Orlando Florida’s Kings County has been lighting up stages all over the East Coast for over 20 years. They play shows all year round, wowing fans with their slick sounds and incredible stage presence.
Cammy K from Mendowerks sat down with lead singer and bass player Rob Dexter for an in-depth look at how the band has maintained its success over the years and continues to grow with their new hard rock songs.
Hi, Rob Dexter from Kings County!! Tell us a little bit about you. What is your professional background? Are you a musician full-time?
Sure, I’m Rob Dexter, vocalist, and bassist for the hard rock band Kings County. We are based out of Orlando, FL. I’ve been playing bass and singing professionally since the ’90s with several bands but Kings County was started in 2003. The core of the band formed on Long Island, New York. We started primarily as a cover band performing throughout the northeast and moved to Orlando in 2000 to play for Disney. We’ve been working full-time musicians ever since.
What made you go into music? How long have you been doing it?
My love for music started at a fairly early age, even as early as elementary school where I picked up the drums for the school band. There was something about performing live at that age that really excited me. The sound, the lights, and playing in front of an audience started my passion for music and I never looked back.
Who are your influences? Who would you say are the bands’ influences?
I had musical influences and life influences which both played an important part in developing myself as a new musician back in the day. My life influences would be the support I received from my family and friends as a young inspiring musician. Very important in sculpting your newfound passion. Musically I grew up on a lot of the 70’s hard rock bands that were out at that time such as Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, and U.F.O. The band overall has a pretty wide array of influences from Rush to the Beatles and a whole lot in between. Even some jazz and funk bands could be considered as influences even though we are nothing like those bands, it’s important to appreciate all kinds of music. It really comes down to the song cause a great song is a great song no matter what genre it is.
Members? What instruments does everyone play?
Rob Dexter – Vocals, Bass
Steve Bell – Vocals, Guitar
Joe Lopez – Drums, Vocals
Bill Kania – Guitar, Vocals.
Your new and video is out for “My Addiction”. What is the meaning behind the single?
In life we all at some point struggle with some form of Addiction. “My Addiction” is just that song. I originally wrote the idea of the song about a good friend of the band’s that is going through a serious health situation and he spoke to me about his thoughts of what he was physically and mentally going through and his addiction to feeling normal again. That’s how I created the initial structure of the song “My Addiction”. When you write about real life, the listeners tend to connect easier with your song.
Who did you work with on the single?
The song was engineered and produced by Chuck Alkazian at Pearl Sound Studios in Michigan. Chuck has worked with Chris Cornell, Pop Evil, Eminem, Trust Company, Sponge. The corresponding video was directed by Tommy Costanza at Alpha Vega Productions here in Orlando, FL.
What was the writing and recording process like?
We ended up demoing the song idea here in Orlando and sent it to Chuck to listen to. We started working with Chuck at the beginning of 2020 and he produced a few of our earlier songs so we were excited to see how he would approach “My Addiction”. The drums were tracked at his studio in MI and all the vocals and guitars were recorded here in Orlando. One great thing about the internet is you can quickly send ideas back and forth even though you’re 1000 miles away from each other. We were blown away by the final mix.
The video for the song was filmed here in Orlando. Director Tommy Costanza’s vision for the song was exactly what we were looking for and the visuals are amazing. We wanted him to create something outside the box and that’s exactly what he did.
Describe the track in two words.
“It Slays”
Will we see an EP or Album soon? If so, what can we anticipate from it?
Guitarist Steve Bell and I flew up to Michigan to write and record new music with Chuck this past March. We put together 4 new killer tracks that we are currently finishing up. At this moment we aren’t sure whether we will release a full album or EP or maybe some singles but one thing for sure we will continue to release some killer tunes.
What else can we expect in 2021 from Kings County?
2021 has already been a busy year for the band. Our constant live performances throughout the southeast United States while we continue to write new music have consumed a lot of our time. We’ve been fortunate enough to be steadily performing this past year where other parts of the country have been shut down. While the country continues to open up it would be great to grab some opening slots on a national tour. It’s a great way to find new fans and get the band’s name out there.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Besides the inevitable, being 5 years older, hopefully, we’ll be that much wiser. The band needs to grow and change with the times while not losing the band’s initial vision. It’s easy to get side-tracked, sometimes life gets in the way, but if we continue to write good music and deliver that music with conviction there will be no stopping this band. No one can predict the future but with hard work and passion for what you love anything is possible, only time will tell.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is”.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
1. A sense of humor, expect the unexpected.
2. Being humble, no one likes a stuck-up prick.
3. Take time out to speak to and thank your fans.
4. You’re as good as your last performance, give the audience 110 percent
5. Have fun.
Be sure and check out Kings County’s latest single and video for “My Addiction”, you won’t regret it!
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