The Q continues to bring you our ongoing “Get To Know…” series to help you become more familiar with some of our premium Q network artists. This time around we have California rockers KingQueen for you. Comprised of five badass musicians carving out their own unique place in music while delivering scorcher live shows and irresistible rock and pop infused anthems, KingQueen have all the goods to set your streams ablaze. We love great music, and KingQueen delivers. So let’s dive in with Adam, Brandon, Ella, Ina and Jake and Get to Know…KingQueen!

What first got you into music?

Adam: My parents are both professional musicians so I grew up playing music

Ina: One of my cousins in Italy introduced me to Michael Jackson’s music. We spent all afternoon watching a bunch of his music videos. I was so little and had no musicians in the family but watching his music videos sparked something inside me. It was like “I don’t know what that is but whatever he’s doing is what I want to do.” The creativity in his music and music videos inspired me to create my own stuff.

Jake: Being introduced to music at a very young age I always loved tapping along to songs and mimicking the vocal or guitar riffs. It was just fun for me and it made me feel excited and good. Also my aunts introduced me to Latin and other kinds of really cool music at an early age. I also played my first gig when I was five on a djembe drum.

Ella: I got into music after getting my first guitar at the age of 12. The guitar was gifted to me by my mother who has always believed in me and my passion for music.

Brandon: Kind of a funny story… When I was in 2nd grade, my mom started dating a guy (who she eventually married) in a local band, who was also a radio DJ.  His band played Oldies/Motown hits and he had a saxophone player who was the coolest guy.  My mom and I attended almost all of his shows for the next few years.  I started learning the sax in 4th grade and I had asked the sax player in the band if he’d teach me how to play “Tequila” by the Champs.  He did (patiently) and it ended up being the first song I learned, not Hot Cross Buns or Mary Had a Little Lamb or some other kids song….”Tequila”!  I got the chance to hop on stage with the band (as a 4th grader who had just started playing) and perform “Tequila” with them and that adrenaline from performing got me hooked for life!!!

Are any of you from a musical or artistic family?

Ella: I grew up in a non-musical family. I know that my grand grandfather played the accordion, which we still have and my grandpa had a beautiful voice. But non of them were serious musicians as far as I know. I got influenced by music mainly myself. Somehow, I just always knew I wanted to play instruments, perform, and make music.

Brandon: Actually not at all!  My family is more of a sports family so I’m a bit of a black sheep in that regard!

Jake: My Mom’s side of the family is very musically talented. Most of them play piano, guitar, and sing. Some went to school for music. My dad also plays guitar.

Who are the artists that inspired you to make music?

Ina: Michael Jackson was the first one. But I’ve always been inspired by personalities and movements more than a super fan that buys all the albums. So Madonna, The Sounds, Joan Jett, GNR, Green Day and Johnny Cash.

Ella: Definitely, Amy Winehouse. Is that basic? haha maybe. But her talent seriously impacted me when I was young and her ability for her to perform no matter what and differently, every single time.

Jake: Paramore has definitely been a big influence for me as well as Ariana Grande. I also love various types of Funk, Jazz, fusion, and Latin music, but definitely artists like Led Zeppelin, Rush, Van Halen and Aerosmith had a big influence as well when I was younger. Van Halen being my favorite classic rock band.

Brandon: This has evolved over the years, as it should in my opinion.  I started out listening to Motown artists like Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and the Temptations thanks to my mom.  My dad on the other hand was a bit of a rock/metal head, so he introduced me to 3 doors down, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Tool.  As I went through school and college, I majored in music and so the majority of my inspiration came from Classical composers like Beethoven, Brahms, Stravinsky and Mahler as well as Jazz musicians like Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus.  As an adult I listen to everything from rap to afrobeat, funk & disco, pop to rock, classical to jazz, but as of lately I’ve been a bit of a “Tame Impala” bender.

