Kings Kaleidoscope
Kings Kaleidoscope is an American alternative rock band based in Seattle, led by producer, singer and songwriter Chad Gardner. Their music features an eclectic range of electronic, woodwind, string and brass instruments, with a musical style described as indie rock meets hip hop production with a sprinkle of Disney. Kings Kaleidoscope has recorded four EPs and six LPs, as well as a series of live studio sessions.
Kings Kaleidoscope | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Seattle, Washington |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | Tooth & Nail, BEC, Rainbow Records |
| Members | Chad Gardner Daniel Steele Zach Boyd John McNeill JJ Kim Beserat Tafesse Matthew Warren |
| Past members | John Platter Zack Walkingstick Zawadi Morrow Blake Strickland Jared Buck Nadia Essenpreis Lindsay Gardner Julianne Smith Andrew Nyte Mark Palfreeman |
| Website | kingskaleidoscope |
Background
Based out of Seattle, Washington, Kings Kaleidoscope formed in 2010 at a Mars Hill Church plant on the campus of the University of Washington, where Gardner was a worship leader.[3] Drawing on a variety of influences from math rock and hip-hop, to the dense sound of Canadian indie outfit Broken Social Scene, they recorded their first live EP, Sin, at a Good Friday service in 2011. A year later, they released the studio EP, Asaph's Arrows, followed by a Christmas EP, Joy Has Dawned.
In late 2013, Gardner and the band announced they were leaving Mars Hill,[4] where they had served as worship leaders and artists on the church's label. Their fourth EP, 2014's Live in Color, was released by BadChristian Music. Working with BadChristian Music and well-established indie label Tooth & Nail Records, they released their debut LP, Becoming Who We Are, on October 27, 2014. Their second studio album Beyond Control was released June 24, 2016, and was the band's most commercially successful release to date.
On August 17, 2017, the band released a mixtape, The Beauty Between, that includes several collaborations with hip-hop artists and producers, including Propaganda, Andy Mineo, Beautiful Eulogy, Derek Minor, Beleaf and DSTL. Their third studio album, Zeal, was released on April 5, 2019.
Current members
- Chad Gardner - vocals, guitar, keyboards, production, tambourine
- Daniel Steele - drums, synth, programming, vocals
- Zach Boyd - guitar, cello, sampling, mullet, vocals
- Beserat Tafesse - trombone, trumpet, euphonium, vocals
- John McNeill - bass, synth, vocals
- JJ Kim - guitar, bass, vocals
- Matthew Warren - visuals
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [5] |
US Christ. [6] |
US Indie [7] |
US Rock [8] |
US Alt. [9] | ||
| Becoming Who We Are |
|
171 | 9 | 33 | — | — |
| Beyond Control | —[upper-alpha 1] | 6 | 16 | 26 | 19 | |
| Zeal |
|
—[upper-alpha 2] | 8 | 10 | — | — |
| Baptized Imagination |
|
— | — | — | — | — |
| Kings Kaleidoscope |
|
— | — | — | — | — |
Mixtapes
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [5] |
US Christ. [6] |
US Indie [7] | ||
| The Beauty Between | —[upper-alpha 3] | 4 | 14 | |
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Heat. [16] | ||
| Asaph's Arrows |
|
— |
| Joy Has Dawned |
|
— |
| The Rush |
|
— |
| Power Perfect |
|
— |
Live recordings
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Heat. [16] | ||
| Sin |
|
— |
| Kings Kaleidoscope Live |
|
— |
| Live in Color |
|
— |
| Live in Focus |
|
— |
| Live in Season |
|
— |
| Live in Between |
|
— |
| Zeal: Live from Kamp Kaleidoscope |
|
— |
| The Beauty Between: Live from Kamp Kaleidoscope |
|
— |
| Live Archive |
|
__ |
Notes
- Beyond Control did not enter the Billboard 200, but peaked at No. 81 on the Top Current Albums chart.[12]
- Zeal did not enter the Billboard 200, but peaked at No. 66 on the Top Album Sales chart.[14]
- The Beauty Between did not enter the Billboard 200, but peaked at No. 98 on the Top Album Sales chart.[14]
References
- "Kings Kaleidoscope: Biography | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- "Kings Kaleidoscope: Becoming Who We Are | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- February 2nd, Tess Delbridge |; Comment, 2017 05:03 PM | Add a. "Recovering from a really bad church (Mars Hill) - Eternity News". www.eternitynews.com.au. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
- Ranger, The. "Christian band 'Kings Kaleidoscope' drops F-bomb in latest album – The Ranger". Retrieved 2021-07-21.
- "Kings Kaleidoscope Chart History: Billboard 200". Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Kings Kaleidoscope Chart History: Top Christian Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Kings Kaleidoscope Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "Kings Kaleidoscope Chart History: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "Kings Kaleidoscope Chart History: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "Becoming Who We Are – Kings Kaleidoscope". AllMusic. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- "Beyond Control by Kings Kaleidoscope on iTunes". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
- "Kings Kaleidoscope Chart History: Top Current Album Sales". Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "Zeal by Kings Kaleidoscope". iTunes Store. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Kings Kaleidoscope Chart History: Top Album Sales". Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "The Beauty Between – Kings Kaleidoscope". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on November 27, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- "Kings Kaleidoscope Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.