King Pari
King Pari may be a new band but their members, Cameron Kinghorn and Joe Paris Christensen, are long-time exponents of the Minneapolis Sound. For over a decade now, the duo have lit up the Twin Cities music scene in various musical configurations – from 7-piece funk-inspired ensembles to ’90s cover bands. After years of appearing on the same billing for different groups, the collaboration that would eventually become King Pari clicked into gear when Joe sent Cameron a new song he was working on. Even after relocating to LA, their shared affection for the funk-based, Twin-Cities flavoured music popularised by Prince led them to start releasing tracks as a duo under their new moniker.
We caught up with King Pari to discuss their debut album (There It Goes – released 18th October), the enduring influence of Prince on their work, and their future plans.
FAULT Magazine: Tell us a bit about your background – how did you get into music?
King Pari: We met through the Minneapolis music scene in 2013. We played separately in different bands that would share bills together, and ended up in a ’90s R&B cover band that we played in together for a handful of years where we would play 5hr sets at casinos. We were really living the dream.
Name some of your key inspirations, musical and/or otherwise?
Prince and all of the Minneapolis Sound, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Shuggie Otis, Womack & Womack, Prefab Sprout, D’Angelo, Sounds of Blackness, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Patrice Rushen, Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, Mr. Fingers, Kurt Vile, Cole Pulice, John Mayer, Central Ayr Productions, Angela Davis, James Baldwin
You really serve it up on ‘Eggface…’ Was that actually how that particular conversation (using the word loosely) went? Or was it something you wish you’d said after the fact?
The song tells the story pretty much exactly how it went. The interaction started with a microaggression that turned into a macroaggression, and ended with a “F*** YOU” shouting match. F*** that person, and f*** racism.
There It Goes dropped Friday 18th October. It sounds a lot like a continuation of what you did with your Mary EP (2021). What, if anything, have you changed between the two releases?
When we recorded the Mary EP we had no idea what we were doing, and literally almost lost it several times. Now, we back things up… sometimes. Our limitations when recording and producing the Mary EP created a sound that was unique and felt fully authentic to us. We wanted to keep the playful, at-home vibe but were able to expand our sound as our production abilities grew. There It Goes is also full of more diverse sounds, from funk-rock to ambient to psych-songwriter, which encapsulates our diverse array of musical influences. The album was also written over 4 years and there were many events and emotions that informed and influenced the different vibes on the album.
How does King Pari compare to your previous bands/musical projects?
King Pari is self written, produced, and recorded. We’re wearing all the hats with this project, including engineering, which is not something that either of us did prior to King Pari. Since it’s a duo it’s also significantly smaller than our previous projects, which had 6+ members.
I’ve just written “the Prince thing” here, because I’m not sure how to phrase this… Joe, your previous band PHO was publicly endorsed by Prince, and both of you have been around the Minneapolis scene, played with people he did, and your music shares an affinity with the funk sound Prince was known for. On one hand, that must be a really cool thing to be connected to but, on the other, do you feel any pressure attached to the association?
The spirit of experimentation versus the spirit of recreating a specific sound is one of the biggest ways that Prince’s music inspires us to create. We believe that the lineage of the Minneapolis Sound is so important, regardless of any specific genre, and we’re grateful to be a part of keeping that alive.
Who would you most like to collaborate with and why?
Clairo came to mind for both of us right away. She writes incredible songs that have worked in several different genres and production levels, and seems to be open to experimentation.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Something as chaotic, unpredictable, and unhealthy because that’s all we know.
You’re starting your LA residency in November, followed by a European tour (Nov-Dec). What should gig-goers expect? Any antics? Or will it be strictly (funky) business?
We both started out in the Minneapolis scene as musicians playing live with a full band, which is another key element of the Minneapolis Sound, so it’s important to us that the live show is top notch and fun(ky) business.
What is your FAULT?
Acid reflux and heartburn.