Adam: Jimmy Hendrix Led Zeppelin Eric Clapton The Beatles

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

Brandon: As a band member for KingQueen, I bring my classical, Jazz and love of EDM into the songwriting process.  As the keyboardist, I know my main role is to create melodies and textures that not only fit within the sound the band is creating, but also not to take up too much sonic space to leave room for the guitar and vocals. With that being said, any time I have the chance to bust out a cool synth line or atmospheric strings to complete the soundscape for a song, I’m right in my element!

Ina: All of the KQ songs are so different but they are all melodic and catchy no matter the mood. I also have a Spotify page where I do collaborations like EDM and other styles of music. I don’t perform it though. It’s a different creative outlet for me.

Jake: I don’t really create much music, unless it’s with KingQueen. We mainly put out Pop Rock or Pop Punk kinda sounding music, but if I had my own project I would probably put out either Pop Punk or Funk Fusion type of stuff.

Ella: I am into a lot of types of music. I listen to a lot of like indie-pop, indie-jazz, anything that really makes you groove and has a great vibe to it. I make music that is mainly Lo-Fi hip hop. But what’s funny is that I usually just love performing and playing any kind of music that is just energetic and fun to play.

How would you describe your creative process and how you approach?

Ina: It just happens. Most of the times I’ll be be going to bed and a melody with lyrics fires off in my brain and I record it onto my voice memos on my phone. Then I play around with it on the piano and if it’s stuck in my head the day after then it makes it into the rehearsal room with the band and we build on it.

Jake: As I said before, I’m not much of a song writer. I mainly do freelance stuff and add drum parts to songs already written, but I usually either take inspiration from other drummers I’ve heard play the same genre and study the genre a little bit and take motifs that I know from the genre. Doing this I kinda get an idea of what I will play. Sometimes the parts I create are suggested by someone and I usually try my best to do exactly what they say. Sometimes I just feel the music and see where it’s taking me and come up with stuff on the spot. Most of the time, especially with KingQueen, I have freedom to do my thing. Also, I think it’s also really fun to hear drum ideas from non drummers. Whether it be someone singing the idea to me or hearing the ideas an artist might program on the reference track. Some cool parts can be created because people who play other instruments might think differently than me.

Brandon: It really depends…If it’s an original song from scratch it could be started a number of ways.  What typically happens with me is I’ll get a melody in my head, then I try to find the sound that matches that and build from there.  But sometimes the inspiration comes from the sound itself; if I find a cool sound on my keyboard or synthesizer, my mind gets flooded with so many melodic ideas it’s hard to tame!

Ella: I usually pick a song that I love. I decide that I want to create a song that is sorta with the same idea, vibe, or something alike. I take that as my main, basic, inspiration, sorta like my reference if I get lost or stuck. Every time I need it, it’s there to remind me, that is what I am going for. I study it a little bit and then I sit down and start creating my own version of the same idea, without sounding the same.

Who would be your dream artists to collaborate with?

Ina: YungBlud, Green Day or Joan Jett.

Ella: That’s a long list, from indie artists such as Tim Atlas to really big ones like Arianna Grande. But I am going to say that I would love to play for the Jonas Brothers one day haha.

Jake: Definitely Paramore!

Brandon: I’d love to collaborate with Tame Impala, because I love the way he infuses psychedelic rock elements with a dancy groove.  Or play keys for a band like A Day to Remember because of the way they combine melodic chorus vocals with screamo tones throughout anthemic songs.  But if you ask me, I’m waiting for the call to be Lady Gaga’s saxophone player! haha

Has your music style changed much since you first started creating music?

Brandon: Absolutely!  If I go back to things I’ve written years ago, I almost cringe…but it shows progress and improvement of the craft.  It’s all about elevating every time you put something out there.

Ina: It’s always changing slightly here and there because as a creator you are always trying new things and never fully done I think. But rock is in my heart and that’s the core.

Jake: Yes, I used to be mainly into classic rock. Now I find myself mainly playing Funk and Pop.

