Kingsley Flood "Try" video

Kingsley Flood "Cavalry" lyric video

WASHINGTON POST FEATURE TO SPOTLIGHT KINGSLEY FLOOD AS BAND’S MOST PERSONAL ALBUM TO DATE EARNS RAVES

The Washington Post is planning a profile on Kingsley Flood to run Friday and new album 'Another Other,' written by Palestinian-American frontman Naseem Khuri about his powerful and sometimes contradictory experiences. Rave reviews are coming in for the Newport Folk Fest alums' first full-length since 2013. Kingsley Flood will perform next at the Sinclair in Cambridge, MA November 18 and at Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. November 19. Here’s what we’re reading:

“Acute, razor-sharp tales.”
– Cady Siregar, Stereogum, November 17, 2015

“Ripping… tangle with American identity.”
- Luke O’Neil, Bullet Media, August 16, 2016

“One of those bands that matter… it’s music with something important to say, like the Clash, all backed with a hard-charging folk-inflected rock sound.”
- Pop Matters, October 14, 2016

"A triumphant sound."
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose, October 7, 2016

“Exhilarating… Potent lyrical punch.”
- Glide Mag, September 28, 2016

“Much more than just a boisterous barroom rocker.”
- Chris Palermino, MySpace Music, October 4, 2016

“So good… Every turn comes with something special: a ’70s punk crescendo, a bit of Britpop, a dusty, Western country melody.”
- Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, October 28, 2016

“The band’s best… rocks hard while tackling tough questions about what it means to be an American… as with all of Kingsley Flood’s work, it’s an energy with a purpose.”
- Pete Chianca, Gatehouse Media, November 4, 2016

“Can’t-miss.”
- Mark Zaretsky, New Haven Register, October 21, 2016

Kingsley Flood "To The Wolves" music video

Kingsley Flood album teaser

KINGSLEY FLOOD – 'ANOTHER OTHER'

For much of his childhood growing up in suburban Boston, Naseem Khuri didn't even realize he was Palestinian. Though his name was a little unusual and his family's Thanksgiving dinner came with a side of hummus, he always thought of himself as a privileged American kid. It was only later that he learned that his mother and father had both been born in Palestine and fled to Lebanon as children; only later that he started to notice walls going up and suspicious glances being cast his way at bars and in airports; only later that he found people considered him—a Massachusetts native—"Middle Eastern," with all the implicit bias and baggage those two words entail; only later that he realized he'd never truly be seen as a "regular" American, despite this country being the only home he'd ever known.

That tension - between growing up comfortably in a nice suburb and existing on the margins as an ‘other’ - lies at the heart of 'Another Other'—the new album from Kingsley Flood, the rollicking, literate, five-piece rock and roll band Khuri fronts—and sets the stage for an exploration of identity and race and class that plays out over thirteen exhilarating tracks.

"What makes you belong somewhere in the first place?" Khuri muses over a beer in Washington, D.C., where he's lived for the past few years with his wife, a speechwriter for President Obama. "At the end of the day, I'm American. The only Arabic words I know are foods and swears. It's just that much more jarring to somehow always be labeled 'an other' when you don't even see yourself that way."

That kind of questioning has pushed Khuri to tackle big-picture issues with his music ever since the band released their debut album, 'Dust Windows,' in 2010. Upon that record's release, NPR raved, "Take some rough and raw vocals akin to Tom Waits, mix in heavy doses of Bob Dylan, add melodies that send you back to a bygone era and push you forward with rock 'n' roll urgency, and you get Kingsley Flood." The band followed it up with a 2011 EP, 'Colder Still,' and a 2013 full-length, 'Battles,' which earned them a main stage spot at the iconic Newport Folk Festival and widespread critical acclaim, including love everywhere from Rolling Stone and Esquire to Paste and American Songwriter. They broke out from their native Boston, where they were championed by both the Globe and the Herald, and hit the road for national touring, sharing bills with Grace Potter, Lucius, Langhorne Slim, Angus and Julia Stone, Brett Dennen, and more along the way.

