We The Kings reached fame in 2007 with their self-titled full length album, and 10 years later, the band is back without too many changes.
“It’s very nostalgic seeing a lot of familiar faces,” said Hunter Thomsen, the lead guitarist for the band. “It definitely feels a lot different. We all have beer guts and s---, but we still have the same kind of feeling we had when we wrote the songs and played them for the first time.”
We The Kings will be hitting High Dive on Wednesday night with Cute Is What We Aim For, Plaid Brixx and Astro Lasso.
Although most rock bands go downhill after reaching celebrity status, We The Kings managed to continue being best friends and bandmates.
“It’s like with any family, you have obvious high points and low points,” Thomsen said. “We’re all thrust together living in a 75-foot rectangle, and it’s tough being away from girlfriends and kids, but it’s a passion and fans that keep us coming back.”
We The Kings started playing music in their hometown of Bradenton, Florida, in high school. Travis Clark, Hunter Thomsen, Drew Thomsen and Danny Duncan were the original four members of the band.
Friends since childhood, they wanted to pursue their dreams together.
Despite their music style changing and having to relearn some of the songs for the tour, the band couldn’t be happier to bring back the album that started their career, Thomsen said.
“We’re a little slower with our rhythm, but it’s great going back to where we started,” he said.
Their “10” tour, celebrating a decade since their first album, has been a success so far, Thomsen said.
The band played in Anaheim, California, last week with Wu-Tang Clan playing in the next room.
“I took my shirt off because I was pretty excited about that during the show,” Thomsen said. “Stuff like that doesn’t happen every day, but there’s a lot of average everyday stuff going on too.”
He said it’s the support of the fans and how receptive they are that makes touring all worth it.
“We got a great crew and support bands with us on tour,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun, and we got a couple weeks left to continue the success (of the tour).”
When asked about plans for the band after their tour, Thomsen mentioned shows in Europe and one in Hawaii.
“After that, who knows?” he said. Outside of Gainesville, the band will also play Florida shows in Tallahassee, Tampa, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
Tickets starting at $25 are still available online at ticketfly.com and at the High Dive Box Office. They will also be sold at the door for $28.
Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the show will start at 8 p.m.
“We’re gonna be playing all the hits and more at the show,” Thomsen said. “We might even play some songs twice, you never know.”
