For Anthony King, the construction of his band’s reggae music is a finely-tuned process.
“I like to try to tell a bit of a story,” the Kingfisha frontman says. “I also like the listener to have their own interpretation of the story, so they can relate it to themselves.”
Everyday activities often prove to be the catalyst for Anthony and his songwriting endeavours. "Going for a walk, being with my kids, watching a movie, listening to other music, going to an art gallery, so yeah, it's like everything can inspire us.”
Anthony's introduction to the musical world began with a rather different medium. "I started singing when I was about ten in church choirs, and in high school. I met like-minded friends who loved music, so we started playing cover bands and it just sort of grew from there, and I was the one who could sing, so I got to sing Pearl Jam and Tool [covers] and stuff like that."
Reggae has always been a niche genre, but Brisbane has had a strong association with the scene, particularly in the cultural hub of West End. "I think it has been growing in Australia for probably ten years, with bands like John Butler and Soviet Reggae, [and The] Beautiful Girls at the forefront of it, and a lot of festivals are really keen to [book] reggae bands on their line-ups now, whereas maybe ten years ago it was more rock and roll."
Anthony's love for reggae is sadly not shared by his nine-year-old daughter. "We'll put on reggae or Afrobeat in the car, she's like ‘this is giving me a headache’. She loves music, but it's, like, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus and stuff. I really don't mind because she loves music. When I was nine years old I don't think I had the best taste in music, looking back. So as long as she loves music, I'm happy to put up with it.”
Written by Justin Smareglia
Kingfisha Tour Dates
>The New Globe Theatre, Brisbane, Dec 20The Workers Club, Melbourne, Dec 21
Woodford Folk Festival, December 27
Cootown Ball, Coolum Civic Centre w/ Chepa Fakes, NYE
