January 28th signifies the release of “A Thousand Songs” by King Youngblood, an alternative rock band based in Seattle. King Youngblood emerges from the underground as a force to be reckoned with. Supported by Dreaming in Color Entertainment, KYB is happy to announce their new single, “A Thousand Songs,” which is a teaser of their upcoming album Big Thank.
The music/lyric video for “A Thousand Songs” tells a sentimental story of the band’s journey. It all started with college house shows; then, they quickly became a favorite act at Seattle’s underage venue Vera Project. This gave KYB the momentum to embed themselves in Seattle’s alternative rock scene.
“A Thousand Songs” by King Youngblood
King Youngblood Drives Alternative Rock & their Community Forward
Each member of King Youngblood is passionate about driving alternative rock forward and being a significant part of Seattle’s rock and roll culture. The performers consist of twenty-three-year-old founder and frontman Cameron Lavi-Jones, drummer Alix Daniel, cellist Chet Peterson, and also bassist Hamoon Milaninia.
King Youngblood was founded with the idea that heavy instruments would be accepted into the arms of a fresh generation. They were accepted with open arms with affirmation from AfroPunk magazine writing: “King Youngblood’s skill at transforming a small phrase into a massive hook is at this point unparalleled in the world of heavy music.”
Lavi-Jones is a second-generation Black/Jewish activist; his father, Maurice Jones Jr., was a member of the Black Panther Party and the Program Manager at South Seattle’s KVRU FM. Lavi-Jones spent the summer of 2020 writing songs and actively protesting with the Black Lives Matter community. He staged a teach-in called “This Ain’t No Picnic” on the steps of the Seattle Police Department’s 12th precinct and memorialized it with “Yakubian Antics.”
As a whole, King Youngblood is deeply involved with their own non-profit called Hold Your Crown; this is in partnership with the Washington Mental Health Court and Pacific Northwest’s SMASH. They give back to the community by working to break the stigma around mental illness in youth.
Furthermore, in fall of November 2018 and again in 2020, KYB received grants from the League of Women Voters to perform at over 80 high schools. During this, they registered over 3,200 new voters in 2018. Then in 2020, they reached over 100,000 young voters via online shows and promotions. King Youngblood promises they will also do it all again in the next election cycle.
Produced by and Booked with Legends
Despite the pandemic’s setbacks, 2021 was an integral year for KYB’s fan and content development. After reaching six figures on singles “Yakubian Antics” and “Too Late Too Soon,” the band was asked to perform at the Seattle Seahawks game on October 7th.
“Performing for 68,000 fans is no joke. Playing for our favorite football team and the 12th Man fans felt amazing.”
Cameron Lavi-Jones
Backed by multiplatinum producer Phillip Peterson (associated with Portugal the Man) and London Bridge studio owner Eric Lilavois, King Youngblood has been leading the Pacific Northwest pack before pop idols started embracing cathartic rock music. Furthermore, the band’s impressive live shows have earned them opening slots for the likes of Pearl Jam, Naked Giants, and Ayron Jones.
“This is my third music video collaboration with King Youngblood and directing their music videos just keeps getting better and better,” says Afropunk’s Danny Denial. “For this one, Cameron and I were both in a similar headspace of rebuilding and the idea of pushing forward against the roadblock’s life throws at you. It wasn’t so much about the story as it was the spirit of building (and rebuilding) your passion and your life to survive and live for self-expression through your art. Especially now, rebuilding is a powerful and positive sentiment I think a lot of people need to hear.”
Moving into 2022
With 2022 among us, KYB is in a position to release singles every 30-45 days. The first of the year being “A Thousand Songs,” leading up to the release of “Big Thank” on March 13, 2022.
“’A Thousand Songs’ is an acknowledgment of how far we’ve come, an acknowledgment of where we know we are going, and much bigger than that, an invitation for folks to join us along the way, cause, you know, it’s all about this journey, right?”
Cameron Levi-Jones in an interview
Affiliated with Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME) & Beatroot Music
Beatroot Music is a wholly owned division of Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME); a Black-owned full-service entertainment group with global reach. However, MIME’s heart truly lies in modern American hometown music. It was founded in 2015 by original Stax Records songwriter/producer David Porter, as well as 20+ year business and legal veteran Tony D. Alexander. MIME is dedicated to developing and promoting diverse talent on both the creative and business sides of the industry. They’ve worked tirelessly re-establishing Memphis as a key music industry hub while expanding its influence around the world.
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