We The Kings took a break from recording their fourth studio album to put on a concert for an energetic crowd at UNC Wilmington Thursday, Oct. 17.  The Florida rock band played a two hour set that included a focus on their newest singles, with a touch of older material that the fans knew and loved. The band was able to bring Kenan Auditorium to its feet and got fans involved–no twerking or foam fingers necessary. 

We The Kings recently parted ways with their record label and decided to release their newest album independently.  To raise funding, the five-piece band decided to create a kickstart-like webpage on indiegogo.com.  In exchange for a donation from fans, the band would offer perks to donors such as signed CDs, meet and greet passes, and even tickets for life, based on how much they contributed.  They also provided a fan the opportunity to go on a date with their tour manager, which sold in 30 seconds. 

Lead singer Travis Clark says this method of funding an album “is really how it should be because instead of having the fans give money to the album, and it goes to the label, and then sprinkles down through all the different people that have their hands in the pot, they are buying the album from the band that they’re listening to.”  The group hoped to raise $35,000, but have now gained nearly $125,000 from anxious fans.  

They are now wrapping up production on their fourth album, and it is set for release during the week of Christmas.  They have released three songs this year, which will be featured on their album. And one thing is clear: We The Kings is growing up. 

Their songs have come a long way in both style and content since their debut album in 2007.  As the band members have become more mature, so have their songs.  One of the newest tracks, for example, was written about being bullied in today’s society. 

Clark addressed their development in an interview.

“We’ve been so fortunate to have incredible success–we’ve made a ton of money, we have a ton of fans, we have a job that we wouldn’t trade for anything else,” he said. “Now, we can just do that and have that, or we can do something with that and we want to be a band that makes a difference.”

The crowd at UNCW was able to see these changes in an elaborate concert which contained a few surprises.  We The Kings classics like “Check Yes, Juliet” and “Say You Like Me” were played, of course, but a few covers were thrown in, including “Stay” by Rihanna.  Travis Clark also learned the words to “Royals” by Lorde twenty minutes before the start of the show and performed a simple version with only piano and vocals. 

Overall, the concert was a job well done by a veteran band, and fans were left satisfied.  Stay tuned for new music from We The Kings and expect more growth with each new song released.