When the dust had settled and it was time to head back into the studio in 2015, the band decided to take an unusual approach. Rather than record a single batch of songs in one long session for an album, they'd hit the studio every few months to record smaller collections of EPs, resulting in a steady stream of new music throughout the year for their fans and a solid framework for a new full-length LP to follow. In order to fund the approach, they launched a successful, year-long PledgeMusic campaign, in which their fans could act as patrons and enable the band to take the time they needed to hone in on the ever-evolving sound that would become 'Another Other.'

"We've always been an independent band, and as far as the model for how a band survives these days goes, it's just the Wild West," says Khuri with a laugh. "We know we have very dedicated fans, so we wanted to create a model in which they could play an active role in helping to create the kind of art that they wanted to enjoy for a sustained amount of time. And we wanted to give them the ability to interact with us in a personal way and nurture that connection, which is really important to us."

The resulting album is the band's finest work to date, blending the energy of The Clash with Springsteen's keen eye for the experiences of those living on the margins of society. Produced by Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies, Portugal. The Man), 'Another Other' draws its roots from Khuri's childhood memories and works its way to the present.

"When I was in high school and escaped my nice suburb to venture into Boston," he remembers, "I was always warned not to go past this one particular bridge, which cleanly separated two very different parts of town. I began to understand that 'It’s not safe there' actually meant 'They're not like us.' Later, when I was living in Boston, I'd spend many nights in that exact neighborhood I'd been warned about, sleeping on a friend's porch on hot summer nights and marveling at the hypocrisy of it all. On the one hand, I came from an affluent suburb and enjoyed a life of privilege. On the other hand, I was still seen as 'an other' because of my name and heritage. I felt like I fit in both places and neither place at the same time."

Khuri sets that context with album opener “The Bridge,” which centers on that suburban boundary he had been warned not to cross as a child and grapples with the fear of unintentionally perpetuating the same social divisions he grew up with. It sets the stage for what's to come, laying out a vision of a modern American society still sharply divided along lines of race and class. On songs like "Cavalry" and "To The Wolves," which plays like a 21st century answer to "Fortunate Son," Khuri examines why change is so hard to come by, while unflinchingly implicating himself and other good-intentioned souls for maintaining the status quo in the punk-leaning "On My Mind," which features stand-out slide work from guitarist George Hall.

"I thought of that tune after being stuck at a red light in Cambridge and seeing a guy begging for money," remembers Khuri. "Here I was, comfortable in my car, feeling bad for the guy but not actually rolling down my window to help. I had to put a mirror up to my 'armchair activism' because I was going on stage talking all sorts of talk about trying to change the world. What’s any of it worth if I’m not willing to roll down my window?"

The question of what responsibilities those with privilege owe to those without turns up throughout the album. Keyboardist/horn player Chris Barrett's jazz-noir trumpet line hints at Khuri's barely suppressed revulsion on "Tricks," a song inspired by the political ladder-climbing and empty lip-service he witnessed after relocating from Boston to DC, while the sweeping, string-led "Thick Of It" (the album features fiddle contributions throughout from Eva Walsh and Jenée Morgan Force) looks at the ways personal comfort can reduce our investment in activism. "Good Old Wind" is an infectious, fiddle-led rocker that was inspired by a bigoted convenience shop owner in a changing neighborhood from Khuri's youth. Perhaps the album's musical and emotional centerpiece, though, is the title track, a "Guns Of Brixton"-esque earworm propelled by a deep groove from bassist Nick Balkin and drummer Travis Richter.

"I had this complexity growing up because I could look white, but I also knew I wasn't totally white," says Khuri. "'Another Other' came out of a night at a bar when some news about a terrorist bombing came on TV, and the people I was with put it together that my heritage is from that part of the world. A wall was put up in the blink of an eye. I wasn't doing anything differently, but suddenly I was cast as 'an other.’ I grew up thinking I had the power to define my own identity, and suddenly I didn't.”

Ultimately, 'Another Other' doesn’t offer any easy answers, but it does reflect on some basic truths. Change is hard to come by on a broader level because it's hard to come by on a personal level. Those with power and wealth are often more invested in preserving those elements for themselves than divvying them up amongst others. Racism and classism aren't inborn instincts, but rather learned biases. It's easier to fear differences than search for commonalities.

By the end of the album, though, one thing is certain: in Kingsley Flood's America, to be 'Another Other' is a badge of honor. It's the hallmark of those courageous enough to embrace their heritage and the ways it contributes to the fabric of a society that was itself founded by men and women considered to be others. As Khuri sings in the final verse of the title track, 'Thank God I'm not the same."

