Someone who gives himself the title of king should surely live up to it. While this 18-year-old ginger kid from the United Kingdom doesn’t look the part — with his gangly body and skater-prep look — his unique sound and unusual approach to story-telling through rare, awkward, and sometimes weird visuals could soon build him a bigger fan base.
Archy Marshall, also known as King Krule, first drew industry attention at 16 for his speak-sing style. Through a baritone drawl — an unexpectedly deep, strong voice issuing from a bony and delicate frame — Krule’s songs tell stories of his youth with a maturity that is rare for his age.
“There was a time and place / that was alive in faith / but just as time to pray is to eliminate the afraid to participate in this play / Well, I guess I stayed too long,” sings Krule in 2012’s “Octopus”.
Krule is a leader in a new era of music-making marked by a lack of structure in both words and visuals. His audience is forced to pay close attention in order to to figure out what Krule is saying, because his lyrics aren’t always clear from his loud jaunts and soft endings. His videos are similarly enigmatic, featuring slow, sweeping camera movements following him through often lonely and haunting settings.
With an eloquence and an old-soul confidence lifting him a level above other acts of his generation, Krule has fans coming back for more: his recent single, “Easy Easy”, has marked 160,000 YouTube views since being uploaded in early July. His debut album, 6 Feet Beneath The Moon is scheduled for release on August 24, 2013 (Krule’s 19th birthday); a North American tour starts in New York in September. See more: http://kingkrule.co.uk