Lilac Kings: Artists on the Rise

Moderation within itself can be deceptively complex. But when you find balance, everything can fall into place with a somewhat intrinsic harmony.

Cue Lilac Kings, an up-and-coming Tulsa-based outfit who’ve clearly run with this sentiment and elevated it to new heights.

Presenting a sound that combines elements of post-hardcore, indie, and alternative rock, vocalist, Dylan McBride, bassist, Mate Lucas, drummer, Cameron Wilkerson, and guitarist, Skyler Wilkerson, represent a variety of stylistic approaches, yet still manage to maintain the integrity of each.

Thus, it’s no surprise that after signing to We Are Triumphant Records and releasing their 2017 EP, What Brings Us Back, the SoundBite team has come to expect great things from these Oklahoma natives.

Jumping forward to 2019, soaring high-low vocals and catchy instrumentals have since emerged as staples of Lilac Kings’ music and are easily recognizable in the quartet’s debut album, Goodnight. Released in early February, the record has already received over 150,000+ Spotify streams, and songs such as “Drive Me Home” and lead single, “Don’t Pretend” have enjoyed features on curated playlists such as Spotify’s “Crash Course”, and “The Scene”.

And rightly so.

Woven around the thematic juxtaposition between the vast nature of the universe and the familiarity of the individual experience, each song off Goodnight’s 10-song tracklist provides listeners with a unique transportive experience. Piercing vocals can be found cutting through rock-rhythms with surprisingly levity, and while there are plenty of elements at work throughout the record, every instrument finds a way to shine both on its own, and as a collective whole.

In other words, from the Carl Sagan quote prefacing the opening segment of “Where We Are in the Stars” to the piano melodies accented throughout “Atrophy”, there is always something new to be discovered. And that’s the mark of a true rising star if we’ve ever seen one. Follow Lilac Kings on social media here.

Image Courtesy of Google Images

Coverage by Jessica Nakamoto

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