Royal Falcon

By sonicden

January 14, 2015

Blues, Psychedelic, Rock

About Royal Falcon:

Royal Falcon are an Auckland-based band, making music akin to a deranged drifter at the window. Their raucous psychedelic country blues songwriting merges dark narrative and creeping dynamics with an explosive aural assault to create something quite intense.

Founding members Dan Pilkington (Vocals, Guitar) and Gareth Hays (Bass) established a songwriting partnership through their long-standing association with Maternal Records, having been heavily schooled in the primal rock outpourings of that label.

Perry Hooper (Guitar) is the gutsy blues protagonist at the forefront of the band. Hooper has a transcendent affinity for the Royal Falcon, and his searing leads cut through with surgical precision.

Heath King (Vocals, Drums) is the swinging dynamo that makes this bird fly, also handling lead vocals with aplomb. King is a proficient percussionist and demonstrates an array of styles, but relishes the Falcon’s call to keep it simple and solid.

Musical wayfarer Rob Simpson (Trombone, Harmonica, Percussion, Optical Theremin) wears many hats, proffering a multi- instrumental swag-bag to weave a colourful thread through all of Royal Falcon’s compositions.

Jared Greenwood (Guitar, Vocals) lends a deft hand and soulful voice, adding dextrous guitar lines to the mix. A long standing co-conspirator, Greenwood is now fully in the fold, and has stamped his presence on the Royal Falcon sound.

Despite being rocked by the untimely death of inspirational leader Dan Pilkington, the band has remained committed to their original vision, pushing on to release subsequent albums, and their music has been picked-up by and features heavily in South Pacific Pictures’ popular television series ‘Go Girls’, where it has been used to great effect, exposing the band to an audience outside of the sweaty Auckland live scene.