Now that's what I call royalty!

Royalty may be making the headlines in other parts of the world this week but it's here in Donegal that the real kings are to be found - on stage in Ballyshannon tonight as local band Kings of Cool launches their debut album.

This hometown concert in the Abbey Arts Centre, will give their many fans an opportunity to hear tracks from their new offering, Angels In Disguise, as well as the many favourites they've generated themselves over the years in different bands.

Michael Christie, Jason Kelly and Stephen Gallagher started writing and recording new songs during the first Covid lockdown and the responses to those songs at radio stations and online sites took off
very rapidly.

"Jason, Stephen and myself have played together in bands for many years," says Michael.

"Even though we were involved in separate music projects for a while we always stayed in touch and it felt very easy and natural when we started recording new songs a few years ago.

"The songs just kept coming and we got into a groove of releasing a single every two months or so, and now many of these songs out there on YouTube and Spotify.

"We came up with the name The Kings of Cool and it felt right for a couple of reasons. One, because it kind of hints at our music influences and two, because nobody would think of using the word cool in trying to describe what we look like!"

Some of us of a certain age would remember bands that the boys were part of over the years...Georgia, The Malfunctions, The Wild Herrings and more.

As Jason says: "We have played in so many bands from punk to pop to country and all of that comes out in the Kings of Cool songs. There is a big guitar pop influence, but also elements of jazz, country and rock in there.

"Think Nick Lowe, Squeeze, ELO, Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, Blondie, Marshall Crenshaw. And we are huge Beatles fans."

So far the lads have been delighted with all the radio play, and the online buzz has been amazing.

Rock royalty ...the Kings of Cool

Michael takes up the story: "We have over 16,000 followers on Facebook from all over the world. Every day we get messages and comments from people in Canada, USA, Europe and even Australia.

"It's incredible really and it just shows how the internet has opened up opportunities to local
bands like ourselves to reach out globally. We have just set up our website at www.thekingsofcool.net and of course, we are on Facebook, Youtube and Spotify"

And now for the first time since a few low-key gigs in 2019 The Kings of Cool are emerging from the studio for a while to play some live gigs over the summer.

"Yes we are excited to get to play live and meet people," says Stephen.

"The very first gig will be tonight in the Abbey Arts Centre and we will play a lot of our own songs as well as some songs from other artists that we enjoy playing. We will also have some special musical
friends along to join us at the show"

We leave the final few words to Michael.

"When we started writing songs to help us stay sane during lockdown, we didn't have any plans. Now here we are bringing out an album its just brilliant! Personally I am really pleased that we are already hard at work on songs for the second album. It all comes back to the music. So of course we would love to see as many as possible at the album launch gig and I can tell you we plan to have a
great time"

So there you have it....The Kings of Cool, Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, tonight, Thursday, May 4. The show starts at 8pm.

Tickets are available at www.abbeycentre.ie or (071) 9851375.