- Anthony D’Amato

GRAMMY-WINNING PRODUCER PAUL KOLDERIE PROPELS KINGSLEY FLOOD’S SOUND FORWARD ON NEW ‘ANOTHER OTHER’ (OCTOBER 14)

Kingsley Flood – the Newport Folk Fest alums – have propelled their sound forward on new album ‘Another Other’ (October 14) with the help of GRAMMY-winning producer Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, The Pixies, Joe Jackson, Portugal. The Man., Dinosaur Jr.). Kolderie said, “I love this band and I had a blast making this record. Great songs, great people, and we had a lot of fun making it. I think that comes through in the recording. Plus we got to work in an old Masonic temple with shadowy Egyptian gods on the wall.”

Frontman Naseem Khuri recalls, “One of the best traits of Kolderie is his demeanor; he can stay calm through a warzone. He saw us all duking it out over the timing of a trumpet solo, and using very few words, resolved it. He just said quietly, ‘hold on,’ turned around, messed with the board, and played both tracks on top of each other, a few bars apart. [Keyboardist and trumpet player] Chris [Barrett] then did a real take of that second part, and we had our solo with dueling trumpets.” He also suggested layering three different fuzz bass textures on “To The Wolves.” Bassist Nick Balkin adds, “It always a heavy song, but he made it crushingly heavy.”

Kingsley Flood Fall Tour Dates

October 21 – New Haven, CT – Café Nine
October 28 – Gloucester, MA – Rhumb Line
October 29 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
November 18 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
November 19 – Washington, DC – Rock N Roll Hotel

Kingsley Flood 2016 artwork

Credit: Michael D. Spencer

Credit: Michael D. Spencer

NEWPORT FOLK FEST ALUMS KINGSLEY FLOOD TACKLES RACE, CLASS, & IDENTITY ON NEW LP 'ANOTHER OTHER,' DUE OUT OCTOBER 14

 

 

 

BULLET SHARES FIRST TRACK “THE BRIDGE” AS EAST COAST TOUR PLANNED FOR FALL

 

Rollicking, literate, five-piece rock and roll band Kingsley Flood offers up a brilliant and thought-provoking musical exploration of identity, race, and class on their new album, Another Other, due out October 14.

 

Another Other explores a confusing reality faced by frontman Naseem Khuri; on one hand, he comes from privilege having grown up in a nice Massachusetts suburb. On the other, as a Palestinian-American, he is an ‘other’ with a funny name and a first generation American experience. Shifting effortlessly between the political and the personal, Another Other examines privilege, responsibility, activism, and our capacity for change with deft musicianship and subtle scene-setting.

 

Produced by Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies, Portugal. The Man), the record marks the band's finest work to date, blending their “signature high energy” (Rolling Stone) with songwriting “soaked with raw emotion” (Stereogum). Another Other, much like their performances, is urgent, sweaty, vivid rock & roll with everything-on-the-line.

 

Listen to the brand new track “The Bridge,” which Bullet Media calls "ripping."

 

For much of his childhood growing up in suburban Boston, Naseem Khuri didn't even realize he was Palestinian; he always thought of himself as a regular American kid. It was only later that he learned that his mother and father had both been born in Palestine and fled to Lebanon as children; only later that he started to notice walls going up and suspicious glances being cast his way at bars and in airports; only later that he found people considered him—a Massachusetts native—"Middle Eastern," with all the implicit bias and baggage those two words entail; only later that he realized he'd never truly be seen as a "regular" American, despite this country being the only home he'd ever known.

 

"What makes you belong somewhere in the first place?" Khuri muses. "I had this complexity growing up because I could look white, but I also knew I wasn't totally white. Another Other came out of a night at a bar when some news about a terrorist bombing came on TV, and the people I was with put it together that my heritage is from that part of the world. A wall was put up in the blink of an eye. I wasn't doing anything differently, but suddenly I was cast as 'an other.’ I grew up thinking I had the power to define my own identity, and suddenly I didn't.”

