North Kingsley, the collaborative project between System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, producer Saro Paparian and lyricist/vocalist Ray Hawthorne, has released a lyric video for their song “Shotguns.”
Said Hawthorne about the track, “’Shotguns’ is an open discussion about what it means to be a modern-day American. Is it even anything worth being proud of? What changes need to be made? As the days go on, these questions hold even more weight.”
“Shotguns” is the third track from the North Kingsley’s debut three-song EP, Vol. 1, released on August 14 through Odadjian’s 22 Red Media (a subsidiary of his lifestyle and cannabis brand 22 Red). Videos for the first two tracks, “Like That?” and “Die For The Pic,” were released earlier this month as well.
Vol. 1 is the first in a series of EPs the band has planned for release this year. Said Odadjian, “We’re giving you songs you can marinade on, instead of 12 songs all at once. There’s going to be a clip for every song, something visually for you to vibe on.”
He continues, “I directed videos for System, I do stage production visuals for the band, so that’s important to me.”
Odadjian also says that there will be more to North Kingsley than just the music, confirming that they will be releasing merch related to each EP as well. “Saro has an incredible eye for creating new things visually and I act almost how a producer would on that and we are going to drop merch with every release, so it’s more than just music.”
North Kingsley was formed in 2018 when Odadjian welcomed Paparian into the studio to teach him recording software LogicPro. Lessons turned into recording together. The duo then welcomed Hawthorne into the fold to provide vocals for the project, cementing a sound that takes inspiration from the socially-conscious rock and hip-hop spheres. Said Paparian to Blabbermouth about their sound, “The three of us align across the spectrum and bring different things. It’s like these musical and cultural nodes that center and become North Kingsley. We have specific creative identities. It’s like watching those three things clash and meld together like steel rods being sculpted by friction.”
He continues, “I’m stirring this witch’s brew with Ray’s lyrical intellect and Shavo’s exceptional songwriting talent. It’s in his DNA to know when a song feels right and I throw my flavor into that and that’s us.”
