The Hermit Kings are riding a wave of good luck. After shifting gears from being a six piece to being a three piece, the band has found good luck around every corner of their transition. From front man Zaq Suarez’s pub encounter that lead to a well-received show at The Grey Eagle, to spending a day with John Keane (REM, The Indigo Girls, Widespread Panic) and booking time in the studio last August with Ike Stubblefield, the trio from Asheville has luck on their side. That’s not to say they haven’t put in a lot of hard work. Despite playing together for a little less than 2 years, the band has built a good following in the Asheville area and is now branching out to neighboring states during a six day tour.
With swelling and spacey electric guitar tones and a big sound, their debut album “The Ghosts of Galapagos” does not disappoint. Citing influences like The Beatles, The Band, and Grizzly Bear, their sound ebbs and flows while maintaining originality. Zaq’s vocals fall somewhere in between Chris Martin of Coldplay and Jesse Coppenbarger of Colour Revolt. Bassist Zach Drier grounds the band with a tight bass line and drummer Zack Hayes rounds out the lineup with haunting and direct drum sequences. (For those of you counting, yes, The Hermit Kings is comprised of 3 variations of the name Zach) Looking to the future, The Hermit Kings are focusing on immersing themselves in their music to find who they are as a three piece. With hopes for a longer tour to build their fan base in the South, don’t count out this self-described post-folk trio.
Catch them Friday, March 1, at New Brookland Tavern with Charming Hala and Seventy Six and Sunny, Saturday afternoon at Holy City Brewery and Sunday evening at The Royal American, both in Charleston.
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