Americana Music Profiles
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The Zinc Kings
University of North Carolina Greensboro students Christen Blanton, Dan
Clouse and Mark Dillon formed their group The Zinc Kings originally as a
side-project in the fall of 2010. The young musicians realized that while they
loved Appalachian music, they recognized that there seemed to be an absence of
the music of the North Carolina Piedmont style.
Music from that region of Carolina tends to be more heavily influenced
by the blues tradition, and shows up in the music that generates from that area
of the country. It seemed like a natural transition for the band and the desire
to help preserve the unique musical culture led to the final musical direction.
They quickly found themselves overwhelmed by the demand for music from the North
Carolina Piedmont.Each the three founding members have long backgrounds in music. Blanten is a professional viola player, Dillon a longtime songwriter and Clouse a professional tuba player. Very few of these skills make it into the Zinc Kings but their experience in playing the music is reflected in their lively performances.
Since their inception in the fall of 2010, The Zinc Kings have seen a consistent run of non-stop performances at local venues and regional festivals. And in the summer of 2011 The Zinc Kings became the house band for the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Theaterfest production of Where Music Kills Sorrow.
In the spring of 2011 The Zinc Kings released their self-titled debut album of the same name. Recorded over the course of a extended weekend, with no overdubs and two microphones; a very accurate representation of The Zinc Kings live performances.
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Band URL: www.TheZincKings.com
Genre: Old Time, Piedmont Blues
Contact: dillon525@gmail.com
Active since 1/26/11