 

2013 full-length, 'Battles,' which earned them a main stage spot at the iconic Newport Folk Festival (which was podcast by NPR Music) and widespread critical acclaim, including love everywhere from Rolling Stone and Esquire to Paste and American Songwriter. The band subsequently hit the road for national touring, sharing bills with Grace Potter, Lucius, Langhorne Slim, Railroad Earth, Angus and Julia Stone, Brett Dennen, and more along the way.

 

Fall album release tour dates listed below; additional dates to be added.

 

October 21 – New Haven, CT – Café Nine

October 28 – Gloucester, MA – Rhumb Line

October 29 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

November 18 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair

November 19 – Washington, DC – Rock N Roll Hotel

Kingsley Flood 'Another Other' album teaser

Kingsley Flood 'The Good Fight' Artwork

 credit: Michael D. Spencer, click for high res version

The Good Fight cover art, click for high res version

KINGSLEY FLOOD ANNOUNCES LARGEST HEADLINING SHOWS TO DATE, NOVEMBER 20 EP ‘THE GOOD FIGHT’

Following a packed and sweaty set at Americana Fest, Kingsley Flood is capping off its ambitious and productive year with its largest capacity NYC and DC shows to date and a third EP release with ‘The Good Fight’ out November 20. The three EPs total thirteen songs released in 2015 and the band is also preparing for a 2016 full-length release.

Bandleader Naseem Khuri continues to explore themes of individual and societal change in our cities, and his own tendencies to talk a big game and take little action; ‘The Good Fight’ deepens that exploration, narrowing the focus on the band’s hometowns of Boston and Washington, DC and pushing the band to some of its most epic music to date.” Driven by tremolo’d guitar, the title track examines Khuri’s reluctant acceptance of an evolving city and its gentrification. “We ought to get mad, we ought to save our souls, but the new guy’s got what I need.”  He doesn’t let up on “On My Mind,” crying outrage at injustice while shouting “I can write a check from this couch and yet I can’t reach my pen.” The spaghetti western guitar line of “Change You” introduces sharply observed stories from a Boston bar Khuri visited all too often, where the regulars talk about their big plans and leave it at that. The store owner at the center of the anthemic, alt.country “Good Old Wind” rejects the “new wind blowing” into the town where Khuri grew up near Boston.

Kingsley Flood has earned widespread praise:

“Foot-stomping folk rock and their signature high energy.” – Rolling Stone

“Kingsley Flood is the kind of hard-rocking folk-punk band that makes you want to dance with the person standing next to you and then punch them in the face. In a totally good way.” - Esquire

"Great live show." – NPR

Kingsley Flood Fall Tour Dates

November 20 – Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
November 21 – Brooklyn, NY – Rough Trade
December 3 – New Haven, CT - Café Nine
December 4 – Washington, D.C. – U Street Music Hall
December 5 – Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle
December 17 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl (with Bombadil)
December 18 – Charlotte, NC – Evening Muse (with Bombadil)
December 19 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle (with Bombadil)

‘The Good Fight’ EP Track List

1. Good Old Wind
2. Change You
3. On My Mind
4. The Good Fight

Kingsley Flood bios

KINGSLEY FLOOD SHORTER BIO

Kingsley Flood is a Boston and Washington, DC - based sextet with a "Billy Bragg-like folk-punk sound" (Washington Post).  They have played the main stage at the Newport Folk Festival, have been featured on the History Channel, opened for Josh Ritter, Grace Potter, Lucius, Langhorne Slim and have been been covered by NPR, New York Times, Esquire Magazine, Wall Street Journal, American Songwriter, among others.  This year they have released two EPs and are releasing a third this fall. 

KINGSLEY FLOOD LONGER BIO

With “signature high energy” (Rolling Stone) and a live show that “could thrill Folsom Prison in ‘58 or CBGB in ‘76” (Boston Herald), Boston and Washington D.C.-based Kingsley Flood began 2015 with lofty goals: release three EPs.  The ambitious volume of output recognizes that the music business has changed and moved on from the era of the traditional album cycle. It also represents a shift in leader Naseem Khuri’s songwriting, channeling his personal journey as a Palestinian-American trying hard to do good and repeatedly coming up short.

Since their breakout set opening the Newport Folk Festival in 2013, Kingsley Flood has opened tour dates for Lucius and Josh Ritter; earned raves from AV Club, Paste, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NY Times; played a session for Esquire; and premiered a video with NPR Music.

