Biografia
Justin King is an American musician from Eugene, Oregon, best recognized for his percussive acoustic guitar style which consists of a variety of influences ranging from jazz to Celtic music. Currently, King focuses on performing rock music with his band.
Background and early musical projects:
Born on June 12, 1980 in Eugene, Oregon, King comes from a family well known in the wine business under the King Estate name. King attended O'Hara Catholic School from the first grade through the eighth grade. He later attended Marist High School before attending Oak Hill Academy, a school started by his father, Ed King. Inspired by Nirvana, he began playing guitar around age 14 and wrote and performed songs with his current bassist, Drew Dresman. After mastering the drums, King began to focus on acoustic guitar at age 19, and in 1999 he released his self-titled album, followed by Opening in 2000. Both are currently out-of-print, and King currently has no intent to reissue these albums.
Le Bleu and beyond:
In 2001, King released Le Bleu, which was a mostly instrumental album featuring only one track with vocals ("Ashes"). It dramatically showcased his skills on acoustic instruments, and although the album was independently released, it would receive critical acclaim. However, the biggest boon to his music career was the release of live videos on the Internet. The first, and most famous, was a clip of the credits from a documentary on Jean Larrivée guitars. In it, King plays an energetic, fast-paced version of "Phunkdified," which served to introduce younger, web-savvy players to King's unique playing style. His live performance of "Knock on Wood" at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene introduced the notorious double-neck acoustic guitar.
Following the release of Le Bleu, King began several new projects including an electronic remix of Le Bleu by the Raging Family, and another instrumental project with Carlos Vamos and Michael Manring. His primary focus, however, was a songwriting-based rock album. He assembled a new band with longtime friends Ehren Ebbage (lead guitar) and Drew Desman (bass). In 2005, drummer James West, uncomfortable playing in a rock band, departed and was replaced by Los Angeles native and delinquent Berkeley Physics PhD student Nadir Jeevanjee. King's endeavor in rock music also features a return to playing piano on several songs. Justin's latest music maintains his complex musical style despite acquiring a more mainstream sound.
While King had traveled worldwide during his solo years, he embarked on long U.S.-only tour to promote his new music. He toured constantly for over a year, and a lack of Internet updates caused some fans to wonder what had happened to him. In the summer of 2005, King announced that he had been picked up by Epic Records, and that the band's major-label debut was to be released summer 2006.
Sony BMG/Epic Records battle:
On March 20, 2007, Justin King and his band, after a long struggle, ended their contract with Sony BMG/Epic Records. The band felt that the label took away a considerable amount of freedom in deciding how the music should sound, as well as showing little interest in King's musical ambitions. The band released a five-song EP, Fall/Rise, in spring 2007 before resuming touring, which included several performances in South Korea. The band's debut album, Justin King And The Apologies, was released on September 28, 2007.
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