Chad Gardner on Making Kings Kaleidoscope

[@jordanblarson]

Kings Kaleidoscope is by far my favorite band right now. Absolutely love their unique sound. They're so underrated.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They're so good!

[@eithelmora6033]

A straight worship album would be AWESOME!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

I know. Was so pumped when he revealed that they're working on one!

[@jezbread8111]

The early albums Sin and Becoming Who We Are come the closest, the EPs too.

[@jacindaellison3363]

I concur!

[@Silence-and-Violence]

Honestly for me it would be soooo boring. Their cover of worship songs are their worst songs in my opinion. Now, being at one of their shows and singing a worship song as group worship with the crowd and the band together is HEAVENLY, literally. Generally disliking worship music and especially CCM is what made me love Kings K when I first became a Christian at age 30 as a music fiend who suddenly had to stop listening to like half of the music I used to listen to. When I first converted, I thought, man I need to start listening to Christian music. But all the popular stuff STINKS. Then I found people like Kings K and Josh Garrels and Nobigdyl and Tobe Ngwigwe... but Kings Kaleidoscope is by far the best. Nobody in Christian music makes stuff like Kings K and that's exactly why I don't need a worship album from them... I need more of THEIR music written from THEIR hearts. But I hope you get the worship album you want because I love you :)

[@GwilDavey]

It always blows my mind how Kings aren't a household name when it comes to christian bands. I've had the privilege of seeing them live twice in the UK. Love their music.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Totally agree

[@0921net]

I agree. I say that to my husband all the time- I’m so thankful for the smaller venue I saw them in but I say “how are they not selling out stadiums!?”

[@domtom010]

I’m honestly kind of glad they’re not tbh. I like that they’re so niche and not super well known compared to other Christian’s artists. Don’t get me wrong, I wish them all the success in the world and hope they reach as wide an audience as possible, but for now, where they are makes experiencing their music all the more personal for me in this season of my life.

[@romaneaster9492]

“A full length Asaph’s Arrows.” Ok, now I’m excited!!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

I know right? Can't wait!

[@cameronkanney9941]

For my 70th birthday, I went to hear KK in Pamonna, CA this weekend. Love it. Course, as the creator of McGee and Me and a goofy kid book series, The Incredible Worlds of Wally McDoogle, I'm all about being out of the box. But what a rush to know there are others in future generations thinking the same way! (Great interview, tby the way).

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Love that!

[@girlwithlion]

wait are you really the creator of mcgee and me!? i loved that as a kid!!!

[@colorgr8d]

New Kings K fan here 👋 Started listening to them soon after baptized imagination dropped. And loved the album, & saw them play at smoke 23 festival last month! & Now super excited to see them again this Saturday In Dallas/FT Worth!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They put on a great show. Glad to have another fan join the bandwagon!

[@chrisfair11]

Thanks KK for everyone involved. Thanks to the interviewer for being a good interviewer

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MikeyPozo]

Great interview! It's really hard finding KK interviews, so, bravo, my guy!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Thank you! Yeah it doesn't seem like they do it often, so to have them do this with me was a huge honour.

[@angeldotel5786]

Loved the conversation! Kings K interviews are a hard find and this is like the best one!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Yeah they don't do it often! Thank you for the kind words!

[@KDG702]

I really enjoyed this interview. It was so cool to hear insight and context behind these albums firsthand from Chad. I found KK about 5 years ago (on a randomized playlist made by Spotify for me ironically enough) and liked that song, checked out the album, and was hooked from then on. King Kaleidoscope, I love your work. I love your art. You guys are my favorite band and the most underrated out there IMO. Keep up the great work, I can’t wait to see you guys in detroit!!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They're so good!

[@thatchurchguyshandle]

such a great album, cool hearing these stories

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They never disappoint!

[@abbyofgail_]

I've been listening to Kings K since 2016, and they've always been my top artist on Spotify Wrapped. Their music is incredible, a perfect blend of art and faith. It's on my bucket list to see them live.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They're amazing!

[@rickbiessman6084]

This conversation was so inspiring. Thank you guys.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidjante1562]

Destined for life Will you heal me now? So good to hear the stories behind this music

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MxMnKC]

Just found this amazing conversation. I will have to go check out some of your other pods and definitely the wolves at the gate! Even though it's been a couple years since the pandemic times, this still feels so relevant, maybe now more than ever. Thank you for posting.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Awesome, thank you!

[@iansomerville4163]

Keep it lit. Guys . May God protect and bless ,your worship.keeps us as Christians on our toes. And makes us think. What a awesome God we follow. 👏🙏⚓. Belfast boy ..

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Indeed!

[@smoothwadee23]

This interview is gold, love this perspective 🔥

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Thank you!

[@hezekiahdaggett2179]

Wow! I’m a musician I really would love to just sit and listen to them work on their songs.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

It would be a great expirience!

[@errikkasanchez5828]

Thank you for making this video. I'm encouraged in so many ways in my journey.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sinnersandsufferers]

Showing up super late, but I'm loving this interview. It's been such a joy hearing Chad's story and growth through his songs. I remember the Creation Fest ordeal, and I FOUGHT for them - I still give some people responsible for that decision a hard time to this day. You'd think music festivals would be where people on the fringes of Christian culture could feel they belong. But I guess organizers have to keep up the Ned Flanders routine to pander to sponsors.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

It honestly is wild, glad you enjoyed the interview!

