Tab Meets: The King’s Men

A firm favourite every May Week and currently holding the No. 1 position on the iTunes Classical Charts, The King’s Men are enjoying great success with the release of their new album, ‘After Hours’.

What can we expect from this new album?

Well we hope there will be something for everyone in After Hours. It’s all pop and jazz songs, but goes from the traditional Swing Low, Sweet Chariot right up to Call Me Maybe and Forget You. One of the really great things about this release is the originality of these arrangements. Though you’ll know all of the songs, you’ll never have heard them quite like this (unless you’re one of our die-hard fans, in which case, good for you). 

Swanky new album cover

How is it venturing into more contemporary forms of music?

We always perform some pop music at our concerts, but to make a whole album of pop arrangements was a really exciting opportunity. Singing this music involves a very different type of singing from classical repertoire – a lighter touch and more flexibility with your voice. It sounds a million miles away from what we usually sound like in the Chapel.

Do you feel any rivalry with similar harmony group ‘Gents of Johns’?

No, not really! Lots of people ask that question, but there isn’t any serious rivalry. In fact, we are pretty close friends with a lot of the chaps at John’s. We have a lot in common –we’re all undergrads at Cambridge who love singing, whether it be Mozart or Carly-Rae. And because we respectively sing together every day of the week, both groups naturally do what they do very well.

Do you have a particularly strong fanbase? As in, do you find that you get more female attention as members of the kings men?

What a question! Well yes we do have quite a loyal fan base spread out over the UK. We get the occasional bit of whispering and giggling from girls when we run masterclasses at schools, but most of the attention comes from the older, more experienced ladies, who often say they want to ‘take us home with them’ (whatever that may mean..). But currently most of us are in relationships, and so don’t try to use the King’s Men as a way of picking up!

Can you pin down your greatest moment as members of kings men?

A few years ago the group was asked to sing backing vocals for Dizzie Rascal at the BBC Electric Proms. The current members weren’t in it then, but that must have been a pretty cool moment! Some of the best moments for us are actually just turning up to a church somewhere in the UK on a rainy Saturday evening and seeing that 200 people have turned up to hear us sing. It’s really gratifying.

Where can we expect to see you this May Week?

This year you’ll be able to hear us at Christ’s, Caius and St John’s!

‘After Hours’ is currently available to download from iTunes.