CAROUSEL KINGS – AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID ALEXANDER
David Alexander is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the well respected group, Carousel Kings. Alongside multi-instrumentalist Will Barovick, the band is an indie standard. CK began its career in Lancaster, PA as a pop punk band circa 2008. The band released two full length albums on local indie label CI Records and toured relentlessly before signing to Victory Records and releasing Charm City in 2017 and Plus Ultra in 2019. The band completed multiple US tours including two runs on the legendary Vans Warped Tour and played alongside contemporaries like Taking Back Sunday, Rise Against and Less Than Jake.
They recently released their new single entitled “Memory Kitty Chord” with a collab with AJ Perdomo (Dangerous Summer). This single is leading up to their independent full length release titled Untitled Mixtape that was co-written, produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak at Atrium Audio, in Lancaster, PA.
“Memory Kitty Chord” is a fabulous mid tempo rocker with emo stylings. Alexander’s vocals are vibrant and full of edgy textures. Its brazen flow easily captures the listener with its buoyant cadence and dynamic instrumentation. Everything fits perfectly.
David Alexander sat down with AMP to discuss the new single and what’s next for the Carousel Kings.
AMP: What got you into music?
DAVID: I guess I got real heavy into music when I twelve or thirteen. That’s when I got my first electric guitar and I taught myself how to play. I learned by following along to songs by bands like Blink-182, White Stripes and Green Day. That’s when it all began.
AMP: Your new single, “Memory Kitty Chord”, is quite compelling. What is the impetus behind the song?
DAVID: So, “Memory Kitty Chord” was created from a demo I had using a chord progression app. Then, lyrically, I borrowed some words from my late farther. He wrote poetry in the 70’s and 80’s when he attended college. After he passed I was given his poetry book. The first stanza of the song is his words. I built the song around what he had written. It was cool having that collab even though he’s not around anymore.
AMP: You have a new album coming out early next year. Do you feel it’s an evolution in musical from your previous material?
DAVID: I think slightly. It’s a natural progression. We try to branch out by doing more collabs. The previous album we weren’t allowed to name the talent we collaborated with because Victory Records thought it would be cleaner looking not to advertise the other artists on the tracks. Untitled Mixtape is a bit of an evolution but there is enough stuff in there for to keep our older fans satisfied.
AMP: Untitled Mixtape is being co-written and produced by Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak at Atrium Audio. How is that experience for you?
DAVID: It is awesome. I’ve known these guys for a really long time. Grant was the first person to ever produce the Carousel Kings. That has to be more than a decade ago. He also played in bands in the area. That’s how we intertwined. Our interaction with Carson is the same. It feels very familiar being around these two. It’s very comfortable. We are just hanging out and creating some natural sounding music.
AMP: How has the internet impacted your music?
DAVID: The internet is pretty insane. Just being able to go to the Spotify For Artists app and seeing all the listeners in all these countries we never played before is amazing. We are able to reach out to fans from all over the world. Many of these people we will never meet. The internet is an incredible tool. We have to thank it for our continued success due to the fact that we are not a regular touring band. It has broadened our reach.
AMP: Carousel Kings has collaborated with a multitude of A list artists. Is there a dream collaborator you would love to work with?
DAVID: I have a bunch of people I would love to collab with. Anyone form Blink-182, Fall Out Boy and Eminem! It would be fun just to pick Eminem’s brain and see what kind of lyric content he would come up with. I would say anyone would good vibes but those would be my top three.
AMP: A similar question. If you could support any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
DAVID: I always loved Queen. It would be so cool having the Carousel Kings opening for the legendary Queen. It would be so much fun. We could dress up in Queen style attire. It would be a blast.
AMP: What’s the one question you always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?
DAVID: The question I’m tired of answering is how the band’s name came about because it’s really not cool. I just sat around a computer and thought of a lot of names. Then I just picked one out of a hat. The other part of your question is a good one! I’ve never been asked that before. I really don’t know. I guess it would be what’s my biggest influence and why I do what I do. The answer is, because I am ruled by the feeling inside me that make me create. I feel that is my life’s purpose.
AMP: What’s next for the Carousel Kings?
DAVID: More songs, more collabs. We have a single a month coming out till February. By then the album will be ready. We are also launching a merch store.
AMP: Any plans for touring?
DAVID: Not yet. We don’t have any solid offers but we will consider any gig on an one to one basis.
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To learn more about Carousel Kings, check out their website
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