PURVEYORS of fun infectious ska, The Kingstons return to The Wharf on Saturday, October 14 for the second time and promise a whole new show to get you up ‘skanking’ – that’s dancing to the inhibited. Here Ellie Hudson has a chat with founder member David Gray.

Tell us about The Kingstons. Who’s in the band and what part they play?

‘The Kingstons consist of: Senga Clarke-Cote (vocals), David Gray (trumpet and vocals), Justin Bartlett (guitar and vocals), Chris Soper (double bass) and Malcolm Bray (drums).

‘We all contribute to songwriting and bring our own styles to the writing process giving us our unique sound.’

Can you give us some background on all the band members?

‘All the members of the band have come from very different backgrounds. For Senga, this is the first band she’s ever played in! She’s had to learn very quickly and is now slowly becoming the band diva. I have played in a variety of bands over the last 10 years. My previous band was Jessica and the Rabbits which l played trumpet in for four and a half years.

‘Before joining The Kingstons Justin had a bit of a break playing in bands. He used to play in a Brit Pop style band and has a passion for funk music too. You can hear the funk influences in a couple of tracks we play.

‘Chris has played bass for a variety of function bands and originals bands over the years and is a founding member of The Kingstons, sharing his love of ska and reggae music.

‘Malcolm has always had a love of ska music, playing in a ska band before he moved to Devon. After playing in a folk band and heavy metal band he was over the moon to set up The Kingstons when it all began.

Are you a covers band or do you play original music?

‘The Kingstons began as a covers band but always with the aim of writing and performing original music.

‘When we first started we played a variety of old 50s/60s ska classics and 80s two-tone sing-a-longs. However, it wasn’t long before the originals started to sneak into the set. Many of the original songs are written by me including I still miss you that was played on BBC Introducing Devon and Cornwall.

‘Justin and Senga also contribute to the songwriting, with Senga’s song Wake up girl on the band EP. All our music is influenced by our different styles regardless of the genre. We all share a love of jazz, blues, funk and a soul and you can hear these in the covers we play. We tend to avoid playing obvious cover tracks now and go for something slightly different. One of our favourite cover songs is Summertime that we’ve given the ska treatment to.’

Ska is an enormously popular and infectious genre of music — what attracted you to it and who are the bands that got you hooked?

‘We all share a love of the originals 50s/60s ska. Tracks by Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Skatalites, Jimmy Cliff, Prince Buster are hugely influential.

‘We never try to copy their sound of course but it’s all about the feel. I guess our aim is to try and mix the authenticity of the old-style ska with the sing along songs of the 80s bands like The Specials and Madness, but in our own unique way.

‘If people are singing our choruses and dancing like a looney then we’re happy!’

How far afield do you travel as a band?

‘So far, we’ve only gigged in Devon and Cornwall. We’ve played at a variety of events such as weddings, parties, pubs, clubs charity and events and festivals. Of course, we’re willing to travel any distance if the opportunity is there. We aim to play at a lot more festivals around the country in 2018.’

What is your biggest achievements as a band to date?

‘As a band we feel like we’ve made some great achievements, con-sidering we’ve only been around for two years! These include recording our first EP in 2016 and launching it at the Wharf to over 300 people. ‘

Highlights also include supporting The Neville Staple Band at the Hub in Plymouth. Neville Staple and The Specials are big influences on the band. We loved supporting Chainska Brassika as well. They’re a great ska band from the South West, demonstrating how original ska music is becoming more and more popular.

‘Also, as I mentioned earlier, I still miss you was played on BBC Introducing Devon and Cornwall last year and the band were immensely proud of this.

So what can the Wharf audience expect from you at your next gig?

‘This year is all about showing people who The Kingstons really are. We have a very different set to last year, including new songs and some unique covers. There’ll be songs to dance to and songs to sing along to. We have a fantastic support band called The Cabarats who are not to be missed. We look forward to putting on a show that you won’t forget for a while.’