For Melbourne-based band, KING RIVER RISING, life on the road ended abruptly in 2020 at a pub in Byron Bay. Two days later the Blues Festival was cancelled and the band was on it’s way back to Victoria for a long, cold lock-down.

Fast-forward two years and KING RIVER RISING is back touring the east coast, once again playing in Byron, Brisbane and at the Full Moon Dance on the Sunshine Coast. The popular seven-piece band has embarked on their ‘Paradise Tour’, named after their latest single.

‘Paradise’ is a complex little package, incorporating elements of prog rock into King River Rising’s signature Aussie roots-reggae sound. Centring around a signature a guitar/horn hook and branching off in to slinky roots grooves and big rock moments at any which point. The Melbourne area produces its own unique tonal blend of reggae (which incorporates South American/Latin instrumentation and methods - think The Cat Empire, El Moth etc), much like how Sydney’s indie-roots sounds (Ocean Alley, Sticky Fingers), and SE Qld’s smooth Coastal Roots (Kingfisher, Cheap Fakes, Bearfoot), and KRR really drive their southern roots reggae sound home, particularly with that massive ending. It’s a big song, weighing in at over 5 minutes, but it’s such a damn fun journey.

The new single is about finding one’s own slice of heaven in the music industry amongst frustration and struggle. KRR takes a tongue-in-cheek look at issues facing many of Australia’s musicians and artists- increasing numbers of poker machines, piss-poor support from policy makers, and Covid. A tale lived out in countless Australian pubs and venues from Darwin to Hobart.

“From the heavens to the casket, filling dirty baskets, white collared hands who all jumped to mask it. Got a question? Ask it. Don’t stop till it’s answered. The weight of a culture comes from those who craft it!”

Guitar skanks, piano bangs and one drop goodness puts “Paradise” firmly in the reggae category but with a jazz flavour added by horns and lead guitar. Coupled with KRR’s signature rock sound, “Paradise” is an amalgam of diverse influences ranging from The Cat Empire, The Black Seeds and Fat Freddy’s Drop.

It sums up the life of a musician pretty well, according to lead singer Ward Hancock.

“It’s fun. It’s hard. It’s intense. It’s tranquil. It’s a roller coaster. There are things you love and things you hate.”

Recorded predominantly in Melbourne during the worst of Covid, the process of getting “Paradise” from the stage to the studio was tough.

“This one is fun to play live, so we really wanted to capture that vibe in the recording,” guitarist Jake Underwood says. “We took our time. We figured that with Covid, we had a bit more time than we normally have. I’m glad we did … the music is definitely better because of it.”

With a handful of East Coast shows in September, KING RIVER RISING has hit the ground running with this jazzed up reggae-rock anthem. It expresses their pure relief of being back on the road. Brought to life with a nine-piece band, Paradise has something for every listener.

You’ll be able to catch King River Rising locally playing Blooms & Tunes at Roma Street Parklands on Saturday September 10th (from 1pm), and at Full Moon Dance (Verrierdale) on September 10th as well.

‘Paradise’ is out now on all streaming platforms.