To The Wolves continues songwriter Naseem Khuri’s obsession with stagnation in our lives, and exploring why things don’t change.  While January’s To The Fire EP chronicles his own experience as a wide-eyed son of immigrants wanting to change the world, To The Wolves suggests greater change is harder when we can’t even change ourselves.  

The title track looks at the big dreams and small circumstances of an outsider on the inside. "Blind" finds him back home plotting an escape, but this too is a dream that never manages to leave his bedroom. "All Night Dynamite" asks just how much choice we have in our choices, a theme carried over to "Salt of the Sea," where a child sees in his own path a mirror of his father's.

To The Wolves continues Kingsley Flood's ongoing collaboration with producer Paul Kolderie (Pixies, Radiohead, Morphine) and 1867 Recording Studio, the onetime Masonic temple in Chelsea, MA where To the Fire was created. The results showcase the band's signature and wide-ranging dynamics, from the scorched-earth guitar riff anchoring the title track to the contrasting plaintive violin and hard rock release of the deceptively upbeat “Blind,” the frenetic punk drive of “All Night Dynamite” and the pensive intimacy of “Salt of the Sea.”

To The Wolves follows January’s To The Fire, which earned praise from NPR’s World Café, the Wall Street Journal, Relix, PopMatters, the Boston Globe, and more. After a run of sold-out shows in early 2015, the History Channel featured their track “Waiting On The River to Rise” in an ad for a new series “Mississippi Men,” triggering close to 200,000 plays on Spotify and YouTube.

KINGSLEY FLOOD TO RELEASE SECOND OF THREE 2015 ALBUMS WITH JULY 17 ‘TO THE WOLVES’ EP

ACCLAIMED BOSTON AND DC-BASED “FOLK-PUNK” SIX-PIECE
CONTINUES COLLABORATION WITH PAUL KOLDERIE

PLAYING NASHVILLE’S AMERICANA FEST IN SEPTEMBER

The Boston and Washington, DC-based six-piece Kingsley Flood celebrates the mid-point of an ambitious year with the July 17 release of the four-song EP To The Wolves. Building on the band’s “Billy Bragg-like folk-punk sound” (Washington Post), To The Wolves follows January’s highly acclaimed EP To The Fire, and anticipates the band's full-length release, due this fall.

To The Wolves continues songwriter Naseem Khuri’s obsession with stagnation in our lives, and exploring why things don’t change.  While To The Fire chronicles his own experience as a wide-eyed first generation Palestinian American wanting to change the world, To The Wolves suggests greater change is harder when we can’t even change ourselves.

The title track looks at the big dreams and small circumstances of an outsider on the inside. "Blind" finds him back home plotting an escape, but this too is a dream that never manages to leave his bedroom. "All Night Dynamite" asks just how much choice we have in our choices, a theme carried over to "Salt of the Sea," where a child sees in his own path a mirror of his father's.

To The Wolves continues Kingsley Flood's ongoing collaboration with producer Paul Kolderie (Pixies, Radiohead, Morphine) and 1867 Recording Studio, the onetime Masonic temple in Chelsea, MA where To the Fire was created. The results showcase the band's signature and wide-ranging dynamics, from the scorched-earth guitar riff anchoring the title track to the contrasting plaintive violin and hard rock release of the deceptively upbeat “Blind,” the frenetic punk drive of “All Night Dynamite” and the pensive intimacy of “Salt of the Sea.”

To The Wolves follows January’s To The Fire, which earned praise from NPR’s World Café, the Wall Street Journal, Relix, PopMatters, the Boston Globe, and more. After a run of sold-out shows in early 2015, the History Channel featured their track “Waiting On The River to Rise” in an ad for a new series “Mississippi Men,” triggering close to 200,000 plays on Spotify and YouTube.

ABOUT KINGSLEY FLOOD & TOUR DATES

Kingsley Flood is a six-piece band from Boston and Washington, DC. Its songs have been featured in Rolling Stone, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Paste, American Songwriter and Esquire.  The band has played the main stage at the Newport Folk Festival, and won three Boston Music Awards, including Album of the Year (Battles).  The Boston Herald calls it “the best live band in Boston” and “a Rolling Thunder revue with a punk rock sneer.”

