NORTH KINGSLEY: Release Official Music Video for Die for the Pic

August 14, 2020 Eric Peterson Brutal News, Press Releases Comments Off

RELEASE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR

DIE FOR THE PIC

Watch Here

FIRST 3 TRACK COLLECTION

VOL. 1

Out Now

Listen Here

“North Kingsley embodies the socially charged and visceral energy of trio Shavo Odadjian, producer Saro Paparian, and lyricist Ray Hawthorne. Together they’ve embarked on a sonic journey that molds the aggression of rap, trap, rock, and metal, but with a modern edge.” – Forbes

Friday, August 14th, 2020 – NORTH KINGSLEY, the recently announced musical collective of bassist/guitarist, Shavo Odadjian, producer, Saro Paparian and lyricist/vocalist Ray Hawthorne, have released their first 3 track collection, VOL. 1, out today on 22 Red Media , a subsidiary of Odadjian’s lifestyle and cannabis brand, 22 Red.

VOL. 1 features the hard hitting, previously released debut track, Like That? and two brand new tracks – rabble rousing protest anthem, Shot Guns and biting critique of the hypocrisy of the current social media landscape, Die For The Pic, for which NORTH KINGSLEY have released an official music video today, watch here or by clicking on the below image.

North Kingsley - Die For The Pic [Official Music Video]

Speaking on the latest track/visuals to be released by NORTH KINGSLEY, vocalist and lyricist Ray Hawthorne explains

“Die for the Pic is a statement on modern hypocrisy. The masses are tending to follow popular trends without taking the time to analyze what’s actually going on. People often agree with whatever they are told the correct way to think is, and then post about it online, in an effort to be perceived well by their peers. In my experience, most of these people don’t even take the time to look into why they believe what they’re demanding others believe. It’s a cycle.”

Adding to this, producer Saro Paparian says

“Die for the Pic is a really unique production compared to our other tracks. The goal was to establish a minimalist setting while still experimenting with how elements fit in the mix. It’s really bare bones- and that allows for this wide open space where Shavo’s guitar work pushes and pulls against Ray’s lyrics. My bandmates are sparring on an open stage- it’s beautiful.

“I’m very proud of that fact that Shavo and I could find a place to leverage a bit of our people’s history and culture in our tracks. “Die For The Pic” has vocal samples cut from an a capella of a song from Palu, a village in Western Armenia. Means a lot personally since my great-grandfather was born in Palu….We almost lost those songs- it’s almost by sheer luck that it not only survived but that it found a place in North Kingsley’s music.”

NORTH KINGSLEY

VOL. 1

TRACK LISTING

1 Die For The Pic

2 Like That?

3 Shot Guns

The dawn of NORTH KINGSLEY is a challenge to the very system itself. The way music is released, distributed and marketed is all being approached in a unique and creative way relevant to today’s world and showcases a determination to revolutionize arcane structures. Instead of a full album release, NORTH KINGSLEY will be releasing miniature volumes of 3 tracks every few months, the first of which, VOL. 1, dropped today and can be found here. Speaking on this decision, Shavo says

“We’re giving you songs you can marinade on, instead of 12 songs all at once. There’s going to be a clip for every song, something visually for you to vibe on. I directed videos for System, I do stage production visuals for the band so that’s important to me. Saro has an incredible eye for creating new things visually and I act almost how a producer would on that and we are going to drop merch with every release, so it’s more than just music.”

When Shavo began experimental studio sessions with producer Saro Paparian and New Jersey lyricist Ray Hawthorne, he had no idea that it would turn into anything more than a creative outlet to jam with like minded musicians. The result was a genre-bending mix of deep, cinematic instrumentals and thought provoking, socially charged words.

Capitalizing on a musical legacy that includes musical collaborations with the likes of funk master George Clinton, spiritual hip-hop guru RZA and legendary production accomplice Rick Rubin, Odadjian’s sonic blueprint for his new project takes in everything from crisp and hard trap beats to gritty rock flavors.

In 2018, Odadjian came to Paparian, who provided him with an education in the latest, cutting edge studio techniques. As an Armenian-American raised on everything from SOAD to surf rock, Paparian took that base principal and spent years around the underground Los Angeles hip-hop community, going to club nights where people would manufacture beats and he and Ray would lose themselves for hours as often as they could.

Ray Hawthorne, the final component to join the inner workings of North Kingsley, is a longtime associate of Paparian. Armed with knowledge of today’s political, social and entertainment landscapes and showcasing a lyrical dexterity that can take him anywhere from Hemmingway to animation and scholars to psychopaths, nothing is off limits when it comes to how he communicates his ideas.

With a razor sharp approach to both the creative and business output of the project, NORTH KINGSLEY is a socially conscious, creative force shaped by the modern age. Drawing on a multitude of cultural, visual and political influences, they aim to create a musical movement that is both rooted in what’s come before, but that focuses on creating what’s next.

Keep it locked for news on NORTH KINGSLEY Vol. 2 soon to follow.