Review Fix Exclusive: Kings and Associates’ Stephen Portolesi Talks ‘Tales of a Rich Girl’ And More

Review Fix chats with Stephen Portolesi of Kings and Associates, who discusses the band’s origins, goals, creative process and signature sound, as well as their new album, “Tales of a Rich Girl.”

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?

Stephen Portolesi: As a kid, and probably like most kids who gravitated to music I loved listening to the radio or MTV. I found the whole thing totally captivating. I also found I’d love to learn melodies and phrases. Once I started listening to the Beatles it was all over for me. I can still remember going through mums tape collection listening to the White album over and over when I was around 8yrs old. I first wanted to play violin but that opportunity didn’t eventuate. When I was 13 a mate and I got heavily into Midnight Oil and started playing band instruments…he took guitar and I went to bass. I’ve loved the bass since, and love the overall perspective of the band and musical arrangement you get. As a song writer I really am thankful I play bass as my main instrument cause it enables you to be in the music but at the same time freedom to watch from the outside in some capacity. 

Review Fix: What makes you and this band unique?

Portolesi: We consider ourselves a Blues band, but certainly not traditional musically or lyrically. We honour the great blues artists that have established the music which we have the privilege and responsibility to perpetuate, but not by reproducing what they played or sung about….I mean, it’s probably a little gratuitous a bunch of white guys and gals from Australia singing about subjects and issues we can’t relate to even remotely from a cultural and societal perspective. Angie writes all the lyrics…..what she’s passionate about is sharing stories that are real to her, things she sees and things she’s experienced. Subjects like child trafficking, depression, loneliness, relationships etc , these are subjects that are ‘blues’ in our worlds so naturally that’s what we’ll express through our chosen art form. It’s pretty much what cultures have been doing for 1000’s of years. 

Review Fix: What are your goals in music?

Portolesi: Music goals when you’ve been playing for a while as we have inevitably change. When we were in our 20’s we were looking for very different outcomes to what we’re after now. When you’re starting out you’re consistently looking towards fixed outcomes…which is cool but can mean you miss the journey. For us as a group we’re about small steps and celebrating everything we do together….even the times spent traveling the inevitable long distances we have to endure. That’s not to say we’re not strategic. Our aim is to get to the point of seeing the band established in the US both as a live act and with a solid on line presence…we’re fortunate to be able to say we’re well on the way with that journey. There’s so many more opportunities here compared with Australia it’s the natural evolution of our growth. Through this tour supporting our current album followed by our soon to be released new album we aim to see that outcome, but it’s certainly not a fixed address. 

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

Portolesi: Our sound is eclectic. We draw on many influences and we’re happy to profess that. When we came together as a band we let our sound form organically based on the sum of our parts, this to me is what makes a band truly authentic….it’s like DNA or a fingerprint. 

Predominantly there’s a very strong blues and soul theme running through our presentation, but also rock and funk. Live we’re pretty dynamic and love to create tension to support the lyrics. Angie’s lyrics are certainly the bedrock of our sound and the basis on which we’re driven musically. Her stories are fundamental in establishing our arrangements and music direction, but as I said, everyone brings and contributes a bit of themselves into the mix. 

Review Fix: Why does Neo Blues matter?

Portolesi: As I mentioned before I feel neo blues is extremely relevant to us and our audience. In the western hyper-social culture we now live in neo blues gives us the ability to build on musical styles we’ve inherited but can perpetuate by making them personal and culturally relevant. It’s kind of like the hip hop movement in Australia….going back 20yrs all the guys were singing in American accents about ‘the hood’ etc…now days bands are singing in our accents about issues they’re personally experiencing. 

Review Fix: What makes Australian music special?

Portolesi: Aussie music is special to us because we’ve seen it punch above its weight consistently. For a country of less than 40 mil we’ve produced some of the biggest acts such as AC/DC, INXS, Air Supply, LRB right through to current performers like Sia. The tyranny of distance of Australia is a huge thing to overcome, but at the same time it causes those acts who are driven to push hard to create a presence…in other words the very thing that restrains Australian acts from reaching global notoriety can actually be the mechanism that propels them to greatness. 

Review Fix: Who will enjoy this album the most?

Portolesi: I think there’s a bit of something for everyone, but without question if you like a bit of a twist in your blues and not a traditionalist you’ll get where we’re coming from. If you like pop and catchy tunes there’s that element also. And if you want to be provoked from a social perspective that’s plenty of that in Angie’s lyrics. 

Then of course there’s the amazing playing by the band and production by Jim Scott. 

Review Fix: What makes this album special?

Portolesi: The album is very special to us cause it represents a very unique time in our lives. Anything like a movie, a painting, a song captures a point in time that can never be repeated. We’re excited by the fact the album captures this really well. For us the time tracking the album in LA with the legendary Jim Scott was such an incredible experience it actually seeps into every part of the album. I can listen back to the album and still get the same emotional reaction as when we were in the studio. 

Then there’s also the lyrics and messages behind the songs. We really hope people will come out and see us live so they can connect the lyrics with the performance and get a better idea about what we’re about as a band.  

Review Fix: What’s the standout track? How was it written?

Portolesi: For me I like all the tunes (as you’d expect), but a stand out is Pabla’s Grace. It’s a long tune but if you give it the opportunity and have ears to listen there’s a heap going on. It’s talking about a girl who is suffering depression and exclusion. The ending with the gospel trio is spine tingling….it certainly had that effect on us when they tracked the part. 

Review Fix: What’s next?

Portolesi: At the end of this tour we’re back in the studio in LA with Jim Scott tracking the next album. Most of the tunes are written, but we’ll still workshop them. This time round we have the entire crew out. Benny is with us unlike last time, as well as our Aussie based organ player….so there will be 7 of us tracking simultaneously. That album should be ready for release by the end of the year. 

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Portolesi: Just that we’re so impressed by the US. You have an amazing country, and I hope that doesn’t come across in a way that’s condescending. We’ve been so well received by everyone, and the response from the audience has been unbelievable on every level. We simply can’t wait to get back here.