He describes the former as a working-class environment, the latter as more middle-class. And when asked about their heroes, normal teenagers definitely don't hold up Ian Dury, Fela Kuti, Eddie Cochran and Malcolm Owen from the Ruts (Archy's mum once dated the band's drummer).Īrchy grew up shuttling between his mum's house in East Dulwich and his dad's flat in Peckham. Normal teenagers don't enthuse at length about the Damned, Josef K, New York no-wave movement anti-heroes James Chance, DNA and John Lurie, pianist Bill Evans and jazz singers Blossom Dearie and Nancy Wilson. Normal teenagers don't write songs like Cementality, which moves with the grace of Gil Scott-Heron while considering the pros and cons of throwing yourself out of a window ("It's about killing myself," he confirms. "That collaboration will happen when it happens, y'know?"). Normal teenagers don't have Frank Ocean singing their praises and proposing collaborations ("His new album's fucking good," says Archy. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the GuardianĮxcept, of course, there's nothing remotely normal about him. He's been at the centre of a blizzard of activity ever since, even while his old manager – his mum – tried to hold everyone back a little and carve out some space for her son to be a normal teenager. It's nearly three years since he released his first single, Out Getting Ribs, on the tiny House Anxiety label. He has been through some incredibly painful times, and fully expects to experience more, but is open and honest and unafraid to talk about any of them. Today, he is fantastically entertaining company. When the Guide first interviewed Archy almost two years ago, he was a little bit prickly and aloof – an impression reinforced by those brilliantly acerbic lyrics – but that can probably be attributed to typical teenage bravado. "I actually find a lot of pleasure in writing lyrics." Meanwhile, in your song, you're staring so intently at this girl you're scarring her? "Yeah, I'm scarring her tongue, her lust, her mouth." He lights a new smoke. That's got really simple but very, very effective lyrics that talk about being depressed and seeing no beauty in life because your lover's gone." "Well," he laughs, "I listen to a lot of jazz standards, like When Your Lover Has Gone. It's worth remembering at this point that Archy won't be 19 until the day this article appears. And then, sounding like Chet Baker with a penetrating head wound: "Girl, I could have been someone … "
Archy's real talents become clear when, on the gorgeous Nelson Riddle-era Sinatra howl of Baby Blue, he croons, "My sandpaper sight engraves a line into the rust of your tongue". Initially, Ocean Bed or Bathed In Grey are all elbows and needly fingers, wavery bark and bite, but hear them again and a testy, tarmacked elegance is apparent. The second time you listen, you'll be gripped by the beauty of his songs – even though, first time around, you didn't think they were beautiful at all. The first time you listen to King Krule you'll be shocked by his rich, angry baritone – a pissed-off Joe Strummer having a stand-up row with Billy Bragg, a voice that seems absurd coming from this pencil-thin, hollow-cheeked boy. " … is a fucking masterpiece of craft and art!" He picks the record up and flips it over. "But if you buy my vinyl, I'll be happy, because this … " "I couldn't give a shit about MP3s," he says, perhaps unexpectedly for someone managed by the same chap who looks after Adele. I come from a punk vibe, so if you can illegally download my album, fuck it, do it! I illegally downloaded all of my music. But I also love the fact that the internet really fucked the music industry. "I do love the music aspect of the internet," he says. For someone who has no real recollection of life before MP3s, the physicality of the thing clearly makes Archy very happy indeed. In front of Archy sits a double-vinyl pressing of his remarkable debut album, 6 Feet Beneath The Moon, and during our hour or so together he simply can't leave it alone. "Imagine a king crawling through the city on his hands and knees," he explains.
These days, Archy goes by the name of King Krule.
KING KRULE ARCHY MARSHALL SERIES
"They told me it'll be like psychiatry – like counselling." The artist formerly known as Zoo Kid, DJ JD Sports and Edgar The Beatmaker smiles broadly, takes delivery of a pint of Kronenbourg and rolls the first in a long series of gaspers. I 've been looking forward to this," says Archy Marshall.
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