No More Kings

No More Kings is essentially the creation of singer/songwriter Pete Mitchell. A native of Providence, RI, Mitchell moved around a lot as a child thanks to his Air Force father. In middle school he met and became good friends with guitarist Neil Robins, and though they played shows together throughout high school, it wasn't until college that the first incarnation of No More Kings was officially formed. The two added bassist Adam DeGraide to their lineup and played shows all around New England. Eventually, though, the original duo decided to move out to Los Angeles with a different band they'd been playing in, effectively ending the Kings. When that other group ultimately dissolved, Mitchell turned his attention back to the visual arts, which he'd studied in college, and found work at Disney and The Jim Henson Company animating video games. By 2005, he was sick of creating for other people and wanted to concentrate more on his own work. Out of the blue, his old pal Robins (now of Dirt Poor Robins) called him up saying DeGraide had started the record label Astonish Entertainment and wanted to sign No More Kings. That was all the push Mitchell needed, and soon enough, he'd reinstated the name and written enough material for an album. With Robins in the production seat, No More Kings' self-titled effort appeared through Astonish in March 2007. Considered by Mitchell to be a "thank-you letter to the '80s," the album filtered pop culture references (The Karate Kid, Knight Rider, The Muppet Show, etc.) through upbeat pop/rock with a slight funk edge.