King Charles - Gamble For A Rose

1. Who is this deluded muppet?

King Charles is Charles Costa, an indie folk pop rocker from the big smoke, London, England. He’s been making sweet ear juice since 2007. Gamble For A Rose (Nov’15) is the second single from his second album Gamble For A Rose (Jan’16).

2. What kind of tune is Gamble For A Rose?

Gamble For A Rose is a gentle, thoughtful, passionate, swaying love ballad with acoustic guitar picking and soft piano accompaniment. It builds up the musical textures piece by piece; layered vocals, drums, guitar, bass and violins increase the intensity. Gamble For A Rose is as sweet as a sixteen year old wearing pink pyjamas and holding a cup of hot chocolate.

 
3. Who does King Charles sound like?

Imagine Guns'N'Roses November Rain played by an indie pop band. A slight sense of maudlin tempers the optimism. 

More generally King Charles is similar to Spector, Air Traffic Controller, Avalanche City, Stornoway, Edward Sharpe and the Magnificient Zeroes and Noah and the Whale.

4. Who are the barber dodgers influences?

Charles Costa was a big Bob Dylan fan as a school kid and still professes his love for the legend. King Charles has also confessed to idolizing Charlie Fink the singer/songwriter for Noah and the Whale. One assumes the man has some love, probably physical in nature, for Mumford and Sons.

5. What have the press got to say about King Charles?

Clash Music called King Charles first opus, Loveblood (2012) "swaggering, defiant and inspiring" and were enthusiastic about the new tune Gamble For A Rose saying it is a "soaring, passionate return."  Bitter Sweet Symphonies reckoned the new song "captures the wondrous, magical feeling of first loves" and that King Charles can "describe matters of the heart in such vivid colour and with such breadth of sentiment is what makes his music so powerful."
  

6. Why should I listen to Gamble For A Rose?

Gamble For A Rose encapsulates both the doubts, fears and loss of ego that falling in love with another brings and the joy of travelling on one of lifes biggest adventures. It's passionate, universal and layers musical textures to perfection. Hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck raising stuff.

7. What other good tunes does this chap have?

 Bam Bam bounces like a buggerer's bum and is a classic slice of snappy indie pop. Loose Change For The Boatman is the first single from Gamble For A Rose and is just as intense with a greater sense of urgency. Last but not least Mississippi Isabel pops like a nuns cherry.

8.  Anything else I should know?

The new album was produced by Marcus Mumford, yep that dude from Mumford and Sons. Mr Mumford sang and played drums on most the tunes. Charlie Fink from Noah and the Whale was also involved.

King Charles is mates with Spector and they did swappsies with their new tunes to get advice.

King Charles has been on fluffer duties for bands like Panic! At The Disco, Mumford and Sons and Noah And The Whale.

King Charles did a British cover version, with way better lyrics, of We Didn't Start The Fire.

King Charles plays the guitar, piano, and cello. He is also a classically trained singer and sang in the school choir.

“Oh did you see love in my eyes or were you gazing through this disguise

I guess you could call this my gamble for a rose”

Slippery seconds comes from King Charles’ idols, the English indie folk pop band Noah and the Whale and their brightest gem, L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N (2011).