profile we the kings

We The Kings:

Travis Clark -- Vocals, Guitar
Hunter Thomsen-- Guitar, Backing Vocals
Drew Thomsen-- Bass
Danny Duncan -- Drums

Greetings from Bradenton.

Whereas most kids fight against their hometown and think the grass is greener outside of where they grew up, the four guys in We The Kings embrace their upbringing, showing all sorts of love for Bradenton, Florida on their self-titled debut disc.

Ranging in ages from 19-22, the alternative pop-rock band is named after King Middle School where all four band members attended -- in fact, two are brothers, three of the guys went to elementary school together and some played on the same sports teams when younger. Songs such as "
Skyway Avenue," "August Is Over" and "This Is Our Town" speak directly to Bradenton locales and the culture of the resort community. Guitarist Hunter Thomsen even proudly sports a tattoo of the Sunshine State on his chest.

"We really just wanted to reflect on how much our hometown means to us, how it sculpted us and, even beyond the band, how long we've all been together," says singer/guitarist/songwriter Travis Clark.

Bradenton is a coastal resort town, with an influx of tourists every summer. That means the guys have grown up constantly starting new friendships and relationships that change with the season. The sentiment rings strongly within the catchy hooks of "August Is Over." "It's about Fall starting and people leaving to go back to school or home. We make friends and meet girls who we hang out with over the summer and then realize that you have to quickly say goodbye because they have to go home," says Clark.

As the guys brought their blend of Jimmy Eat World energy with Third Eye Blind pop sensibilities on tour, they would run through their phone list of Bradenton visitors and catch up with old friends. They reached as far as the West Coast with bands such as Say Anything, The Hush Sound and Anberlin and joined in on the Bamboozle 2007 festival.
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While still unsigned, We The Kings' songs took top spots on Purevolume charts. In 2007, the band inked a deal with S-Curve Records and went into the studio to create their debut, produced by S*A*M and Sluggo (Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship) and mixed by Lou Giordano (Plain White T's, Taking Back Sunday) and Tom Lord-Alge (Fall Out Boy, Blink-182). We The Kings is managed by Bret Disend/Ozone Entertainment (Boys Like Girls, Metro Station).
Time in the studio gelled the band's already energetic and tight sound. Instantly addictive tracks such as "Whoa," "Check Yes Juliet" and "Stay Young" brim with youthful vibrancy and enthusiasm, clocking in at short and sweet three-minute bursts.

"We wanted every track on the record to be the strongest it could be. And for us, that means you get in, make your point and get out," says Clark. "We also really wanted the record to represent the kids that we are. We're uplifting, we love to have a good time and we love music."

But that doesn't mean the songs are lacking substance. "
Skyway Avenue" uses one of Bradenton's most famous sights -- the Sunshine Skyway Bridge -- as the foundation for taking the biggest leap of all. "It's a metaphor about taking the ultimate chance for a relationship or a friendship," says Clark. "If you jump, I'll jump with you. It means it will be forever."

The album's closer is the only ballad on the debut. A sweet piano and Clark's vocals swell into a glorious anthem that serves as the ultimate love letter to We The Kings' home with "This Is Our Town." In it, Clark refers to Bradenton by its historic name Bradentown. "The town has always been there for us, so I wanted to really give it the love it deserved," says Clark. "It's such an emotional song for us, we felt that it was big enough to be the only ballad on the record."

It's a sweet cap to the guys' journey so far, which is really just beginning. With their history and pride in their pockets, Travis, Hunter, Drew and Danny are more ready than ever to bring a little bit of Bradenton good times to the rest of the county.

"This is a fun record, but we also wanted to make it as timeless as we could. It's hard to think in 20 or 30 years what songs people are going to remember from this time. We aimed to make those kinds of songs," says Clark. "I guess in 20 years we'll know if we did it."

profile bob marley

Bob Marley Basic Facts:
Bob Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley on Feb. 6, 1945 in Saint Ann, Jamaica. His father, Norval Sinclair Marley, was a white Englishman and his mother, Cedelia Booker, was a black Jamaican. Bob Marley died of cancer in Miami, FL on May 11, 1981. Marley had 12 children, four by his wife Rita, and was a devout Rastafarian.
Bob Marley's Early Life:
Bob Marley's father died when he was 10 years old, and his mother moved with him to Kingston's Trenchtown neighborhood after his death. As a young teen, he befriended Bunny Wailer, and they learned to play music together. At 14, Marley dropped out of school to learn the welding trade, and spent his spare time jamming with Bunny Wailer and ska musician Joe Higgs.
Bob Marley's Early Recordings and the Beginnings of the Wailers:
Bob Marley recorded his first two singles in 1962, but neither garnered much interest at the time. In 1963, he began a ska band with Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh that was originally called "The Teenagers". Later it became "The Wailing Rudeboys", then "The Wailing Wailers", and finally just "The Wailers". Their early Studio One hits, which were recorded in the popular rocksteady style, included "Simmer Down" (1964) and "Soul Rebel" (1965), both penned by Marley.
Bob Marley Converts To Rastafarianism:
Marley married Rita Anderson in 1966, and spent a few months living in Delaware with his mother. When Marley returned to Jamaica, he began practicing the Rastafarian faith, and began growing his signature dreadlocks.
Worldwide Success:
The Wailers' 1974 album Burnin' contained "I Shot The Sheriff" and "Get Up, Stand Up", both of which gathered cult followings in both the US and Europe. The same year, however, the Wailers broke up to pursue solo careers. At this point, Marley had made the full transition from ska and rocksteady to reggae.
Bob Marley & the Wailers:
Bob Marley continued to tour and record as "Bob Marley & the Wailers", though he was the only original Wailer in the group. In 1975, "No Woman, No Cry" became Bob Marley's true breakthrough hit song, and his subsequent album Rastaman Vibration became a Billboard Top 10 Album.
Bob Marley's Political and Religious Activism:
Bob Marley spent much of the late 1970s trying to promote peace and cultural understanding within Jamaica, despite being shot (along with his wife and manager, who also survived) before a peace concert. He also acted as a willing cultural ambassador for the Jamaican people and the Rastafarian religion. He holds nearly godlike status among many Jamaicans and Rastafarians worldwide.
Bob Marley's Death:

In 1977, Bob Marley found a wound on his foot, which he believed to be a soccer injury, but was later discovered to be malignant melanoma. Doctors recommended an amputation of his toe, but he refused for religious reasons. The cancer eventually spread. When he finally decided to get medical help (in 1980), the cancer had become terminal. He wanted to die in Jamaica, but could not withstand the flight home, and died in Miami.Learn more about Bob Marley's death.
Bob Marley's Legacy:
Bob Marley is revered the world over, both as the defining figure of Jamaican music and as a spiritual leader. His wife Rita carries on his work as she sees fit, and his sons Damian "Jr. Gong", Julian, Ziggy, Stephen, Ky-Mani, as well as his daughters, Cedelia and Sharon, carry on his musical legacy (the other siblings do not play music professionally).
Honors and Awards Bestowed Upon Bob Marley:
Among the awards and honors that have been given to Bob Marley are a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His songs and albums have also won numerous honors, such as Time Magazine's Album of the Century (for Exodus) and BBC's Song of the Millenium for "One Love".