Indie-rock duo Hey, King! Share their debut EP, Be Still via Anti- Records. Fun fact: the EP was produced by multi-instrumentalist, multi-Grammy winner, Ben Harper.
And word on the street is Hey, King!’s work with Ben Harper doesn’t stop with their debut EP! In fact, they are still planning and working on a full-length album expected to be released in 2021.
The exuberantly free-spirited duo consists of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natalie London, and her partner, vocalist and percussionist Taylor Plecity.
While London was attending Columbia University, she contracted Lyme disease and two other dire infections while on tour causing her to be bed-ridden over four-years. In turn, London turned her hardships into songs about tribulations, resilience, and recovery.
“During that time, I couldn’t walk, talk, read or write, I lost a great deal of memory,” she says. “I felt like I had a complete chance at a brand new life and everything from my writing to what I listen to reflects that.”
The last song on the EP is a cover of The Animals’ iconic song, “We Gotta Get Outta This Place.” London says this song is very dear to her and holds a special place in her heart.
“I actually mention this song in the first paragraph of the first chapter of my memoir ‘Lyme Light’ because this song is one of the building blocks of my childhood, my musical tastes, and in part my psyche. My mom sang this song to me at night before I fell asleep and it became an anthem. We were very much outsiders in our town and she was in an abusive relationship with my biological father; this song was like a secret that we would have a better life someday. When my mom was diagnosed with third stage melanoma in her lymph system she was only given three months to live. Due to an experimental treatment and nearly three years of mainly living in a hospital, she was lucky enough to survive. When she thought she was going to die, however, she asked me to sing this with a choir at her funeral. This song is so layered and so inspirational that the hope for a better life applies to this world as well as whatever world lies after death.”
-Natalie London
Be Still is available now! https://heyking.ffm.to/bestill
