| The four members of The Prom Kings couldn't believe their ears. The L.A. band was at the world-renowned Ocean Way Studios, listening to an orchestra add parts to the heavy rock of their self-titled debut on Three Kings Records.
It was an emotional moment for the quartet. As they took in the soaring string parts – a marked contrast to the guitar driven assault of the track – they looked back on their collective journey. “It was really magical being there with the guys and thinking about everything we've been through,” recalls singer Chris Carney.
The Prom Kings journey included personnel shifts, horrendous fights, near breakups/make ups, rejection and lots of hard work. The result of this turmoil is evident in the rampaging first single “Alone”, the madly infectious “Birthday”, and the emotional epic “The One.” The album is studded with furious riffs, soaring choruses, industrial sonic touches and funky rhythmic drive. “It's sexy rock,” Chris says. “It's heavy and melodic, but it's groove oriented so you can dance to it.”
As for attitude, The Prom Kings have little use for the mope rock of the last decade, preferring the high-spirited antics and crowd-pleasing energy of '80s standard bearers like Van Halen and Motley Crue. “We want to hang out and chase chicks, not yell at our fathers,” says drummer Luke Pickerill.
A son of missionaries, singer Chris Carney grew up in places as diverse as the Dominican Republic to rural Arkansas. He knew by his junior year in high school that neither college nor pro sports were in his future. A part from the typical reasons for choosing music as a career, Chris enjoyed the camaraderie. He found it immediately with Luke, but it would be some time before the two thought to join forces on a music project.
Shortly after they started hanging out together, Luke landed a high-paying job as a film editor. Himself a preacher's son, he had played in bands since adolescence, but had little luck and was learning to love a steady paycheck. One night, sitting in a hot tub with Chris and his brother Michael Carney, Luke discovered he wasn't quite ready to give up rock n' roll. “Mike turns to me and goes, 'I don't understand why you guys won't start a band.' I told him about my job and how it was good money. He said, 'That's cool. You can go to work every day, or you can be a rock star!' With the gauntlet thrown down by the, always persuasive, Mike, Chris and Luke got to work. The first day in the rehearsal space, they wrote “The One.”
Luke and Chris met their then 19-year-old guitarist at a party, convincing him to play bass. He was already playing guitar in another band, but Chris convinced him this was going to be the real deal. Daniel “Joey” Hollearn had been set up with scholarships and grants to attend a private Christian college, but that plan would soon fall by the wayside. “Going from bible school to drinking and partying at the Whisky!” observes Chris, who points out that the “PK” of Prom Kings could also stand for “preachers' kids.” “It was Luke, David, Daniel… I'm not joining the Apostles!” Chris said. “One of you better change your name.” Daniel decided to go by his middle name Joey (since his dad already called him that anyway).
Once Hollearn was installed as a bassist, he began to clash with David, the band's first guitarist. They wanted to take the band in a harder sounding direction, and decided to find another guitar player. Multiple auditions yielded few promising candidates, until Chris met a Brazilian guitar player who was eager to audition. The would-be axe-player got a ride to the session from his friend Mauricio.
Mauricio sat on the couch during his friend's unsuccessful audition. “The guy was having the worst time learning the songs,” Mauricio says. “Joey kept picking up the guitar to teach him, and I was pulling my hair out, saying just give me the damn bass!” At the band's urging, he finally did pick up the bass, and removed all doubt about the line up. With Joey on guitar and Mauricio finding a serious pocket with Luke, The Prom Kings emerged as a harder, tighter unit than ever before. Under the watchful eye of Michael Carney, who served as manager and musical guru, the band drilled their material relentlessly.
“Luke and I had been on the band circuit since we were 14 or so,” Joey marvels. “This is the first band we were in where it wasn't about playing gigs – just getting as tight as possible. We had to be spot on. So we practiced for like a year and a half before even playing a show. We found our sound in a studio, and it made us all step up our game.” While their extended confinement in the studio defined their sound, their cohabitation in a house in Burbank cemented their bond. Heaven help the Prom King who falls asleep in view of their band mates! Living in close quarters only made them stronger.
After months of tireless rehearsing, The Prom Kings began playing for major labels. They came close to signing with a few majors, but ultimately put their faith in Michael Carney, and signed to his newly minted record company, Three Kings. “They gave us creative freedom and made our dreams come true,” enthuses Chris.
Michael oversaw the production of the record with partner Andy Duncan, and helped the band fine tune their material. Michael also co-directed the moody and intense video for “Alone.” Chris asserts, “Mike was almost a cofounder of the band and is definitely a mentor.”
With their initial batch of songs honed to a tight set of 10, The Prom Kings have an album that captures their extraordinary chemistry. This was evident in October 2004 when the band played at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas. Their searing set resulted in airplay on dozens of stations prior to any direct label promotion. They also generated a rabid following big enough to sell out venues like The Key Club and The Viper Room on the Sunset Strip.
For Chris, it all came home as he sat in the studio at Ocean Way, watching the orchestra play. “I realized how lucky I am to be in a band with such great musicians. We've done it, and we're ready now.” |
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