Kingsley Flood will take its “signature high energy” (Rolling Stone) on the road this fall, including as a featured artist at September’s Americana Music Conference in Nashville, which also features Lee Ann Womack, Los Lobos and Patty Griffin. Tour dates available at: http://kingsleyflood.com/shows/

PRESS ON TO THE FIRE EP

"It cannot be overstated how difficult it is to do what Kingsley Flood makes look so effortless: create the kind of music that is both instantly likeable and rewarding of deep scrutiny.” - WBUR

"a big, thick, glossy glob of pop and roll” - Relix

"sharp, shiny, and supremely catchy.” - Boston Globe

" If you’re looking for something to raise your spirits, this might just do the trick.” - JamBase

"Autumnal and evocative, the track is ripe for a powerful live performance.” - PopMatters (song premiere)

"an up-tempo jam with a propulsive beat and a punk-rock attitude, laced with a catchy chorus full of 'ooohs.’” - Wall Street Journal (song premiere)

NPR “NEXT” BAND KINGSLEY FLOOD RELEASES NEW EP, 'INSPIRED' (PASTE) ELLIE GOULDING COVER, THIS WEEK

NPR “NEXT” BAND KINGSLEY FLOOD RELEASES NEW EP, 'INSPIRED' (PASTE) ELLIE GOULDING COVER, THIS WEEK

KF SET TO PLAY NYC AND BOSTON IN JANUARY

Kingsley Flood’s ‘To The Fire’ EP is out this week and signals the kickoff of “the year of the Flood” (Boston Herald). Produced by Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, Speedy Ortiz, The Pixies), the EP is only the first of three planned recordings for 2015. NPR World Café named the indie rock act one of its “Next” artists last month: http://www.npr.org/blogs/world-cafe/2014/12/22/371919093/world-cafe-next-kingsley-flood

Kingsley Flood played sold out shows in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, PA last weekend and has its song “Waiting on the River To Rise” featured in a new History Channel national ad campaign.

Check out an embeddable version of the band’s “inspired” (Paste Magazine) cover of Ellie Goulding’s “Anything Could Happen” here.

Kingsley Flood will perform at Mercury Lounge in NYC this Friday and at the Sinclair in Cambridge, MA on January 30.

“[‘Set Me Off’ is] an up-tempo jam with a propulsive beat and a punk-rock attitude.” – Wall Street Journal

“Poised to take on 2015 with some serious momentum.” –Pop Matters

“Back at full energy.” – Washington City Paper

“Raucous folk-rock wrapped in a swanky indie shell, stadium rock for the small-room set, the return of one of America’s next great bands.” – Chunky Glasses

"You gotta see these guys live" - Boston Globe

"One of the greatest live acts going." - Boston Herald

"The lively rock ‘n’ roll of ‘Set Me Off’ is a powerful opening salvo" – The Swollen Fox

“The group succeeds in spinning influences of folk, punk, Americana and rock music into catchy, thoughtful songs you can both dance to and sing along with.” – Glide

Upcoming Tour Dates:

January 16: Mercury Lounge, New York, NY, tickets
January 17: Stone Church, Newmarket, NH, tickets
January 30: The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA, tickets
To The Fire Track List
1.     Set Me Off
2.     All In All
3.     Thick Of It
4.     Anything Could Happen
5.     Cavalry

KINGSLEY FLOOD SET TO UNLEASH 2015 DOWNPOUR OF NEW MUSIC: EP ‘TO THE FIRE’ OUT JANUARY 13, FOLLOWED BY SUMMER EP, FALL LP, VIDEOS, TOURING, ETC.

NPR WORLD CAFÉ TO FEATURE BAND AS “NEXT” ARTISTS WEEK OF DECEMBER 22

NEWPORT FOLK FEST MAIN STAGE ’13 SET LAUNCHED BAND TO NAT’L RECOGNITION

Kingsley Flood will be unleashing a deluge of music throughout 2015, including the January 13th EP ‘To The Fire,’ a summer EP, a fall full-length album, multiple music videos, and a rigorous touring schedule. The ambitious volume of output from the Boston and DC-based six-piece recognizes that the music business has changed and moved on from the era of the traditional album cycle. It also represents a shift in leader Naseem Khuri’s songwriting, channeling his personal journey as the son of Palestinian immigrants struggling to make change.

