We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyle King and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kyle, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think some risk is necessary in any endeavor if you want to be successful. You have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone, and to some degree, push your audience outside of theirs so that you stand out. With both The Tomb Tones and in my personal career, I’ve found the biggest payoffs are usually after I’ve taken a strategic leap of faith. I tend to be a preparer and planner, so that I can pivot my approach but arrive at a desirable end-goal. Having your goals written down is necessary – look at them often! It’s also OK to fail. Everyone does at some point. If you never allow yourself the chance to fail, you’ll never have the opportunity to score a home run, either.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think two things really affected my view on songwriting: one being Joey Ramone’s lyric in Rock and Roll Radio, “We need change, we need it fast, before rock’s just part of the past,” and the other being a fascination with older novelty rock – Screaming Lord Sutch, Grandpa Jones, Ray Stevens, Bobby Pickett – and wondering what happened to that style of comedy-rock. I began playing with the idea that I could combine all these things I liked – 80’s punk rhythm, rockabilly twang, Halloween and B-movie horror, satire, novelty rock – and imagined the idea for My Girlfriend’s A Zombie, which became the first real Tomb Tones song I wrote. I showed it to the guys a few weeks later and they pressed on me to develop the idea into a full band.
By the time The Tomb Tones started, I’d all but given up on the idea of ever getting a band off the ground. For every band you see on a local stage, there are probably a thousand that never made it out of the basement or garage. This time was different, we were so inspired by the idea, and while combining these ideas wasn’t necessarily *new* – the Misfits and Cramps had done it decades ago – we felt like our spin was unique and a little more wholesome. Kind of a punk rock Buddy Holly meets the Twilight Zone type thing. Early on, I called them for a band meeting and we wrote a 10-step plan for How To Get Out Of The Basement And Onto A Stage. Looking back, I think that was essential. We started making moves to get where we wanted, and every time we’ve wanted to make a new move forward, it has started with a game plan on paper first.
We’re 8 years into this journey with two albums that we’ve produced DIY, and while we’re very much a “small band,” we’ve had some incredible opportunities: playing Dragon Con multiple times, opening for acts that were on our inspiration board like the Living Deads and the Nekromantix, being played on international radio stations and added to compilations with artists we look up to. But my absolute favorite part is meeting people who tell me how much they love our songs. We’ve met many fans who are really special and mean a lot to us.
There are a few things I’d recommend to any up-and-coming musician: Network like crazy. Be respectful but don’t be a doormat. Be unashamedly yourself. Don’t try to do what everyone else is doing. Analyze the music, art, and media that you love and why you love them, then put those distilled ideas in a blender and see what happens. Study music and media outside your comfort zone. Don’t hold specific ideas too close to the heart. Treat every situation as a learning opportunity, and don’t be envious of others’ success. Don’t put being an “influencer” before being an artist. Focus on yourself and whatever it is that you want to create, put yourself out there and be humble, and the right people will find you.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, that’s a fun question! I’d have to take them to My Parent’s Basement in Avondale, one of my absolute favorite spots, as well as Outrun Brewing in Stone Mountain. For entertainment, Star Bar in Little Five. If the time of year was right, I’d definitely want to take them to Netherworld and Oakland Cemetery as well, and the Little 5 Halloween Parade!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The Tomb Tones wouldn’t exist without the support of my bandmates, Brent and Jesse. They encouraged me to step outside my own comfort zone when I was just playing with song lyrics, and turn them into fully fledged songs – and eventually, two albums (so far!). Also Melissa and Nikki, and our dear friend and family circle that has cheered us along the entire way: Cara Caravan, Katie, Liz, Greg, Angel, Connor, Megan, Gillian and Rikki, Joey.. amongst many others. I’d also like to thank the Star Community Bar for being fantastic champions of the Atlanta music and arts scene, especially Dusty Booze, Amy Mumma, and Bryan Malone, and giving us a place to do our thing! And a few of our fans that have been such avid supporters over the years, and have become good friends – Shannon, Jason, Joe, Krissy, Quinn, Kevin, Anna, Caitlin, La, Dan; appreciate you all!
Website: https://www.thetombtones.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetombtones
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetombtones
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrhK6obPfgJmQmCaKryl3zw
Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3zDxGsgMtzVD5MKmxqoZty?si=JGd6yOlcSoKjJEN7YUkeyQ
Image Credits
Melissa King (photos)