than itself. Real countrymen make their own rules and answer to nobody. They do their own thing when and where they want to. We thought that was a pretty cool idea."

Let's play "Who in the band...?"

Strictest member?
"Nobody really, but for the sake of the question, it would probably be David."

Funniest?
"Matt"

Dirtiest?
"Matt"

Nicest?
"Mark"

Cleanest?
"Mark"

Most flirtatious?
"Kyle"

Most shy?
"David"

Most likely to sing along to a One Direction song?
"Definitely Kyle. Only Kyle. He’d be the only one singing."

*Side Note from Tayler: I'd be singing too. No worries!

Smartest?
"We’re all pretty intelligent when it comes to different things, but it would probably be Mark because he’s the best at math."

Last one! Most likely to survive a horror movie? First to die?
"Mark would definitely survive because he has army training and then Matt would be second. First to die would probably David. The singer always dies first."

*Side Note: Poor David.

Okay, back to some real questions!

Q: You guys have done a couple of cover songs, most recently “Boom Clap” by Charli XCX that was really great by the way! (I’ll add the link at the end) How do you guys decide which songs to cover?

Kyle: "Thanks! We’re not a cover band by any means, but we have fun playing covers. They really just come out of us jamming on songs that we like. We’ve basically just jammed on those songs for fun and most of the time one of us says, “What if we played it like this?” and then our version is made. The ones that we’ve released are the ones that we’ve had the most fun with."

*Readers, Links at the end of interview will lead you to their youtube so you can check out their other covers as well!

Q: Favorite song(s) to perform live?
"Unrehearsed
Archaeology
Suger Coated Love
Growing Up
Our new songs, which will be released later this year."

Q: Future goals for the band?

Kyle: "To continue touring, releasing new material, and reaching new cities with our music that we haven’t been to before."


Q: Any advice to your younger selves or younger bands that just aren’t sure where to start?

Kyle: "Write music that you are proud of and support your local music scene. All bands start out by playing local shows, so support the other bands that are coming up alongside you."



"Find us on all major social media outlets keep up to date because we have exciting news being released soon!"



Again, I want to thank 'No King For Countrymen' so much for agreeing to this interview! I have so much respect for them and wish them nothing but the very best in their future careers. You can check out all the links below for more content on this wonderful band!



Links:
Bandcamp: http://nokingforcountrymen.bandcamp.com/
Youtube (awesome covers and music videos): https://www.youtube.com/user/nokingforcountrymen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nokingforcountrymen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nkfcofficial
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nokingforcountrymen/



Thanks for reading!

Tayler S.
Writer - Modern Dreams Music

J: I need to start by asking where the name of your group comes from? It’s such an awesome name I just need to know.



NKFCM: It’s actually taken from a page of The Hobbit by Tolkien. It literally has nothing to do with the story itself; it was more so the sequence of words that stuck with me and took on a whole new meaning. We were just starting up the band around that time and the phrase kind of stood as a metaphor for what we were trying to accomplish as a band going out into the world. So, we all agreed it was the best name for the project.



J: How did you all come together to form the group?



NKFCM : Kyle and I (Dave) had been playing in bands together since high school. We actually started NoKFC with a different lineup than we have now but once it came time for a change, we reached out to Mark. We had known him from another local band in the scene that we had played with in the past. He happened to be without a band at the time and we happened to be without a bass player. So it was a no-brainer and it finally started to feel like a comfortable secure lineup.





J: What was the process for filming Unrehearsed? You did such a great job on a very professional video.



NKFCM: Thanks, we’re quite proud of it. We reached out to a super talented local director, Miguel Barbosa, and his team. They had shot a lot of bands we knew in the area. The concept was a performance based video to focus on introducing the band rather than something more story based. That was mixed with a slightly Game Of Thrones inspired setting down by the waterfront. It was a long, hot and sweaty day of filming, but it was so much fun and we’re all super stoked on the finished product.





J: You’re walking down the street, and run into a stranger who has never heard of your group. What song do you recommend he listens to?



NKFCM: I would probably show him Unrehearsed for the same reasons we chose it as the new single. It best encapsulates the sound of the EP. I like to think it’s a fairly diverse collection of songs that summarize our sound and I think Unrehearsed kind of makes sense of it all and ties the EP together. It also hints at the direction we’re taking musically with the next release.





J: Sick & Tired is coming up on its one year anniversary, how important was that EP to the development of your group?



NKFCM: Yeah, which is crazy to think about. I think that Sick & Tired is very important to us as our first release as a serious band. The whole idea behind the project was to finally give the band the attention we felt it deserves. So, we invested all the time and money we had into a real record with a real music video. It’s thrown us into a new era of our careers where people start taking us seriously, now that we take ourselves more seriously.





