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Greetings from Bradenton.
Whereas most kids fight against their hometown and think the grass is greener outside of where they grew up, the four guys in We The Kings embrace their upbringing, showing all sorts of love for Bradenton, Florida on their self-titled debut disc.
Ranging in ages from 19-22, the alternative pop-rock band is named after King Middle School where all four band members attended -- in fact, two are brothers, three of the guys went to elementary school together and some played on the same sports teams when younger. Songs such as "Skyway Avenue," "August Is Over" and "This Is Our Town" speak directly to Bradenton locales and the culture of the resort community. Guitarist Hunter Thomsen even proudly sports a tattoo of the Sunshine State on his chest.
"We really just wanted to reflect on how much our hometown means to us, how it sculpted us and, even beyond the band, how long we've all been together," says singer/guitarist/songwriter Travis Clark.
Bradenton is a coastal resort town, with an influx of tourists every summer. That means the guys have grown up constantly starting new friendships and relationships that change with the season. The sentiment rings strongly within the catchy hooks of "August Is Over." "It's about Fall starting and people leaving to go back to school or home. We make friends and meet girls who we hang out with over the summer and then realize that you have to quickly say goodbye because they have to go home," says Clark.
As the guys brought their blend of Jimmy Eat World energy with Third Eye Blind pop sensibilities on tour, they would run through their phone list of Bradenton visitors and catch up with old friends. They reached as far as the West Coast with bands such as Say Anything, The Hush Sound and Anberlin and joined in on the Bamboozle 2007 festival.
While still unsigned, We The Kings' songs took top spots on Purevolume charts. In 2007, the band inked a deal with S-Curve Records and went into the studio to create their debut, produced by S*A*M and Sluggo (Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship) and mixed by Lou Giordano (Plain White T's, Taking Back Sunday) and Tom Lord-Alge (Fall Out Boy, Blink-182).
Time in the studio gelled the band's already energetic and tight sound. Instantly addictive tracks such as "Whoa," "Check Yes Juliet" and "Stay Young" brim with youthful vibrancy and enthusiasm, clocking in at short and sweet three-minute bursts.
"We wanted every track on the record to be the strongest it could be. And for us, that means you get in, make your point and get out," says Clark. "We also really wanted the record to represent the kids that we are. We're uplifting, we love to have a good time and we love music."
But that doesn't mean the songs are lacking substance. "Skyway Avenue" uses one of Bradenton's most famous sights -- the Sunshine Skyway Bridge -- as the foundation for taking the biggest leap of all. "It's a metaphor about taking the ultimate chance for a relationship or a friendship," says Clark. "If you jump, I'll jump with you. It means it will be forever."
The album's closer is the only ballad on the debut. A sweet piano and Clark's vocals swell into a glorious anthem that serves as the ultimate love letter to We The Kings' home with "This Is Our Town." In it, Clark refers to Bradenton by its historic name Bradentown. "The town has always been there for us, so I wanted to really give it the love it deserved," says Clark. "It's such an emotional song for us, we felt that it was big enough to be the only ballad on the record."
It's a sweet cap to the guys' journey so far, which is really just beginning. With their history and pride in their pockets, Travis, Hunter, Drew and Danny are more ready than ever to bring a little bit of Bradenton good times to the rest of the county.
"This is a fun record, but we also wanted to make it as timeless as we could. It's hard to think in 20 or 30 years what songs people are going to remember from this time. We aimed to make those kinds of songs," says Clark. "I guess in 20 years we'll know if we did it."
