Foxton Kings’ Oakford frontman excited for future on eve of new single

FOXTON Kings frontman Joel Stevens knew it was a cliche, but the honesty in his voice was palpable when he said his band is stronger than ever.

The alt-rockers are gearing up to officially release their new single Mookaite on August 25, which heralds a progression in the band’s bluesy rock and roll style.

Vocalist Stevens said the track showed the band’s growth over the past few years and he was excited by their future.

“It’s matured, Andrew Lawson from the Basement studios is a great producer and very good to work with, he helped our sound to be expressed,” he said.

“It’s just the band growing; you listen to any band who drop their first-ever release (and) if you listen to them two or three years later, it sounds a bit more refined, like they’re finding their way a bit more.”

The Oakford resident said the band’s varying music tastes helped shape their sound and strengthened the song.

“Personally, I listen to CW Stoneking, a lot of old blues like Howling Wolf, but then on the other hand, our drummer is right into hip-hop,” he said.

“Our bassist is all over the new-age stuff like Holy Holy and Band of Skulls, while our guitarist is into (progressive) bands like We Lost the Sea and Tangled Thoughts.”

While Foxton King’s music recalls the likes of Jack White and Royal Blood, Stevens admitted it was a challenge to find a balance between a fresh new sound and a throwback to past eras.

“I’m caught in the middle – I like to have the produced new sound, but when you’re using old-school techniques and old-school vibe, that’s where you have that new vintage era style we’re trying to create,” he said.

“That middle ground we’re trying to create is where people can still digest our stuff, but it has that quirk to it.”

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