J: Who are your contemporary influences?



NKFCM : Most of our primary influences are from the early 2000’s scene of alternative and pop punk bands, like Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday and Blink-182. All of these are still relevant today but we listen to a lot of newer indie rock bands from around the world too, such as Young The Giant, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Hollerado and the list goes on.





J: If you could work with one artist, dead or alive, who would it be?



NKFCM: That’s a tough question but if we had to choose someone it’d have to be one of those incredibly iconic artists like Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, Johnny Cash or someone. I’m talking about those musicians who have a way of stamping every track they touch with so much character that it could explode.



J: Is there one instrument you are dying to add to the group if you could?



NKFCM: We’re pretty content and comfortable as a three piece. But if we had to choose, having a really good keyboard and synth player who knew his way around all the different analog and digital equipment would be super cool. There’s a few subtle organ, synth and piano tracks on the studio versions of our songs, it’d be cool to hear these parts live. That being said, we like the way we’ve reworked the songs for live settings and it offers a different experience than listening to the recordings.



J: What country are you dying to perform in?



NKFCM: Pretty much anywhere we’ve never been, at this point. Japan would be crazy though; I feel our music would go over really well there.





J: What super hero could you see your group composing a fight song for?



NKFCM: I should probably consult the other guys on this, but I’m going to go ahead and say Batman because he’s just the best. Realistically though, I should probably say Captain Canuck; the most Canadian super hero of all time. Look him up if you don’t know who I’m talking about!



J: The whole band goes to a bar, who buys the first round, and who is the first to flirt their way to a free drink?



NKFCM: Mark would be the one buying drinks because he’s nice like that and usually the first one to start drinking. Kyle would be the one mooching free drinks. He’s the single one and probably thinks he’s got some decent moves.



J: What is the candy of choice in the recording studio?



NKFCM: Chocolate covered almonds. Keep that stuff away from us.





J: Canadian music act do you relate to more? Sum 41 or Justin Bieber?



NKFCM: Trick question; Celine Dion is the correct answer.



J: Any closing thoughts you’d like to leave for the readers?



NKFCM: We honestly appreciate every little bit of support we receive. Even you reading this article means the world to us. We’ve been an independent band for 3 years now and we are very familiar with the struggle that it entails. If there is a local independent band you love, show them your support. Every time you share the music, go out to shows, buy merch or even spin the records, you’re making more difference than you know. So, thank you!





You can Follow No King For Countrymen @NKFCOfficial

and listen to their EP Sick and Tired at http://nokingforcountrymen.bandcamp.com - Collapsed Lexicon

In today’s Getting to Know, we meet Ontario pop-rockers No King For Countrymen, a band that considers itself comparable to Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday.

Band Name: No King For Countrymen
Band Members: David Lindsay (vocals, guitar), Dylan Godfrey (bass, vocals), and Kyle Bell (drums).
Years Active: 3
City of Origin: Stoney Creek, ON.

Who are you and what do you do?
“We are a three-piece pop-rock band from Stoney Creek, Ontario. We play loud, energetic, in-your-face tunes with a deeper message.”

In 100 words or less, tell us how your band has gotten to this point.
“We are where we are today through a cumulative experience in other touring bands and an undying passion for music. Music is our lives and we work a lot harder than anyone would expect to get this band off the ground. This is still only the beginning, but it is simple talent and belief in the music that has carried us.”

What is your latest release and how would you best describe it to someone who hasn’t heard your band?
“Our newest EP Sick & Tired truly speaks for our sound and what we are about. It speaks of an agitation with a lot of facets of life and this modern musical industry. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors…and a lot of contrived motives and people out there. It’s been a challenge to hold true to our loud pop-rock sound in a shifting musical field. This EP is our anthem to staying true, to go out alone – without a definite music scene – and not care what people think.”

When making an album, which aspect of the process do you put the most time into and why?
“That’s a difficult question because we certainly put a lot of work into all aspects. In the case of Sick & Tired, I’d have to say production. It was intentional to really put a lot of work into this record so that we could feel proud of it. As a result, the five-song EP took over 13 months to produce.”

What is the best part about your band and why?
“I think one of our best facets is the energy we bring not only to the stage, but to most everything we do musically. We all sincerely enjoy playing and I think that really comes across. We have a firm belief in putting on a show and getting people excited about what we’re doing. It helps too that the music itself is pretty exciting. There are too many bands too caught up in perfection to put on a show. I think when the players are solid, then you can have both a tight set and awesome performance.”

