King Krule

1.1. Childhood and Education

From a young age, Marshall demonstrated disciplinary issues, often refusing to attend school. He spent his childhood dividing his time between his father's house in Peckham and his mother's in East Dulwich. His father maintained a stricter environment with numerous rules, often having to physically take Marshall to school to prevent him from skipping classes and hiding in his room. Upon turning 13, Marshall received private tutoring. He later enrolled at the Brit School to study art. While initially struggling with discipline there, he eventually found his footing within the institution. During his time at Forest Hill School and the Brit School (between 2008 and 2011), he also began his long-term collaboration with fellow musician Jamie Isaac.

1.2. Personal Challenges and Creative Background

Marshall has openly spoken about undergoing tests for various mental health conditions at London's Maudsley Hospital, describing the experience as taxing. He expressed dissatisfaction with the doctors, counselors, and psychiatrists, feeling their diagnoses were often incorrect and that he harbored resentment towards everyone, frequently isolating himself in his room for extended periods. His experiences with mental health issues, such as depression and insomnia, are themes he often explores in his lyrics.

His parents fostered a creative environment during his childhood, encouraging him to experiment with various artistic media. Marshall often created art in different forms. He emphasizes the particular importance of visual art to him, meticulously crafting his music videos and album artwork to reflect his unique aesthetic sensibility.

2.1. Early Years and Alias Changes

Marshall began his musical endeavors in 2010 under the moniker "Zoo Kid," releasing two singles, "Out Getting Ribs" and "Has This Hit," as a 7-inch single. During this period, he also pioneered a musical genre he termed "Bluewave," which was fully realized in his mixtape U.F.O.W.A.V.E. In July 2011, Marshall adopted his now well-known stage name, King Krule, making his debut under this alias at a festival in Hyères, France. Contrary to a common misconception, the name King Krule was not inspired by the character King K. Rool from the Donkey Kong Country video game series, but rather by the 1958 Elvis Presley film King Creole. Later that year, he released his self-titled debut EP, King Krule EP. His burgeoning talent garnered early recognition, leading to his nomination for the BBC's "Sound of 2013" poll in December 2012.

2.2. Debut and Rise to Prominence (2013-2015)

King Krule's debut full-length album, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, was released on 24 August 2013, coinciding with his 19th birthday. Notably, more than half of the tracks on this album had previously appeared on his earlier EPs. The album's release propelled him into significant prominence, particularly in the United States. He subsequently appeared on major American talk shows, performing on both Conan and the Late Show with David Letterman. In January 2014, Marshall released a music video for his song "A Lizard State," which rapidly amassed over 800,000 views on YouTube. His growing influence in the music scene was further cemented when he appeared on the cover of The Fader magazine's 90th issue in February 2014.

In December 2015, Marshall released a different project under his birth name, Archy Marshall, titled A New Place 2 Drown. This multimedia endeavor, a collaboration with his brother, Jack Marshall, consisted of 12 songs, a 208-page visual art book, and a 10-minute documentary. Marshall expressed his desire for the album to have a physical component, engaging both the visual and auditory senses. He chose to release this project under his given name to distinguish its musical genre, considering A New Place 2 Drown to be primarily a hip hop album, a departure from the dark alternative and jazz sound of 6 Feet Beneath the Moon.

2.3. Continued Acclaim and Recent Works (2017-Present)

In a move that further showcased his versatility, Archy Marshall debuted two new songs, "When and Why" and an untitled track, on NTS Radio hosted by Mount Kimbie, under the alias "Edgar the Beatmaker." In August 2017, he released "Czech One," his first King Krule track since his 2013 debut album, followed by "Dum Surfer" in September. On 13 October 2017, Marshall released his second full album as King Krule, The Ooz. This album featured the singles released in the preceding months along with 17 new songs. The Ooz garnered widespread critical acclaim, recognized as one of the most discussed and shared albums of 2017. It reached number 23 on the Official Chart Ranking in the UK and was highly rated by music publications, with Pitchfork naming it the best rock album of 2017 and the third best album overall. The album was also nominated for IMPALA's European Album of the Year Award.