Ella: Oh yeah, big time. But the chore of it which is jazz probably hasn’t just kin

KingQueen’s latest release “It’s Raining” arrived on April 29, 2022

What are the kinds of venues you have performed in?

Ina: Anything from a street corner to main stages on Pride, The Troubadour, Palladium and American Music Awards… variety. And I appreciate them all.

Brandon: I’ve performed in almost all of the classic Hollywood venues like The Troubadour, The Whiskey a Go-Go, The Viper Room, etc. as well as many outdoor festivals around town and outside of Los Angeles.  I even had the honor of performing at the COLA awards at the Beverly Hilton.

Jake: Mainly smaller clubs and bars. It’s been fun with KingQueen cause I’ve gotten to play fairs and other bigger venues.

What are your favourite and least favourite types of venues?

Adam: Least favorite would be casinos. Favorite would be somewhere like the Roxy on sunset strip. Medium sized rock venue

Brandon: My favorite type of venue is ones that have GREAT sound!  Indoor, outdoor, I don’t really mind either way…as long as I can hear myself and the band sounds great, I’m happy!

Jake: My favorite venues are ones that have a good atmosphere and have good sound. My least favorite are places that have rude staff and horrible sound.

Ina: You know… one thing I have to say about that, it’s not about the venue it’s about the vibe. You can play a legendary venue and the vibe can be off and the sound can be meh…And then you can play at a underground basement and have the time of your life. SO I think my favorite is where we create a vibe and give and take with the audience and the sound guy isn’t drunk lol.

What is your favourite song to perform and why?

Ella: Roller Coaster, for sure. It’s just a really fun song to play and perform, everyone is dancing around and we’re all feeding of each other’s energy. I love it.

Brandon: “Remember me” cuz I love the way it gets the crowd going and we all get to yell “hey” together. It’s definitely a cheers-ing type song! Ina: It’s one of our newest songs which we will record and release later this year. We wrote this song “Burn This Motha” and it’s kind of a protest song. I love singing it. Feels like a lot of anger leaves my body haha.

Adam: Romantic. So 80’s!

Jake: All of them! But mainly either “Live it Up” cause I get to get funky or “Roller Coaster” cause it’s super catchy and has great drum parts.

Have you played any Pride festivals? What was the experience like??

Jake: I’ve played two. Phoenix Pride, and Out at the Fair. It was really fun! Especially Out at the Fair, being backstage with the drag queens was a blast.

Ina: Best thing on the planet. Growing up I didn’t have any representation anywhere until I was in high school and saw a music video by TaTu on MTV. SO being able to play Pride festivals and being able to be someones representation and being part of uplifting our community is extremely important to me. I want to raise awareness and spread positivity. I don’t want anyone to feel the way I felt growing up.

Brandon: Yes, I’ve performed at a few “Out at The Fair” events over the years, and it’s one of my favorite things.  I love that I get the chance to connect with my community more.  I’ve never felt more comfortable on stage knowing I’m among my people, if that makes sense.

Adam: Yes! So much fun and love the environment.

Do you follow a process or ritual before a performance to get rid of nerves or performance anxiety?

Jake: Yes, Have a beer and warm up while listening to a Paramore song.

Ina: I’m just quiet all day. I need it to be calm around me and I drink tons of water. I kind of go into a bubble. Like nothing exists. I know, I sound so fun lol.

Brandon: I’m usually not nervous before shows, but like over-hyped and excited so I usually have a drink or two to just bring me back to earth.

Ella: I usually just like to think of it as a rehearsal with a bunch of people looking. I used to get super nervous, but at the end of the day, people are there to see you and enjoy the music. That’s why it’s so important you are enjoying as well, and having fun.

Describe your worst performance. What did you learn from this experience?

