Kings of None release new CD

Editor’s Note: Band member Dave Byrnes is the son of Dickie Byrnes and nephew of Margeurite and Phil Larocque of Rainy River.

By Duane Hicks
Fort Frances Times

Call it the “Return of the Kings.”
After spending more than a year-and-a-half of hard work in the studio, Fort Frances band “Kings of None” have just released their second album, “Red Eyed Angel,” and are more focused than ever on making their mark on the region’s music scene.
The band just received the CD back from the manufacturer two weeks ago, and members are now eager to get it into as many hands as possible.
“It was a long time in the making, over a year-and-a-half in the studio, critiquing each other, and it’s nice to get it out there,” said Dave Byrnes (vocals, guitar), who comprises “Kings of None” along with Tyler Gagne (lead guitar), Ted DeBenetti (bass), and Todd “Wrolly” Wrolstad (drums/percussion).
“It’s a load off us,” sighed DeBenetti.
The band released their self-titled CD back in 2007. But unlike the initial effort, which came together piecemeal as band members each brought songs to the table, DeBenetti said “Red Eyed Angel” represents a true collaboration.
“This one was more of a group effort,” agreed Byrnes. “We’re all together on it. Some of us write more than others, but at the end of the day, it’s ‘Kings of None.’
“We’re all a group, and at the end of the day, that’s the way we’d like to keep it,” he stressed.
Byrnes said the new songs also are better tailored to his vocal range, and overall have a more modern feel.
The band’s songs tend to be about “love, loss, and life,” noted Byrnes, and these are reflected in the album’s 10 tracks, ranging from the catchy opener, “Better,” which laments how the world “is not a better place,” to slower, reflective songs like “2nd Chances” and “Thank-You” to hard-rocking numbers like “Longest Day” and “What If.”
All songs on “Red Eyed Angel” were written, performed, and produced by the band.
It was recorded using the band’s own custom-built control room and recording studio (located at DeBenetti’s business, A Buck or Two), with Wrolstad, who went to college for music production and recording engineering, at the helm.
The end result is a crisp, professional sound which perfectly balances vocals, rhythm guitar, drums, and bass while Gagne’s lead guitar weaves in and around each song, taking turns both incendiary and sublime, and taking centre stage when it so demands.
With all of the band members in their 30s, families and jobs take up much of their time. But Byrnes noted the bandmates make an effort to spend an average of two-three hours a week practising, writing, and recording.
“I think our time away is time enjoyed by every one of us,” he remarked. “If you really enjoy something, you make time.
“Some people make time to go out and do a round of golf that’s four hours,” he reasoned. “We make a commitment to each other to spend two hours a week, sometimes more, and it’s our time away, our thing that we enjoy doing.”
In addition to working on the album, the band has built up a fan base over time thanks to social networking site MySpace and video site YouTube.
Byrnes said their site—www.myspace.com/kingsofnonecanada—features tracks from both of the band’s albums, as well as music videos. And collectively through MySpace and YouTube, they’ve garnered more than 30,000 views.
DeBenetti and Byrnes agreed the reach of the Internet has allowed them to get exposure they wouldn’t have been able to get years ago.
“Being online, you can reach the world from anywhere now,” said Byrnes, adding it compensates for the geographical isolation of being based in Northwestern Ontario.
“Red Eyed Angel” is available now at A Buck or Two in Fort Frances, as well as from any of the band members. It also will be sold at all of their live gigs, and by this summer will be available for download on iTunes.
The band’s self-titled first album also is available on iTunes.