KING SANS
PHOTO CREDIT: REASE PHOTOGRAPHY
1. Hello and welcome! Would you please introduce yourself and what you do in the band?
"Hello I'm Iz and I do drums and vocals for King Sans" - Iz
"I'm Jake, I play both guitar and bass depending on the song, and also do vocals!" - Jake
2. There are many ways to be sonically abrasive, and you chose this one. Why?
"I think that the noise we create, the screaming and screeching, is a cathartic experience. It's a release of feeling, whatever that may be. Plus it's fun." - Iz
"I think our brand of abrasion blends melody with the chaos, similar to a lot of the themes we touch on with the album. It's a sonic assault, but it's also something you can move to, or get entranced in." - Jake
3. Talk to us about the duo’s origin story and influences.
"Iz and I were originally in a different band, and when that ended up falling apart, King Sans was the natural progression; we picked it up immediately. While we originally thought of getting up another member, at this point, I feel like that would lose the character of what King Sans is. We take influence from a lot of other two pieces (Death From Above 1979, '68, Mr. Phylzzz, Off Season) but we never try to limit ourselves to one sound. Through that, I feel our own voice is truly able to come through." - Jake
"We've been through a lot of ups and downs and testing what works and what doesn't. We toured for the very first time together in 2023 and haven't stopped since. We still have more to learn and create, but Jake and I have so much fun together throughout the whole process. Being a two-piece is amazing; not only for the convenience of touring, but you really get to know another artist deeply. I feel so in-sync performing with them, and like we create an amazing energy." - Iz
4. Your debut LP Sell the Cow is coming out August 21st via Dipterid Records. Can you give us a little taste of its contents?
"It's a concept album of sorts, all flowing through the state of the world, modern greed, and the search for humanity in it all. It's mostly punky mayhem, but there's some curveballs in there that I really love." - Jake
"The album has an overarching theme of seeking community. Seeking togetherness through anger and sadness and whatever people feel about the state of things. I think the album flows really nicely from upbeat and manic to some more subdued and melodic moments." - Iz
5. How important is community to you?
"Community is everything. Not only the music community, but our neighbors and friends. The mutual trust of a community to take care of one another is so important." - Iz
"Community is where it all starts. It's how you get the first couple people to come see your music, even if it starts as just your friends. It's where ideas are flowing and people are actually interested in what one another are doing." - Jake
6. What was the writing and recording process like for Sell the Cow?
"The writing and recording process was wild, it took place over the coarse of a few years. We were still transitioning into a two-piece act and figuring out our sound. We had the pleasure of collaborating with some of the most dedicated and talented people throughout the process, and it's awesome that everyone who worked with us understood what we were going for and helped make that goal happen. Recording is one of my favorite things to do." - Iz
"Definitely a rollercoaster of a process. I think overall, we recorded the 11 tracks in four different studios. We were figuring out ourselves during the period, both personally, sonically, and even with how we wanted to record. With Paul Bennett and Nich Svoboda, they were both really open to us experimenting, and I think that really helped create a unique studio sound for the band while still capturing our frantic live shows." - Jake
7. What was it that drew you to underground/alternative music in the first place? Who were your gateway bands or artists?
"My music taste has always been all over the place, I listened to tons of generic, alternative (though not very underground) music in middle and high school. I only really got to experience the alternative/underground scene when I moved to Chicago. Jake actually introduced me to the scene. It's one of the most supportive communities and I love being part of it, people create the most amazing art. My first show was a 'Mr.Phylzzz/NightFreak' show at a house venue and they were some of the first local bands to get me invested." - Iz
"I've always been drawn to the underground, even if it was originally from those who escaped it. In middle and high school, like everyone else, I was really into Nirvana, but specifically really got into finding bootlegs of their old shows before they blew up. There was something so raw and enticing to that world that I wanted to be part of. Some of my first vinyl records I ever bought were The Stooges and Dead Kennedys and I longed to do it that way, the messy and real way. I love being part of a scene of people doing the exact same thing, each in their own way" - Jake
8. What, in your view, are both the best and worst aspects of the music industry today?
"I think the best thing about the industry is the small community of people who care so deeply about what they do. We have people who have reached out to help us release physical forms of our album because they believe in the project and like the sound. It's incredible and we're so lucky to have that. Without amazing people such as Kevin (Dipterid Records), and others of our community we couldn't have done nearly as much. As for the worst aspects of the industry, on a much larger scale, there are so many major streaming services that don't care about the artists, and A.I. music sucks. Support your local scene." - Iz
9. If you had one musical superpower you don’t currently possess, what would it be and why?
"I think it would be awesome if I played drums and could just make effects happen to the beat. Other than that I really wish I knew how to play the cello." - Iz
"I'd want to transport an audience to a nether-realm, one where they are simply surrounded by the music and fully engulfed in what is going on. Or maybe like teleportation but it sounds like windchimes whenever I do it. That counts as musical right?" - Jake
10. Thanks so much for the interview! Any last words for the readers?
"Thank you! I hope people give Sell The Cow a listen. Support your local artists and businesses, and look out for your community. King Sans loves you." - Iz
"Exactly what she said!" - Jake
The interviewer, after selling the cow.