Since their breakout set opening the Newport Folk Festival in 2013, Kingsley Flood has opened tour dates for Lucius and Josh Ritter; earned raves from AV Club, Paste, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NY Times; played a session for Esquire; and premiered a video with NPR Music.

For ‘To The Fire,’ the fast-rising band partnered with producer Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, The Pixies, Speedy Ortiz) and crystallized the musical traits that help it stand out: the horn/violin combination that alternates between epic orchestral sweep and lush, low-key ambience, electric guitars that move from melodic arpeggios to howling feedback, an ever-expanding palette of keyboard textures and a versatile rhythm section, all topped off by Khuri’s raspy, desperate lead vocals.

On To The Fire, Khuri turns the focus inward, shifting from the chronicles of failed American dreams depicted on previous release (and Boston Music Awards Album of the Year) Battles, to his own struggle as a wanna-be do-gooder struggling to change the world around him.  Shaped by his Palestinian-American heritage and his hard-working immigrant parents, he spent his twenties working for organizations focused on conflict and inequality, in the Middle East and in his own backyard. The songs showcase both biting ambition and a reckoning that change is hard to come by.

To The Fire begins to explore that evolution.  “All In All” sets a danceable beat to the voice of political leaders in Khuri’s adopted home of Washington who leave their own behind on the way up.

“Set Me Off” may be the hardest-rocking Kingsley Flood song to date and one of its catchiest. The leftfield Ellie Goulding cover “Anything Could Happen” is reinvented as an indie rock song with hints of desperation. The Beatles-influenced “Thick of It” reality-checks that burning desire to change the world. The piano-based “Cavalry” fights complacency with the need to feel alive with Randy Newman-esque detail.

But like everything from Kingsley Flood, it’s the energy, dynamics, and musicianship that give life to Khuri’s reflections. From intricate arrangements and inspired lyricism to flashes of punk, the band behind To The Fire still delivers an experience that Paste Magazine said “is rapidly making an impression nationally [with its] rowdy on-stage anthems."

Upcoming Tour Dates:

January 9: Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
January 10: Boot and Saddle, Philadelphia, PA
January 16: Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
January 17: Stone Church, Newmarket, NH
January 30: The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA

‘To The Fire’ Track List
1.     Set Me Off
2.     All In All
3.     Thick Of It
4.     Anything Could Happen
5.     Cavalry

Of the band’s Newport Folk set, Rolling Stone said, "Kingsley Flood kicked off the main stage, shirking the rain with puddle-splashing, foot-stomping folk rock and their signature high energy."

Kingsley Flood "All In All" From 'To The Fire' EP

Kingsley Flood artwork

FOR YEAR-END CONSIDERATION: KINGSLEY FLOOD'S 'BATTLES'

KINGSLEY FLOOD CAPS BREAKOUT YEAR WITH OPENING SLOT FOR LUCIUS THIS WEEK

With coverage in the NY Times, Esquire, and NPR, Kingsley Flood has had a breakout year and their album 'Battles' ranks among the year's best:

"Best new music." - Metro New York

"...2013 ought to be the Year of The Flood" - Boston.com

"...best albums of 2013? ['Battles'] will be at the top of our list." - HearYa

Here's a recap of a remarkable 2013 for Kingsley Flood:

+ Main stage set at Newport Folk Festival streamed by NPR Music.

Rolling Stone's James Joiner said, "Kingsley Flood kicked off the main stage, shirking the rain with puddle-splashing, foot-stomping folk rock and their signature high energy."

Billboard's Devon Maloney wrote, "Special props ought to be given to a pre-rain, fest-opening set by energetic Boston mainstays Kingsley Flood."

American Songwriter's Sean Maloney testified, "We had never heard these guys before but we were gobsmacked – GOBSMACKED – by the Boston band’s soulful, folk rockin’ shimmy on the Fort Stage.

+ NPR Music premiere of "Sigh a While" music video.

+ NY Times calls "Sun Gonna Lemme Shine" video "awesome."

+ Esquire posts session.

+ Paste posts session.

+ Opening slots for Josh Ritter.

