I won’t lie, I am sharing news at the expense of being called a “nordic-phile” by Radio Exile co-founder Greg Wind again. Norwegian group I Was A King [MySpace] are about to embark on their first ever US Tour with The Constantines and Crystal Antlers. The US tour, in support of their self-titled sophomore effort, shall be “can’t miss” simply because all three bands are effing rad. Seriously.

The album, which features collaborations from Sufjan Stevens, Danielson, Ladybug Transistor and Serena Maneesh was recently released via The Control Group (El Perro Del Mar, Figurines) on April 7th.

Check out some tunes and tour dates after the jump

[mp3] I Was A King – “Norman Bleik”

Tour Dates

May 26: Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
May 27: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
May 28: Philadelphia, PA @ M Room
May 29: Boston (Allston), MA @ Harper’s Ferry
May 30: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
May 31: Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall
June 1: Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstag
June 3: Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
June 5: Denton, TX @ Hailey’s
June 8: Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room (w/ Constantines & Crystal Antlers)
June 9: San Diego, CA @ Casbah (w/ Constantines & Crystal Antlers)
June 10: Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo (w/ Constantines & Crystal Antlers)
June 11: San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop (w/ Constantines & Crystal Antlers)
June 13: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (w/ Constantines & Crystal Antlers)
June 14: Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s (w/ Constantines & Crystal Antlers)

I Was a King has been featured on Pitchfork, is a Stereogum Band To Watch, and has been championed by Paste Magazine. My Old Kentucky Blog was one of the first to catch their live show in Oslo at by:Larm in February and called the band, “the jangly stepbrothers (and sister) of The Weakerthans. (+50) best in show.” I Was a King, also released an import 7″ + digital single for “Norman Bleik” and “It’s All You” (the Sufjan track) as a split release with Norwegian and Danish labels Hype City / Morningside.

In 2007, I Was A King released their debut, Losing Something Good for Something Better. It was labeled “Royally brilliant” and given 8 out of 10 by NME. The Independent, and The Sunday Times gave equally flattering praise and The Guardian said, “Norwegian wunderkind Stromstrad takes ol’ lankhair’s ramshackle rock and squeezes it through a dreampop filter. If Alan McGee hadn’t wound down Creation, this lot would have been first in the queue to sign on the dotted line. File next to: Fountains Of Wayne, Apples In Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel, Strawberry Wine-era My Bloody Valentine.”

On their follow up to their 2007 debut, vocalists Frode Stromstrad and Anne Lise Frokedal (Harrys Gym), figured out a way to record as diverse a thirty minutes of music that there has ever been, in just three days. The album’s quick recording process came together at Marlborough Farms (Brooklyn, NY) and was mixed by Nick Terry (Primal Scream, The Libertines, Klaxons).

I Was a King has toured Europe several times, performing with bands such as Magnolia Electric Co, Ladybug Transistor, Herman Dune, and Why? Live, the band consists of Frode, Anne Lise, and Havard Krogedal (ex Serena-Maneesh, Loch Ness Mouse), in addition to a revolving door of friends.

“[I Was a King]‘s self-titled album confidently weaves together shoe gaze, indie rock, and pop to create a product that can appeal to both the cynical and the cheerful.” – NPR

“Norwegian power-poppers paint tie-dye melodies over cacophonous guitars.” – RollingStone.com ‘Hype Monitor’

“I Was a King features songs with genuine hooks…unlike Apples in Stereo and Teenage Fanclub, with whom they share a similar love of fuzzed-out power pop, there is some truly gonzo guitar work here to satisfy the biggest Hendrix fan…there are fourteen very fine originals here, all of them immensely hummable, all of them reminiscent of the days when The Electric Prunes and The Strawberry Alarm Clock were ruling the radio airwaves.” – Andy Whitman, Paste.com

“even without “star” contributions, the 15 tracks add up to pleasingly dense, tuneful, and ambitious batch of psychedelic power pop. The layers of sound will likely appeal to fans of Olivia Tremor Control as much as older tastes a la Strawberry Alarm Clock.” – Stereogum

“The eponymous sophomore effort by Norwegian trio I Was a King continues frontman Frode Strømstad’s love affair with moderately psychedelic 90s indie-fuzz-pop and a dose of shoegaze, recalling Grandaddy, Mercury Rev, and My Bloody Valentine.” – PopMatters

Please get in touch for any interview or album requests.

For more info, please visit:

http://iwasaking.com/

http://www.myspace.com/iwasaking

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