What makes your band unique from the rest?
“One of the best things we have going for us is that we all sincerely love what we’re doing. This band is all we have, so at the same time it is our career. Not to say other bands don’t also possess this quality, but I see so many bands that are all about fun: getting drunk and playing the show. I also see bands where it becomes too much like work and ceases to be enjoyable. Either stance is flawed, in the end. I think we have this rare balance of both fronts, which is a result of the lineup, of course.”

How does your band survive the challenges of touring/gigging?
“I think our friendships get us through it all. This lifestyle isn’t easy and to spend it with people you don’t get along with is near impossible. It’s become clear that the bands who prove to find success and longevity in their careers are the ones who are as close as brothers. I think all the talent, connections, money in the world will only get you so far in life, but you can lose it if you’re not happy in your situation.”

Would you rather be critically-acclaimed; rich and famous; or an under-the-radar band with a dedicated fan base?
“The obvious answer is the dedicated fan base. It’s become quite apparent to us that not everyone is going to like us and we’re not about to change to make that possible. It is those true dedicated fans who will stick with you, and they matter the most. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to them or the band whatever the trendiest blog or magazine says.”

If you’d have to compare your band to another one out there, living or dead, who would it be and why?
“To answer this without speaking strictly stylistically, I think our situation reminds me of those really hard working bands like The Fullblast or even Billy Talent who, for example, spent a long time under-the-radar before getting any large amount of attention. It took [Billy Talent] 21 years to get where they are today. So far, it’s proved to also be a slow climb for us.

“Stylistically, I think there are certainly hints of sounds like that of Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, and Ten Second Epic in our music.”

Which band/musician would you like to share many drinks with? What would you talk about?
“This sounds like the generic band answer, but it’d be awesome to sit down with a guy like Dave Grohl. In all his interviews, he seems to be the nicest, most down-to-earth guy. I think he sees the bigger picture – from the top of the music industry – of what’s going on. It’d be a really interesting conversation to have one-on-one.” - Riff You

By: Yael Gottesman

Who: Sumo Cyco, No King For Country Men, I Am The End, MTH, Widow Maker & Polarity
When: March 13, 2015
Where: Coalition, Toronto ON

Sumo Cyco took to the stage at the Coalition in Toronto on March 13, all for a good cause. Also lending their time performing were “No King For Country Men”, I Am The End”, “MTH”, “Widow Maker” and “Polarity”. Many people came out to support the bands playing to raise money for “Project Paws” and just have a good time. People could sit on couches, have a beer and listen to amazing music. Being sold were cupcakes and other desserts, the money would go to the Etobicoke Humane Society.

Starting things off was “No King For Country Men”. With a few of their own songs, like “Archaeology”, and a few covers, they had clearly showcased their amazing talent in just a few short minutes. I was impressed with everything about them. I enjoyed watching their drummer Kyle during their set. The amount of energy and charisma he had on stage for a drummer was amazing to watch. Everyone loved their set, and they were a great band to get the night started.

Following “No King For Country Men”, after a short time in between to prepare the stage “I Am The End” was next to take the stage. Head bangers gathered around the front of the stage for their set. Mosh pitting quickly began and the crowd was having a great time. The room was filled with energy for their entire performance.

“MTH” really engaged the crowd during their set. The mosh pitting and head banging continued from the devoted rockers for most of their set, up until their last song; which the singer said was a sentimental song about losing someone close. Prior to that the guitarist had a very impressive solo which had everyone screaming.

“Polarity” was second to last to perform and they brought an amazing energy on to the stage. The singer went into the crowd during different parts of their set, and the crowds’ screams were insanely loud.

Last of the night was crowd favourite Sumo Cyco. Before starting, Sever told the crowd to donate to Project Paws to “save the puppies and the kitties”. As I expected nothing less, once again, head banging and mosh pitting were present for the last time of the night. The entire venue was crawling with energy as Sever walked into the crowd and sang, and climbing on tables, as MD and Thor were jumping on stage with their guitars, and Wolf playing the drums; the crowd loved it. They played amazing songs like “Cry Murder” and a cover of Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us”, as well as my personal favourite “Fighter”. Sever’s vocals are absolutely killer as are the talents of Thor, MD, and Wolf. Every single time I see “Sumo Cyco live, I get more and more impressed.


At the end of the night all the bands met fans, took pictures, signed autographs and sold merch. A lot of money was raised to help the Etobicoke Humane Society. - Canadian Beats

Band: No King For Countrymen

Angry Canadian Pop is the name of the game.

"Sugar Coated Love" is the first single off of No King For Countrymen’s newest 5 song crushing EP entitled "Sick & Tired"

This loud Pop Rock trio comprised of old high school friends started this band with a firm belief that the live show is the most important aspect of a band. No King For Countrymen brings an unmatched energy and life to the stage, keeping the audience screaming along. - UNRADIO