+ A slot on the Hot Stove Cool Music show in Boston January 11 alongside Joan Osborne, The Baseball Project, members of Buffalo Tom and Belly, and baseball industry greats Peter Gammons and Theo Epstein.

+ Current tour supporting Lucius:

Dec 03, 2013 - Pearl Street Ballroom - Northampton, MA
Dec 04, 2013 - Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME
Dec 06, 2013 - World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA
Dec 07, 2013 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY

Nick Loss-Eaton Media at CMJ Music Marathon 2013

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15

11:30pm Tuesday – Joe Fletcher – Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen St, Manhattan (at E Houston)

Fast-rising Americana songwriter Joe Fletcher has played Newport Folk Festival and Americana Festival. Fletcher, whose sound swirls blues, outlaw country, and gritty Americana influences, made his Newport debut last year. He has also opened for Jason Isbell, Deer Tick, The Low Anthem, John Doe, and Lucero and recorded with John McCauley (Deer Tick). Vanity Fair recently ran a Q&A with Fletcher and McCauley: http://vimeo.com/35865561

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17

7pm – John Murry – Windish Showcase - Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston Street, Manhattan (at Essex)

John Murry -- the Bay Area-based second cousin of William Faulkner's who makes incredible Southern indie-noir music – is touring in October opening for Shuggie Otis. It cements his status as a national act in 2013: NPR "World Café Next" artist and a "breakout" (NPR Here & Now); sold out UK shows; 5-star reviews in the Guardian and MOJO; playing festivals in the UK and California; a Weir Here taping curated by Bob Weir; raves from MTV Hive, Black Book, Wall Street Journal, Esquire, Daytrotter, American Songwriter, San Jose Mercury, and Baeble Music; and signing with Windish Agency. He will also tape NPR's Beale Street Caravan performance show during a headlining performance in his former hometown of Memphis, TN, October 5. It'll be his third NPR taping of the year: https://vimeo.com/62649246

10pm – John Murry – Official Showcase - Littlefield, 622 Degraw St, Brooklyn (between 3^rd and 4^th Aves)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

4:40pm – Kingsley Flood - BuzzChips/My Free Concert Showcase - the Living Room, 154 Ludlow St, Manhattan (at Stanton)

Kingsley Flood – the band whose Newport set grabbed the attention of NPR Music, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Paste – are having a breakout year. Drawing comparisons to The Replacements, Deer Tick, Lucero, Wilco, and the Clash, the band's six members tore up the stage in a misting rain, with lead singer Naseem Khuri ripping at his guitar while Jenée Morgan Force alternated between violin and saxophone, forming an impromptu horn section with keyboardist Chris Barrett picking up the trumpet. NPR Music streamed the set: http://www.npr.org/event/music/203664120/kingsley-flood-live-in-concert-newport-folk-2013

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

3pm – Kingsley Flood - RSL Outlaw Roadshow - Bowery Electric, 327 Bowery, Manhattan (between E 2^nd and E 3^rd Sts)

3pm – John Murry - Listen Dammit Blog / Nick Loss-Eaton Media / Highline Records CMJ Day Party at Skinny Dennis, 152 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn (at Berry). RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/648420281849904/?ref=br_tf

3:45pm – Wry Climate - Listen Dammit Blog / Nick Loss-Eaton Media / Highline Records CMJ Day Party at Skinny Dennis, 152 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn (at Berry)

NY indie rock/shoegave band Wry Climate has been compared to Sonic Youth, Lotus Plaza, Pavement, MBV, Dirty Projectors, Real Estate, and Deerhunter, combining jangly electric guitars with amp feedback and digital delay noise effects. Based in Brooklyn and Purchase, NY, Wry Climate is the project of Dan Nelson and friends: http://wryclimate.bandcamp.com/

5:15pm – Kingsley Flood - Listen Dammit Blog / Nick Loss-Eaton Media / Highline Records CMJ Day Party at Skinny Dennis, 152 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn (at Berry)

9pm – Kingsley Flood – Baeble Music CMJ Party - 186 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn (at N 7^th)

For more information on Joe Fletcher, Kingsley Flood, John Murry, and Wry Climate, please contact Nick Loss-Eaton at nick.losseaton@gmail.com or 718.541.1130.

http://nicklosseaton.blogspot