On 8 March 2018, a live performance of songs from The Ooz, titled "King Krule - Live on the moon," was uploaded to the Molten Jets YouTube channel. This performance featured eight different songs and was directed by Ja Humby. In November 2019, King Krule released "Hey World!" on his YouTube channel, an analog video recording of live acoustic performances of four songs from his third album, directed by Charlotte Patmore.

On 14 January 2020, Marshall announced his third King Krule album, Man Alive!. He subsequently released several singles from the album, including "(Don't Let the Dragon) Draag On," "Alone, Omen 3" (released on 5 February), and "Cellular," which was accompanied by an animated music video directed by Jamie Wolfe. The album itself was released on 21 February 2020.

His creative output continued with the release of the live album You Heat Me Up, You Cool Me Down on 10 September 2021. This was followed by his album Space Heavy on 9 June 2023. Most recently, on 20 June 2024, King Krule released the EP SHHHHHHH!, featuring a self-directed music video for the song "Time for Slurp."

2.4. Other Projects and Collaborations

Beyond his primary King Krule projects, Archy Marshall has engaged in various other musical endeavors and collaborations. He has released music under the alias "Edgar the Beatmaker" and was part of the project "Sub Luna City," which released the mixtape City Rivims Mk 1 in 2014. He also collaborated on the project "Aqrxvst" with Pretty V and Jadasea, releasing Aqrxvst Is The Band's Name in 2023.

Marshall has also lent his distinctive sound to other artists' works, featuring as a guest on several notable tracks:

• In 2013, he appeared on "You Took Your Time" and "Meter, Pale, Tone" from Mount Kimbie's album Cold Spring Fault Less Youth.
• In 2014, he was featured on "So Sick Stories" by Ratking from their album So It Goes, and on "Stackin' Skins" with Trash Talk and Wiki from No Peace.
• He continued his collaborations with Mount Kimbie, appearing on "Blue Train Lines" from their 2017 album Love What Survives and on the 2018 non-album single "Turtle Neck Man."
• In 2021, he featured on "Seahorse" from Horsey's album Debonair.
• Most recently, in 2024, he contributed to "Empty and Silent" and "Boxing" on Mount Kimbie's album The Sunset Violent.

3.1. Genre and Characteristics

Reviewers and journalists frequently highlight King Krule's unusual ability to transcend and appropriate various genres. His music is most commonly described with jazz derivatives such as punk jazz and jazz fusion, but also incorporates elements of darkwave, post-punk, and hip hop. Additionally, his tracks often feature elements of trip hop, jazz rap, and dub. While his songs frequently take the form of ballads featuring major seventh chords, they are contrasted by a "grittiness" in Marshall's vocal delivery and persona, contributing to a unique and textured sound. His music has drawn comparisons to artists like Morrissey and Edwyn Collins.

3.2. Influences

Marshall's musical inspirations are as diverse as his sound. He has cited a wide array of artists and bands, including Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Josef K, Chet Baker, Fela Kuti, J Dilla, Billy Bragg, Aztec Camera (whose former drummer, Dave Ruffy, is his godfather), and The Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He has also mentioned that his initial awakening to music came through the influence of bands such as Pixies and The Libertines.

3.3. Lyrical Themes

According to an interview with Flaunt magazine, Marshall's lyrics frequently delve into themes of romance, sex, aggression, conflict, and depression. These themes are deeply interconnected with his literary influences. Marshall has elaborated on this connection, stating that "Literature, poems, songs are all very similar." He described how he used to spend significant time analyzing poetry to understand its meaning and narration, eventually finding his own method of expression, which involves developing metaphors in a similar way to how he deciphered them in literature.

5.1. Studio Albums