ICYMI: #WomanCrushWednesday IG Live featuring Hey, King!
BY LAURA HARPER/WWR Staff Writer
Female empowerment is a very important and powerful theme that can be presented through music, and a band that really focuses on making women’s voices heard is the female duo of Hey, King!
Hey, King! is comprised of Natalie London on guitar and vocals alongside her partner, percussionist and vocalist Taylor Plecity.
London started Hey, King! on her own after recovering from some major health issues. While she was ill, she often found herself watching Where the Wild Things Are and was inspired to name her band after the way the monsters in the film addressed the main character. She also wanted to capture a very particular feeling that permeated throughout the film.
“Hey, King! is about capturing that childhood rage and wonderment,” London said.
A few years after starting the band, London met Plecity and the pair soon fell in love and formed a relationship with one another, eventually leading to Plecity becoming the second member of Hey, King!
“Being able to play my favorite songs with my favorite person is a whole new level of intimacy,” Plecity said.
For both London and Plecity, they often used music when they were growing up as an outlet for working through their feelings and experiences, as music lends itself to being something of a universal language for everyone.
“Music makes people feel like they’re not alone,” London said.
Music is not the only creative outlet that London and Plecity pursue together; they also work on independent films with one another, and even codirect their music videos.
One of their most prominent music videos is for their song “Road Rage,” which features 21 different women sharing their stories. While London and Plecity normally have a clear vision for their videos, they wanted to be lenient with this one to make sure that each woman had a chance to portray her story in her own way.
“Road Rage” is a song that focuses deeply on the theme of female empowerment by highlighting issues commonly faced by women, particularly when it comes to sexual assault and sexual harassment. The song is meant to give women a sense of power to express their anger and share their stories against such inexcusable behavior.
As the world begins to reopen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Hey, King! says they are looking forward to playing live again. They currently have a couple shows booked, including a performance at a record store in San Diego, California for Record Store Day on July 17.
While the pandemic certainly put a damper on most things, art continued to thrive.
“Just keep creating,” London said. “Art was the common denominator of bringing us all together.”
For more on Hey, King!, you can check out the entire interview on the @OfficialWomenWhoRock IGTV channel on Instagram.