Brothers Zac, Finn and Josh started their band Princes to Kings to raise awareness for epilepsy, which their older brother Luke suffers from, and since forming, have released original music, with their upcoming single Ruin Our Movie out later this week. Having released Us in April, the song has currently reached 65,000 streams, and the brothers can often be seen uploading covers to their TikTok and YouTube channels. Last year, Princes to Kings appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show as the Unexpected Star and, during lockdown, have featured on Blue Peter for CBBC. Recently, we caught up with Princes to Kings about their upcoming single release Ruin Our Movie, appearing on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and performing gigs in their garden during lockdown.
Can you tell us about Princes to Kings and how did you come up with the name for the band?
We are a band of three brothers, we started making music to raise money for epilepsy charities as our eldest brother has severe epilepsy. A couple of years ago we wanted to take our music more seriously, still keeping epilepsy awareness as a part of what we do. The name Princes to Kings represents us as brothers growing up and being on this journey as a band together.
How is it being in a band as brothers?
We love being in a band as brothers, it means we can be creative nearly all the time as we live together. We also have a bond that helps us when we write music and perform live, we always know what each other is thinking!
You recently performed a livestream gig from your garden, how did this go and are you planning to do more?
The gig went really well, it was a chance for fans from all over the world to tune in and see us play live. We are definitely planning to do more as playing live is what we love doing and it’s a great way to connect with people.
Can you tell us about the single you released earlier this year, Us?
We are really proud of our single Us. It was a slightly different sound to our previous releases and our fans loved it, the reaction has been amazing.
How was it appearing on Blue Peter during lockdown?
It was an honour to appear on such a well-known show we grew up watching. It was interesting filming it from home and using music to connect with others during lockdown.
How was the experience being the Unexpected Star on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and performing at the London Palladium?
It was one of the best nights of our lives, it didn’t feel real and we still talk about the experience. Performing on that stage in front of so many people was incredible. As a band and as a family, it is something we will never forget.
Your older brother Luke who has epilepsy, featured in your Chasing Cars music video, what was it like seeing the listeners’ response to it?
This was a very personal video for us as it included some of our best memories as brothers and Luke is at the centre. He is our biggest role model and the reason we started making music, it means a lot to share this with our fans. We are so pleased with the reaction and Luke loves being ‘famous’!
What inspired you to start your TikTok account and what upcoming plans do you have for it?
We love creating fun and original content, whether that’s music or sometimes comedy. We plan on continuing to make our TikTok account a place where we can share our music in a fun, interactive way.
How long have you been interested in music and when did you start learning to play instruments?
Music has always been a part of our lives, we grew up listening to all types of music and started wanting to learn an instrument quite early on. We actually all started on violins at primary school but we all realised that we connected with different instruments. It’s really fortunate for us that we settled on a line up that works for the band.
What music artists do you each enjoy listening to?
We listen to such a mix! For Josh, he’s a massive John Mayer and Bon Iver fan, Finn loves Jon Bellion and Charlie Puth, and Zac’s always listening to The Weeknd but loves some of the greats like Billy Joel and George Michael. To be honest, we listen to a wide range of music and are always finding new artists to enjoy.
What can fans expect from your upcoming single Ruin Our Movie?
We are so excited to release Ruin Our Movie, it’s another step into a new direction with our music. It’s different to some of our previous singles so we can’t wait to see how our fans react.
How long have you been working on the release and how excited are you to start playing it live?
We have been working on the song throughout lockdown, and have really enjoyed the challenge of recording and working with producers virtually. We can’t wait to get out there and play it live, it’s going to be a lot of fun.
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