King Nun - “Bug”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Idles, Sheer Mag, The Killers

Jangly UK rock band King Nun released their debut full-length Mass in 2019, a wickedly strong collection of arena-ready alt rock tracks crafted and performed with youthful ambition and throwback grunge appeal. Mass is tighter and bigger than what came before - see anthemic, mid-tempo rock-a-long “Bug” and yearning, riffy opener “Mascara Runs” for examples of King Nun’s committed, wide sound. Mass has some slower builders like lounge-ready “Black Tree”, but it’s energetic, grunge-pop numbers like closer “A Giant Came Down” and shinily epic “Chinese Medicine” that stand out with heart and power. (Kevin McStravick)

2019 Review: Steeped in punk, alternative and grunge rock, King Nun’s debut EP I Have Love hits with immediate passion and energy, tightly wound to a point where it is easy to miss the inherent complexity with their rhythms and melodies. Like prog rock musicians, guitar, drum and bass lines are crafted with dramatic intensity in mind, stretching across their fretboards in a way that is constantly moving. King Nun pull this off without losing the rawness needed for their dirty rock sound to be effective, adding power pop threads (“Family Portrait”) and classic pop croons (“Greasy Hotel”) in a way that concurrently grounds and expands their sound. While this all sounds scientific in terms of creation, King Nun’s music is also just great rock and roll, bleeding from the stage with commitment and gritty British soul.