| Band name | The King of Mars |
| Location | Chicago, IL, USA |
| Founded in | 2006 |
| Sounds like | Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Revivalists, Stevie Wonder |
| First release | “Cookie Cutter Dreams” (EP, 2016) |
| Official site | http://www.thekingofmars.com |
| The Music Addict’s Verdict | Sounds like Stevie Wonder wandered into the wrong rehearsal space and jammed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Or something like that. |
How was the band formed?
I (John Bruner) have been writing songs for the last ten years. I met our lead guitar player, Matt Gordon, at Columbia College Chicago in a guitar class. He started writing parts to my songs and from there he introduced me to our bass player, JJ Frale. From there we started adding band members until we could barely fit on a stage anymore.
What’s your songwriting process like?
In terms of songwriting, I write the chord structure of the songs and finish the vocal melodies and lyrics. Then I take it to the rest of the band so they can fill in with their parts. After that, we send it to our horn arranger, Jason Deran, and he finishes it off by writing the horn parts..
What are your influences?
Two of my biggest influences are Father John Misty and Stevie Wonder. I take a lot of influence from Father John Misty for his songwriting and lyricism. I’m a huge fan of Stevie for his vocal chops and his horn arrangements.
How would you describe your music?
The best way to describe our music is to say Radiohead and Red Hot Chili Peppers had a sonic baby and added a horn section to it. We’re an alt-rock band that adds a lot of funk, jazz and punk elements.
What’s the one thing that makes you/your band stand out from the rest?
The biggest aspect of our band that makes us stand out from the rest is our musicianship. We have a group of 9 members and in my unbiased opinion, these are some of the best musicians I’ve ever heard. Our songs will blow you away with our musical chops, while also getting the melodies and lyrics stuck in your head.
What’s your latest release?
Our latest release came out in October 2018. It’s our second release called, Bleach and Aspirin. We’re immensely proud of this album and we’d love for you to hear it. Bleach and Aspirin is available on all streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
What are your touring plans for the next few months?
We’re playing at Bourbon on Division in Chicago on December 14th. Then we’ll head to Muskegon, MI to play Unruly Brewing. After we’ll be planning some more dates in major cities for the Spring/Summer. Be sure to like our Facebook page and follow our Instagram to keep up with all our updates!
He's also a regular contributor at the excellent news site Montreal Rampage
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