Palace Of The King are a blues and soul–infused, psychedelic rock & roll band from Melbourne.
The band - featuring Tim Henwood (vocals and guitar), Sean Johnston (keys and guitar), Travis Dragani (drums) and Anthony Licciardi Garcia (bass) - will embark on their fourth tour of Europe next month to support the release of their forthcoming album ‘Get Right With Your Maker’, which will be released next week (23 March).
This is the band's third full-length album and fifth release overall. However, it’s more of a coming of age album with their debut single ‘It’s Been A Long Time Coming’ letting everyone know that the lads are back.
We had an email chat with Tim ahead of the album's release.
‘Get Right With Your Maker’ will be released this month; can you give us an inside of what the album is about?
[Tim] The album is an emotional roller coaster. A lot has happened during the writing and recording process and it has all become part of the piece of art that is 'Get Right With Your Maker'. I'm very proud of it and feel like it's our coming of age [release].
What went behind creating this album?
The thing we did differently on this album from the others was that we took more time to really bath in new ideas and sit with things before deciding 'it's done'. This was largely due to the fact that we were on the road so much that we had to fit recording in around touring.
So the extra time between sessions enabled us to really get inside what we were trying to achieve with each piece.
You guys have released two incredible leading tracks off the album ‘I Am The Storm’ and ‘It’s Been A Long Time Coming’ setting the tone for one hell of a rock record. What went behind choosing these two singles to be released first?
We love all the songs, but as with any band everyone has their favourites.
'It's Been A Long Time Coming' and 'I Am The Storm', however, were the two songs we all agreed on. Coming out of the blocks with a straight-up rocker like '…Long Time' and then making our intentions clear with '…Storm' feels right.
The album was recorded in multiple sessions around your touring commitments; did this provide more inspiration for the album?
It worked great. I feel it gave the material more depth being able to bring more external experiences to the table from between [writing] sessions; it always helps with lyric inspiration.
You signed with independent record label Golden Robot Records. What was the reason behind that move?
We liked the attitude of the people at GRR, so we thought we'd give them a go.
You guys average 100 shows a year, which is amazing. How do you guys find the energy/ commitment to practically be on the road all year 'round?
The energy comes from the performance. It feeds us. We love it.
You guys believe in the old-school work ethic of the old-school rock bands; what classic rock bands do you look to for inspiration when touring?
The '70s hard-rock bands had to work hard to win fans and build an audience without mainstream media support and they did exactly that by playing live, kicking arse and winning people over one gig at a time.
The way I look at it, things are pretty much the same these days. You can either sit at home and complain about how hard it is or get off your arse and do something proactive and play shows. Just like AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Kiss Aerosmith, The Angels.
You guys have toured extensively around the world; care to share which country you believe have the craziest fans?
Spain and France go NUTS!
You’ve been compared to rock legends such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath; how does that make you guys feel?
Honoured and humbled. But it also makes me strive for a time when we won't be compared to other bands, but only thought about as our own, distinctive entity. These things take time as we grow and develop.
You will tour Europe soon; do you have plans to tour Australia this year?
Absolutely. We are in discussions currently for three Australian tours in the second half of 2018 and more in 2019, but nothing can be confirmed yet. We love playing live so there will be shows for sure.
Is there a country you have yet to tour that you would love to embark on next?
I would love to tour Japan. Hopefully that will happen on this album.