[@jacindaellison3363]

So, from what I gather from The Creation Fest ordeal, King's Kaleidescape had an album where one of the songs, A Prayer, contains the f-bomb. Adding to the fact that caused controversy with some Christians, the next thing the group knew, they were banned from Fest for unknown reasons. Some speculated that it was because of the album with A Prayer, but the Fest never specified, which is pretty strange. Why not just suggest an old album, or just skip that song or play the cleaned up version?

[@sinnersandsufferers]

@@jacindaellison3363 I don't know how much is appropriate to say but from my perspective it was absolutely because of the F-bomb and certain sponsors didn't want any association. Creation NW in its final years had developed a pretty strict conservative culture that I think caused a lot of tension with certain bands. I remember, as a stage hand, getting in trouble for saying a "no no word" after nearly falling off the back of the stage 😂

[@jacindaellison3363]

@sinnersandsufferers Interesting. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Life Way had refused to sell and of KK's songs because of A Prayer.

[@Thescynicroute]

I'm so glad that I had discovered King's kaleidoscope! I've only been a fan for the last year and a half, maybe two, and I would have to say that from an outsider, this is the best dumb business decision ever! Baptized imagination is one of very few albums that I've listened to from front to back in order, in years! I haven't listened to the latest album but radiant reason is on repeat every day! 😂 " Every song has a cost" - what a heartfelt and resonant quote. 🙏🏾

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They're great!

[@guitarcovercentral9466]

Great interview. Can't wait to see em live in Milwaukee this fall!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They're incredible live!

[@cmanwilly]

loved this interview, big thanks to the both of you

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@joellesaphine]

It's so awesome you were able to do this! I'm a massive Kings K fan, and have been surrounded by it before they changed their band name, thanks to my father. I'm always astounded by how artists come up with their music and the backstory of how the songs came to be, especially when I can easily relate to that artist. Thank you so much for doing this!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@StrivingToRest]

Thanks for posting man, seeing them live tonight and wanted to learn more about them and discovered your channel. Keep blessing the saint brother.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Thanks, you too!

[@Lily.valkyrie]

just saw them in DC and sang every lyric to every song with them

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They put on an incredible show!

[@eithelmora6033]

FINALLY A NEW INTERVIEW!!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They don't do them often! Was very thankful he wanted to come on to discuss their latest album.

[@esknape]

I get the "punk mindset" because that's been me since high school. As I approach 40 (dang) I think it's more a matter of wanting to ask questions than not being for anything. I connect with y'all's music, I think, because I share that mindset. It's also just fun music in a space that has felt stale to me for almost a decade. Much love.

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

They're so good!

[@RICKtoSICK10]

excited for them to come to the Orlando/Sanford concert

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Their shows are great!

[@0921net]

It was such a good show! If I had known what their concerts were like I would have made plans to go to the Tampa show as well!

[@RICKtoSICK10]

@@0921net yeah it was amazing brotha!

[@harrisonrakhshani4706]

Premium content for free, thanks for this! Love kings k!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Anything I can do to help!

[@dina.k]

Pure awesomeness!!!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Indeed!

[@gingieboi8477]

this interview was awesome!! you did such a great job asking questions. you literally asked like 4 of the same questions my friends and i had about the album. kings k info is so hard to find so im very happy i stumbled on this. my dream is to make a documentary about them and i’ve heard chad say that he wants one. if you can answer this, how did you get in touch with chad and set up the interview? if that info is too top secret, i totally understand haha

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Yeah they rarely do interviews so I was pumped to do this with them! The best way to reach them is just to send an email to the email that's on their website, and see if they answer back or not!

[@jacindaellison3363]

I hope you're able to make the documentary.

[@jacindaellison3363]

Maybe you discussed this in the interview, but I don’t recall ever hearing them on K-Love. Maybe KK were on there at a time before I discovered the radio station, but why couldn’t they play the other songs like A Little Bit of Faith, Safe Retreat or the cleaned version of A Prayer?

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Never, K-Love sticks to mainstream Christian music, the indies never get played!

[@jacindaellison3363]

@@thereconstructionistpodcast well, that sucks. But what really sucks is that Lifeway had stopped selling their CDs because of the explicit A Prayer.

[@k8lynmarie]

My favorite group of all time, from the time I first saw KingsK as the worship band at Mars Hill UW 12+ years ago 🤍

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Man what a throwback!

[@djmojo21]

Yeah for real! Kings K was the one of the 3 main worship teams at Mars Hill - Ballard (main campus) when I was attending church there in 2011-12! On top of Mark Driscoll's dynamic preaching, the worship when Kings would jam for Jesus was simply and absolutely incredible! Like no other worship I've ever encountered. Kings K on Easter Sunday: Get out of here!

[@bmc3971]

Great interview!

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Thank you!

[@laurafernandatamayo]

When are they coming to Toronto? 😢

[@rolandos8758]

I also have tough time saying what genre Kings Kaleidoscope is lol I say its close to rock or pop but idk what do y’all describe it as?

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Alternative because that word literally can mean anything haha!

[@MsMarkgardner]

❤

[@thereconstructionistpodcast]

Glad you enjoyed it!