Workhorse Kings
Chicago, Illinois, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
06.17.10 - "...their first CD which they have just finished in the recording studio called Carousel...it's a full bodied production...incredibly smoking blues sound...", Tim Lamping, Homegrown Tones show on KAT 105.5 - Tim Lamping, Homegrown Tones Show, KAT 105.5
Discography
Carousel - July 10, 2010
Photos
Bio
What makes a Workhorse Kings song? Blues inflected riffs, brilliant keyboards and a penchant for soulful wordplay. Front man Dan Dougherty professes that “my songs can’t live on artifice. They come from themes I can talk about.” He sticks with what he likes; romances gone wrong, characters who have been on both sides of a beating, the games that everyone plays, whether they like it or not.
The band’s debut album Carousel is filled with conflicted relationships, as is evidenced in the brutally honest opener Let Me In or the eviscerating admonition of No One Fights You Like a Man. “The lyrics are strong because of Dan’s major life experiences and he’s not bashful about expressing those emotions,” adds drummer Kevin Dougherty. “Dan brings the song idea and we all sit like little kids in class waiting for the teacher to read the book.”
But the songs would never reach their zenith without the unique energy of the full band. That energy comes from Kevin, who relentlessly pummels his drums with the finesse of a raging beast toying with its prey. It comes from Anthony Bartkowiak slapping down a bass line with the soul of battered bluesman, and Marco Pellillo’s inspired keyboard work. And it’s Dan, ever the performer, sucking you in with his raw hooks and building you into that final frenzy that could dwarf even the bloodiest shark-infested waters.
It was that very combination of tight guitar riffs, smart lyrics, powerful rhythm section, and big keyboard sound that drew the attention of Bill McKay, who was searching for an artist to be the cornerstone of his new label - Hirsute Records. But it was the band’s passion and work ethic that sealed the deal. With Hirsute’s backing, WORKHORSE KINGS have produced their debut album Carousel, released July 10, 2010, featuring the sultry One and the Same and Latin-flavored Can’t Look Back. Given their prolific rate of music creation, that album will be followed closely by a sophomore effort. But in the meantime don’t miss Workhorse Kings at Midwest and coastal venues where they’ll give you a ride on the Carousel.
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