Ina: My worst performance was when I had an important person from the music industry attend our show. I was so focused on impressing him that I forgot some of the lyrics to the songs and I didn’t connect with the audience as I usually do. I was really embarrassed after and disappointed with myself that I had let one person mattered so much to me I forgot to be in the moment and enjoy the night. I learned not to give a fudge ever again and to not give a person that much power. It’s just another opinion, either they like it or they don’t.

Ella: Definitely my worst performances are when I overthink or when I am too relaxed. I have to be in the perfect balanced of prepared and relaxed. It’s not horrible performance, it’s just not as great as I know it could be. It has happened to me a couple of times that I just blank completely for a few seconds. What I realized is that I always have to keep improving and never just settle just because I feel confident I can play something. Repetition is your best friend. And it’s okay not to mess up sometimes, or not to know everything, because that means that there is always room for improvement.

Adam: I was playing a jam in Hollywood and the drummer started the song at the wrong tempo and wrong feel. And it ruined the song and Tom Morello was in the crowd.

Jake: My worst performance was in school. I did not prepare the song enough and put off practicing. My timing was bad, I missed certain transitions and my groove wasn’t solid. I learned that you gotta be confident that you can learn challenging things and not put them off because you don’t think you can do it. Always warm up and over prepare things.

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?

Ella: As of right now, I would love to open for any artist with a good following! but if I had to pick, it would be The Marias!

Adam: Dua Lipa

Ina: YungBlud or Green Day

Jake: Paramore!!

Brandon: If KingQueen could open for Paramore, I think it’d be game over!

Which famous musicians do you admire?

Jake: Hayley Williams, Ariana Grande, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak, Dennis Chambers, Steve Gadd, and many others.

What is one message you would give to your fans?

Brandon: Thank you for supporting us on this journey so far, but please know it’s only the beginning!  We want to create music that people connect with and can sing along to.  If you’ve found our music and you’re a fan of what we do, we want to know you!  If we can learn from each other and really get to know what things you enjoy about music, I think we’d be able to produce better music!

Ina: THANK YOU.. and I feel like our fans are so similar to who we are and our personalities so whoever needs to hear this: Being vulnerable is being strong. And no matter what’s going on, there are always solutions. Don’t let this one and only life pass you by. Live it loud and proudly.

Ella: Yeah. Don’t let fear control your decisions. Don’t let fear from others affect them either. Life is a roller coaster, but you got this! Work hard, be kind, always be thankful no matter where you’re at right now, and believe me it will pay off.

Jake: You can achieve anything you want to do. You just gotta be patient and work hard. Don’t quit or be discouraged by people who might have negative things to say. Believe in yourself always!

What is the most useless talent you have?

Adam: I can throat sing

Jake: Probably being good at video games.

Ella: Is any talent useless? Okay, I believe that ANY kind of talent is useful always. But haha, I’m gonna say climbing trees?

Brandon: I’m pretty good at being silly on Tiktok.

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

Brandon: Yes – always, every time!  Whatever is stuck in my head that day!

Ella: No actually, I’m usually just thinking of affirmations in the shower. But I do have music that makes me feel good, most of the time.

Jake: Sometimes. It depends on what I’ve been listening to.

What do you get up to when you’re not making music?

Ina: I wake up to simply be on this planet… just simply living and existing. Because we are so lucky to be here.

Ella: Working out, feeding my cat, feeling good about having a day off, making a nice brunch, and spending the day with my girl!

Jake: I get up to go hang out with friends, watch TV, go play sports, go on a hike, or surf.

Adam: Cooking vegan food. Playing tennis.

Brandon: I am learning about business and marketing in hopes that one day I can open my own music venue and eventually scale to multiple locations.

If you were stranded on an island and could only have one album with you, which one would it be and why?

Adam: Beatles White album. Cuz it covers such a huge range of styles and the songs are just incredible.

Jake: Brand New Eyes by Paramore. This album is my favorite album of all time. It’ s inspired me and I could listen to it over and over again.

Ella: Probably a very groovy and fun record, something that would make me smile every single day.