- Bryon Harris
Old Flame - 'Ain't A King'
Formed in the aftermath of the 2017 presidential election, Old Flame is an indie rock band with a clear mission: write and perform music to serve as a tenacious and defiant voice of resistance that grabs hold and never lets go. "I’ll bare my teeth while you price and cheat. I won’t be moved by you." The protest group is comprised of Emma Ayres , Sam Perry, Ken Birchall and Nate Mondschein. They released their first EP 'Wolf in the Heather' earlier this year. Off that EP, “Ain’t A King,” is a great way to take a plunge and wake up to the music and message of 'Old Flame.'
"Ain't A King" kicks off with an eerie distorted drone that leads into a rocking jam with a wicked guitar line and thumping bass. Steady drums hold everything down. Ayres' vocals enter with a raspy angst bolstering the untamed timbre set by the instrumentals. The verse does a stand-up job getting you hyped and building the raw energy to the chorus which gets stuck in your head after just one listen.
"Ain't A King" is filled to the brim with political brew and one sip will get you caffeinated. The chorus speaks directly to the man: "What kind of man, kind of man, have you become? Shame on you, shame on you, leaving us undone. You ain’t a king, ain’t a king so why are you ruling? Reticent and worried, I wish you were fooling.” Themes focus to greed ("Gas pump fuels a car but burns down a man)" and resistance (we ain’t going back now hush be still).
Old Flame takes you on a ride that starts in somewhere in Woodstock and drops you hard into present day political protest music utilizing a foundation of 60's psychedelic and indie-rock for meaningful and timely lyrics delivered with passion and guts, without apology. Fans can purchase their music via bandcamp. Be on the lookout for their upcoming EP 'Guilt Hooks' and connect with Old Flame on facebook.