KONGOS
Jan 4, 2019
KONGOS have returned with an anthemic new single, “Pay For The Weekend,” off the band’s fourth album “1929 - Part 1” album out January 18th via Tokoloshe. When asked about the song, Jesse Kongos said, “It’s about the up and the down and how they can’t exist without each other. There’s nothing like coming down from a big weekend to remind you that maybe today or maybe some time down the line the effect of every cause will eventually play out and start the cycle all over again.”
Jesse added, “We didn’t hold back when it came to making the chorus and groove like an arena-ready chant, but at the same time we didn’t want to lose the sentiment and real meaning of the lyric. I think we were able to achieve that by using an upright piano and some of our dad’s vintage synthesizers like the Jupiter 8 amongst other things to bring out the underlying harmony which had a kind of pathos to it”
“Pay For The Weekend” and all the new songs from “1929 – Part 1,” are featured in Bus Call - Life On Tour, an eight-part documentary series. Following the multi-platinum success of their #1 Alternative hit single, “Come With Me Now,” the band hired videographers to capture content for social media and promotional material while on tour. They quickly realized the potential, however, of capturing something much more substantial, so they instructed the videographers to keep the cameras rolling... before shows, after shows, when times were good and especially when times were tough. Cut down from over a thousand hours of footage from more than 30 countries, hundreds of cities, countless venues, hotels and dressing rooms, as well as a wealth of home video, the series tells a unique story of a band of brothers and gives an unprecedented and realistic window into one of the most coveted and often overly-romanticized jobs in the world: touring in a rock band.
When asked what inspired the docuseries, Jesse said, "After being so disenchanted with watching polished and disingenuous documentaries about band and road life we wanted to make something honest.” You can check out Bus Call - Life On Tour now on YouTube.com/kongosmusic.
The brothers KONGOS—Johnny, Jesse, Dylan, and Danny—have music in their blood. Their South African/British father, John Kongos, landed multiple chart hits in the seventies, and the boys picked up instruments at a young age. Now, they're continuing that musical legacy. Growing up in London and Johannesburg, they ultimately settled in their mother's hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, where the band was officially formed in 2003. KONGOS began playing shows and recording, eventually releasing their self-titled debut album in 2007. Completely self-contained, they write, produce, engineer and mix their music as well as direct all their own music videos. They have released three full-length albums, “Kongos” (2007), “Lunatic” (2012) and “Egomaniac” (2016).
Starting on January 9th, KONGOS will be headed out a six week tour of the U.S. and Canada. It begins in San Francisco and ends February 17th in San Diego.