Rising rock singer Marcus King may only be in his 20s, but when it comes to his taste in music, he’s an old soul. He learned his first musical lessons from his blues-rocker dad, and he cites his earliest memory as the time he opened up his dad’s guitar case as a child and strummed the strings of an Epiphone El Dorado.
Now, as a singer/songwriter and guitarist himself, King expertly blends his classic rock and blues inspirations into his original music — most recently on his upcoming album, Young Blood, due Aug. 26. The project was produced by Dan Auerbach, who King also teamed with to write “Pain,” a bluesy and fast-paced rock track that puts the singer’s classic influences front and center.
In this episode of Press Play At Home, King and his three-piece band head to a parking garage for a grungy, searing performance of the track. From classic cars in the background to the outfits and visual aesthetics, vintage vibes are abundant — but it’s the music itself that truly embodies the spirit of ’70s rock.
“Pain” is just one example of the “classic power trio” sound that King strived for with Young Blood. He drew inspiration from musical idols like ZZ Top, Grand Funk Railroad and Black Sabbath, as well as his favorite films GoodFellas and Raging Bull. “We tried to make the music feel big,” King explains in a press release, “like you’re seeing it in a theater.”
Though the music takes plenty of cues from legendary acts from the past, King’s blend of soul, rock, blues and country is uniquely his own. The GRAMMY nominee’s unmistakable raspy tenor crests over the instrumental lines and puts the singer/songwriter’s signature stamp on the performance.
Press play on the video above to watch King’s blistering performance of “Pain,” and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more episodes of Press Play At Home.
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