Between Kings Looks For Creativity From Within on ‘Antidote’

During days and weeks where everything feels stationary, Between Kings’ new EP, Antidote, marks a chapter of departures and surprises. This release encompasses both a shift away from the group’s 2018 debut – a record steeped in musical attributes far more aligned with aggressive emo, punk, and nu-metal – and a literal departure from the band’s home in Australia, to set down roots in the bustling metropolis of Los Angeles, CA.

Given the shimmering production values and hook-focused foundations of this latest effort, it then comes as an intriguing surprise that the group not only chose to embrace narrative topics of an unpredictable and imperfect nature but also, that Between Kings’ new sonic direction didn’t take on a matching personality – opting instead to adopt a clean style of alternative rock. Yet, as familiar a pairing as the California coast and polished alternative tends to be, it’s curious how varying dimensions of global music exposure due to the multi-cultural background of lead vocalist and songwriter, Nic Machuca, stoked his appreciation of the U.S. radio sound and how that ultimately became a style Between Kings’ decided to pursue.

“I’ve definitely been around the block. I’ve lived in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Australia, [and now] America,” says Machuca.

Co-songwriter and guitarist, Jordan Coyne, jokingly chimes in, “You’d think he’d be done with moving.”

“But yeah,” Machuca continues, “I remember just from a young age, just listening to bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and System of a Down. It was a bit difficult for me to track down some sorts of music from Africa. Everything seems to be like, 10 years behind in places like that so, I had to do some digging. But I guess for me personally, I was just drawn to it and decided, ‘Hey I want to learn everything I can about [this music and these artists]’ so I decided to go and pursue it further and that’s where Jordan and I met [in Australia.]”

Knowing the vastly global nature of Machuca’s early life, the band’s initial affinity for an arena-sized sound on 2018’s The Escape, is understandable, if not serendipitous in its pairing. Since those first few years though, Machuca and Coyne, along with bassist Jayden Dylan Marsh, and drummer Nick Fanning, have taken their original love of big sound stages and, rather than ditch it entirely, simply re-prioritized where that quality best functions on The Antidote. This four track release now focuses on the message over the intensity of the delivery – similar to the way Between Kings’ acknowledges some of its more current influences have also transformed their sounds without losing their core artistic identities.

“As a writer yourself, you know that you don’t just start somewhere and then that’s it,” Coyne says.

“So, [Between Kings] has got its old influences of American artists like Linkin Park, Blink 182, and the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers – stuff like that. And now it goes all the way through to Twenty One Pilots, Panic at the Disco, The Killers. It’s always just cool to be a part of [the music industry] and see things that you love and sounds that you love being developed and not being stagnant. Especially not in the alternative world, you know?” says Coyne.

One way the band’s shift in priorities is immediately noticeable, is a more direct line to the subjects at hand. Not only does the record start with the title track but that’s also the most sobering song of the bunch. Furthermore, though “Antidote” unfolds with plenty of memorable lines and solid pop song form, the track’s sentiment doesn’t make for light dialogue. The song also doesn’t delay the poignant message – that it’s okay to need support for mental struggles, even by way of medication – over several verses.

Now I need a reason to carry on  | I thought I had it figured out | but now I see I’m not that strong

But by tonight  | I’ll something in my system | Everything will be okay  | I need a prescription | just to get me through the day

I can’t do this on my own | I need an antidote, yeah | I need an antidote, yeah

“The song itself is [indeed] kind of melancholy. It is sort of bittersweet. For me certainly, the answer is just hard medication. It’s going through the whole process of ‘oh sh-t, I need medication, I’m freaking out,’ and then [thinking], ‘Wait it’s okay but, I’m not feeling okay.’ Cause for me personally, that’s just been a struggle I’ve had for a long time,” says Machuca.

This open and raw explanation from Machuca is cathartic and also a privilege, as interestingly, both “The Antidote,” and emotionally contrasting closer, “Too Young to Give a F–k” appear to leave themselves open to (mis)-interpretation.

“[“The Antidote”] really is a [song saying,] ‘It is what it is and this is how I feel. This is what I go through and how I deal with it.’ So that’s probably where some of the mixed messaging can come from a little bit.” says Coyne.  “The way we tackle things is not necessarily to be vague but it’s not super detailed like, ‘I went down to the chemist and got myself some pills.’ It can be left up to interpretation. I think a lot of [Between Kings’] music is like that. I like that people can take sort of what they want from it,” he says.

While the former ran the hazard of channeling someone hastily looking to drugs as an instant and quick fix, the latter could give an impression of selfishness and callousness towards others, rather than trying to say it’s okay once in a while to experience life through a less solemn lens.

This wasn’t lost on the group, with Coyne saying that at first the band was “terrified of ending up in a cringe video,” asking themselves if the expletive-laced song was “too cringe-y” and wondering “how the song was going to be taken.” But the moment of foresight around “Too Young to Give a F–k” didn’t drown out what The Antidote is meant to be, and do, for people as a cumulative listening experience.

“We wanted to look at the EP as like a journey,” Machuca says. “Yeah, there’s some things like mental health issues and there’s some serious topics that are covered but, at the end of the day, maybe we’re taking ourselves too seriously.”

Coyne picks up where Machuca leaves off, saying, “Like Nic said, it’s a journey. You can’t just have one topic and then another topic that’s completely out of it. [The songs] can belong together [though]. You know, like life: You go through bad times, good times, you go through times where ‘I don’t give a sh-t’ or, times where you’re like, ‘I’m feeling really insecure and I do care.’ But you’re the same person.”

This idea of The Antidote being a journey rife with ups and downs that come and go on a dime, is eerily fitting in a time when everyone has been left to face all manner of emotions and questions amid the world on pause, with or without the antidote of their choice to get to the next moment of hope. Right now, there’s solace in remembering we’re all in the same boat and that sharing ideas for how to get through each day isn’t confined to any particular person or crowd, as is evident by Coyne and Machuca’s sharing their own ideas for how to keep well, both physically and mentally.

“Now is the best time, probably in recent history, to learn something – to really commit yourself to something – to some sort of hobby,” says Coyne. “I think dedicating time to either proving yourself or being with friends and family that you can be with, and looking at something – obviously now you can’t go parachuting or anything – but [thinking] ‘I’ve always wanted to get into this,’ and seeing that now’s the perfect time to get into it.”

“We’ve all got all the time in the world right now so even if it’s just in your own home, there’s tons of stuff you can do to keep fit and healthy to make sure you’re staying on top of your own personal health because along with physical heath, mental health is connected,” says Machuca.

While listeners can look forward to The Antidote for emotional respite, and resonance with the challenges of the present and beyond, aside from trying new activities and keeping fit, Coyne and Machuca tease that Between Kings can always opt to fill additional time “writing our third album.”