A breathtakingly beautiful, soul-soaked call for love and peace over fighting and war, “Weapon” burns bold and true as King Kyote pours his heart into a song of sweet, stirring mutual surrender.
Stream: “Weapon” – King Kyote
Music is the ultimate healing force, and I think we could all use a little more music and healing these days.
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Hushed and heated, King Kyote’s latest single is a world unto itself.
It’s a red-hot space of unfiltered honesty and unapologetic self-expression; a world in which we wear our hearts on our sleeves, and prioritize our love over all that gets in our (and its) way.
Because there will always be snags and snarls, hitches and hiccups, but we can’t let those break us down or stand in our way; they’re not worth losing sight of the bigger picture, and of what really matters most to us in this life. It’s like that old saying: Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy? Laying our weapons down is (almost) always for the best; be they words or daggers, nothing good comes from repeated jabs – and our lover’s loss is never our win. Singer/songwriter King Kyote recognizes this universal truth, channeling raw emotion and wisdom into his latest single. A breathtakingly beautiful, soul-soaked call for love and peace over fighting and war, “Weapon” burns bold and true as the singer/songwriter pours his heart into a song of sweet, stirring mutual surrender.
Never thought I had love
Until I lost it all
We’ve been runnin’ round in circles babe
What are we fighting for
We got so good at makin’ love
but better at makin’ war
When I said that I loved you
I meant that I love you
Even when it’s hard
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Weapon,” the third single taken off King Kyote’s forthcoming self-titled debut album (due out later this year). Following his dramatic folk rock reverie “The Wild” and the blues-rock barnstormer “Mother Nature,” “Weapon” showcases a softer, but no less fiery side to Jon King’s multi-faceted artistry.
The Maine-based singer/songwriter, who took up the name King Kyote in deference to coyotes’ resilience and strength in the wild, sings tenderly and passionately as he tries to temper a tense situation. His emotionally charged words, delivered with aching affection and endless care, are a soothing olive branch in the heat of an unrelenting argument; a moment of clarity in the fog of war. “We’ve been runnin’ round in circles babe; what are we fighting for?” he cries, his voice a seductive, shiver-inducing beacon of real and raw emotion. “We got so good at makin’ love, but better at makin’ war.“
Such is the beauty of love that we’re willing to fight tooth and nail to maintain it; to have it and to hold it, through good times and bad. “Weapon” is King’s valiant attempt to overcome those obstacles, trials, and tribulations that keep us apart from one another. He hits a climactic, dramatic crescendo in the song’s cathartic, harmony-laced chorus, his heartfelt lyrics calling for armistice and acknowledgement; a farewell to arms, in favor of reconciliation and resolution. Peace, in lieu of fighting. Love, in lieu of war.
Lay your weapon down
Lay your weapon down
Put your dagger on the ground
Lay your weapon down
When I said that I loved you, I meant that I love you even when it’s hard…
In the rapidly expanding King Kyote catalog, “Weapon” is shines like a diamond in the rough. The artist himself describes this song as a ‘left turn’ on his upcoming album. “I identify mostly with the roots rock and indie / Americana genres, and ‘Weapon’ leans into my soul / RnB side,” King tells Atwood Magazine. “I had this chord progression kicking around for years and finally turned it into something this past year when I was preparing to record in the studio. The song is about a relationship in a literal sense, but also ties into a universal message of peace and ‘laying your weapon down.’ It took some work to connect all the dots, but once I figured out what to say and how to say it, the song felt more than worthy to be on the album. I love how different it is from the rest of the tracks.”
More in the soulful vein of John Mayer than in the hard rockin’ edge of Nathaniel Rateliff, “Weapon” is without a doubt an expansion of King Kyote’s world – one that affirms his talents and ensures no one puts him in a single box, ever again. “Most songs I write are rock n’ roll with shades of either Americana country or blues, and most people know me for that,” he acknowledges. “A few years back I released ‘Get Out Alive‘ on Atlantic Records and performed it live on NBC primetime, so there are a bunch of folks that know me from there, however my influences and what I love to play run so much deeper than one genre. So I set out to create something with a smokey late-night vibe, but still had some tenderness to it. ‘Weapon’ definitely lives in its own space, which is good though, because I love sharing that side of myself and surprising people with a new perspective. Music isn’t one dimensional… if you feel me.”
Knocked down, blacked out
Shot down, f**ed up
Baby we’re a ghost town
Got so many things to say
But the words, words don’t come out
We got so good at makin’ love but better at makin’ war
When I said that I loved you I meant that I love you
Even when I don’t know how
Lay your weapon down
Lay your weapon down
Put your dagger on the ground
Lay your weapon down
“Weapon” will live deeper on the upcoming album so that music lovers can find it and “vibe on it,” King smiles. This record will be King Kyote’s most definitive statement to date, and as such he’s giving it as much tender, loving care, as much firepower, and as much of himself as he possibly can.
“I have been at this for a long time… been writing and performing my whole life and the last decade as a ‘professional’ artist,” he says. “And what’s funny is that just now in my life, things feel like they are growing and expanding and I’m reaching a larger audience. Nothing is guaranteed, so my team and I are throwing as much gas as we can on this fire! This first full length album means everything to me – it is the first seed that will grow into something bigger and hopefully unite everyone who listens. Some of these song ideas and licks have been with me for over ten years, so you could say it was a long time coming.”
“The most significant thing about this body of work is that, while the songs have a deep and often literal meaning to me, they are all relatable stories to everyone else. Music is the ultimate healing force, and I think we could all use a little more music and healing these days.”
There’s no denying the power and passion of King Kyote’s performance in “Weapon.”
Aching from the inside out, the singer/songwriter enchants and disarms us through a breathtakingly intimate eruption from his innermost depths. Let this song be a balm for all your troubles, and a reminder that love should always triumph. Stream “Weapon” exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and stay tuned for more to come from King Kyote as he continues to tease his upcoming debut album!
“Weapon” is out everywhere May 24.
Here we are again on the kitchen floor
Bleeding out from words never spoke before
Broken promises scattered around
Like shattered shells laying on the ground
Oh I don’t want to fight anymore
But don’t want to let go
Can you tell me love is there a little bit of hope
Lay your weapon down
Lay your weapon down
Put your dagger on the ground
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Stream: “Weapon” – King Kyote
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