Following on from last year’s singles Money, Money, and Burn, Perth’s Foxton Kings have added yet another smouldering rock song to their arsenal with the beautifully swampy Gold . Full of rhythmic swagger, Gold is taken from the band’s brand new EP With Love and oozes confidence as it delivers a banquet of meaty riffs and catchy melodies. Honing the turbulent, all-consuming emotion of being in a relationship gone wrong, the track is the most personal to date for vocalist Joel Stevens.
“Gold was written while I was involved in a toxic relationship. I felt that I had to suppress my own ego in order for us to co-exist. Dumbing down the ego should be an enlightening and humbling experience, but I was hoping for some reciprocation and I could only be patient for so long. Once I reached my threshold, my ego gave out…Ultimately, it captures the resentment I felt towards a relationship that went sour, and the liberating feeling of breaking free of it.”
Produced by guru engineer Andy Lawson, With Love shows off an impressive variety of sounds and influences, yet still feels like every song belongs to the same band. Opening track Roundhouse is based around a recurring feature of Foxton Kings: an irresistible groove. Over this they build a pyre of driving riffs dripping in dirty blues, and wave after wave of vocal hooks.
But it is the unique personality of each song that really gives With Love its power. Full of yearning and desire, Burn pays homage to the age-old ache of unrequited romance… a song written for lonely lovers everywhere. Conversely, Money Money is overflowing with charisma – a force that appears again in the aforementioned Gold. Closing the EP, Miyagi is playfully aggressive and gritty, yet intelligent and agile. Changing beats and feel on a dime, Miyagi shows how deep Foxton Kings’ bag of tricks goes – exploring its own vast musical universe.
The combination of Joel Stevens, Chris Mackenzie, Daniel Rose and Alex Barker, both in writing and performance, is their biggest asset, and reveals itself in everything they do. Aptly named, With Love captures this chemistry and wraps it in the immense energy of the band’s live sound. Bringing pop sensibilities to stirring rock songs without diluting them, Foxton Kings have meticulously created an EP that they’ll be showcasing around the country this month and beyond to make 2019 their biggest year yet.
Foxton Kings ‘With Love’ EP Launch Tour
Friday March 15 – Lucy’s Love Shack, Perth
w/ Legs Electric, Joan & The Giants, Grace Sanders (fb event)
Wednesday March 27 – Ric’s Bar, Brisbane
w/ Whisky Grinn (fb event)
Thursday March 28 – Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney
w/ The Underground Youth (fb event)
Friday March 29 – Stag & Hunter, Newcastle
w/ Ruby Tuesdays (fb event)
Saturday March 30 – Last Chance Rock N’ Roll Bar, Melbourne
w/ Riff Raiders (fb event)
