Alvarez Kings Interview: SXSW 2010

Making their way onto the indie scene, rockers the Alvarez Kings are just one of the bands featured in this year's SXSW festival. Hailing from South Yorkshire, London, brothers Simon Thompson (vocals /guitar) and Paul Thompson (bass/background vocals), along with Will Pashley (guitar/backing vocals) and Richard Walker (drums), have created a name and sound for themselves. That sound will make its way to Austin, Texas in March, showing festival attendees that that British have invaded once again. As they prepare for SXSW, the band members took a moment to talk about their influences, what they're listening to and even Engelbert Humperdinck.

How did your band form?

Simon: Me and Paul are brothers, and he and Will were in the same class at school, so we started way back then covering our favourite bands, and this is when we first began writing.

What are your musical influences?

Will: We all grew up on the Beatles, which I guess came from all of our parents' obsessions. I think the way we use vocal melody as a focal point in our music comes from us listening to them.

Rich: I listened to a lot of metal back in the day, such as Metallica and Slayer.

Paul: The Strokes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club had a big impact on us back when they first started, including the way we dressed! Gone were the flared jeans and in came the drains.

How did you come up with your band name?

Will: I went through a stage of being obsessed with the Mafia and Italian culture. I think at the time I was browsing websites and that name popped up. Apparently, they were an infamous and extremely loyal Mafia gang back in the 1950s.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Paul: Beans, booze and plenty of layers.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

Simon: Sorry guys, but I have to admit now that I'm a huge Michael Buble fan. Have been for a while.

Paul: Good God!

Will: Engelbert Humperdinck.

Beatles or Stones?

Simon: I'm more interested in the melody of a song plus the harmonies [that the Beatles] created were second to none. We do like the Stones but we're more of a fan of their exploits outside of music.

Rich: Keith Richards is a legend!

Paul: I love that story about how the Beatles gave the Stones a song they'd written -- 'I Wanna Be Your Man.' The Stones released it and the Beatles turned 'round and said it wasn't even good enough for John, Paul or George to sing so they gave it to Ringo. That always wins the old-age argument with me about who's better.

Name five songs you are listening to now.

Simon: Fleet Foxes, 'Your Protector'

Paul: Delphic, 'Counterpoint'

Will: The Maccabees, 'Can You Give It'

Rich: These New Puritans, 'We Want War'

Simon: The Sunshine Underground, 'Coming to Save You'

If people take anything from your music, what do you want that to be?

Simon: We write music for people to dance to, to fall in love to and to soundtrack people's young lives. There's nothing more humbling to us than when a couple comes up to us and says they met through our music or through our shows.

Paul: Ultimately we want people to connect through our music.

Who would you guys like to collaborate with?

Paul: We would love to collaborate with Dave Sitek. We all love the work he's done on production duties over in his studio in New York.

Tessa Metayer is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.