There's a new synth-driven R&B/neo-soul women's trio called King building up a strong national buzz, and it turns out the Los Angeles-based group has a connection to the Twin Cities that runs far deeper than Prince giving them one of their first big breaks.
The leader of King is Paris Strother, who, along with her sister and bandmate Amber Strother originally hails from Minneapolis. Both siblings graduated from DeLaSalle High School and are the nieces of late Twin Cities bluesman Percy Strother (their dad's brother). Paris left for Berklee College of Music in Boston after graduation and then headed to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and TV scoring, but she wound up forming King instead, with her friend Anita Bias and Amber out front as lead vocalists.
With their debut full-length album "We Are King" due Friday, the group earned a nod last month as one of Rolling Stone's "10 New Artists You Need to Know." Today, NPR Music gave the record one of its coveted "First Listen" slots, where you can stream their whole record.
King is wasting no time hitting the road to promote the album, and Paris and Amber will finally play a homecoming gig Feb. 12 at Icehouse in south Minneapolis. It wouldn't be a surprise if a Paisley Park appearance is lined up on down the line, too, since Prince invited the trio to open for him at The Forum in Los Angeles a few years back.
We'll run a lengthier profile timed to the Icehouse gig, but for now give them a listen. Here's one of the singles from the album, the video for which suits their classic Nintendo-era '80s flavor.
