Seraphina Lotkhamnga on June 3rd, 2013

3

It’s been two years since KING released “The Story,” a stunning 3-track EP that captured the hearts of fans such as Erykah Badu and Questlove. But twin sisters Amber and Paris Strother and friend Anita Bias are about to take the world by storm with their debut full-length. A 10-track album that bears the same name of their self-released EP, the jazzy, soulful collection glows with a warmth that is more inviting than the sun that beats down on the city they now call their home.

||| Stream: “Hey” and “Supernatural”

But home hasn’t always been in Los Angeles for two of KING’s members. Although Anita was born and reared in Compton, where her parents turned her on to old-school greats such as Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, Amber and Paris grew up with the Minneapolis Sound where their now-mentor Prince made a name for himself. Paris quickly took to the piano as a child and became a “prodigy,” according to her sister. Amber, on the other hand, nurtured her love for music internally and would only sing for her stuffed animals.

Things have changed since then.

Now Amber has performed with Paris and Anita in front of massive crowds at the Forum and she doesn’t have trouble with stage fright. “I think when you work with people you love, trust and gel well with, there’s a certain confidence that it gives you,” says Amber. “It puts you to the next level when you’re with people you respect so much.”

It only took one visit to California to realize that there was something special – “a truth in the air” – between her sister and her new friend Anita, who had recently run into Paris in Los Angeles. Says Paris about running into an old Berklee schoolmate, “It was awesome. I had such a strong reaction from meeting her the first time that when I saw her again I was like ‘Yes!’ We hadn’t exchanged information. We hadn’t crossed paths before meeting again so when we did 3,000 miles away ”¦ It was awesome.” Once Amber linked up with both girls, the three have been inseparable.

“We’re friends first more than bandmates or anything like that,” Anita says when asked if they were besties who went shopping together. “It worked out really well,” Paris adds.”We all are together all the time, music or not music.” Her sister agrees: “There’s nothing better, to get good news, all these wonderful things happening in our lives … You know, they’re the first people you call. We’re business partners, but you’re still having great conversations talking about your plans and your biggest dreams. I think that’s amazing.”

The good news to which Amber refers came about a month after they self-released “The Story” and simply tweeted that the EP was out. The flood of encouraging responses on social media came from family, friends and friends of friends. One of these supporters was Prince, who contacted girls to let them know that “This music is perfect. I want everyone to hear it the way it is.” When asked if it was a freak-out moment, Amber was quick to explain, “Hell, yeah. I thought, ‘This is someone playing around.'”

With no reason to doubt the artist whose career includes 10 platinum selling albums and 30 Top 40 singles, the trio is honored to have his support and is now working with his management. “He has such a wealth of information,” says Paris, who does the trio’s production. “He’s been there. He’s done it. It’s amazing to hear his perspective.” But the main advice the Purple One has given KING is simple: Stay true to yourselves.

And being true is what they’ve done. They recorded and produced the EP in Paris’ bedroom without much equipment – which was “a process but a very fun one” – self-released it and practiced patience when it came to the timing of their album release. Independence is a strong thread in the trio’s work ethic.

Support from fans have been the icing on the cake. “It just feels great,” Paris says. “It goes against a lot in the music industry when you’re told by people this what you have to do, this is what you have to do to be successful, you have to sound like the radio, you know. I was learning that I had to sound like other people. This was a big breakaway to just be able to do it and have it the way you want to.”

Paris also adds that her artistic journey with the young women also has a lot to do with their name.

Why KING instead of QUEEN? “We wanted to challenge the notion of what you think of when you think who’s in charge,” she says. “It was the first and only name to come to us. KING. It’s so strong and it had such strong impact on us after we came up with it. Initially, we didn’t sit down and think we need to be this or that. We are KING.

“The meaning of the name has definitely been showing itself to us over the last couple of years. Really experiencing what it’s like to be independent and working, having creative control with these ladies ”¦ We do everything. It was really important that people knew that about us too.”

Adds Amber: “It’s just us.”

The album “The Story” is “based on self-discovery,” Amber says. Paris chimes in again to support their album’s strong thesis: “It’s kind of like a moment in time for us. We’re all writing our own history, so we’re inspired by putting this new music together between the three of us combined, how our story is developing. Like me and Amber, growing up liking to play together but not knowing we would grow up and work together. All these wonderful stories that unfold.”

||| Stream: “In the Meantime”

The single “In the Meantime” was released to tide fans over until the record is out – there’s no firm release date yet, although the trio says it will come out this year. They say the album is an even broader experience than the shape-shifting R&B on their EP. They’re at a loss, at this point, to pick their album highlight.

“No, I can’t choose,” Anita says. “You have to listen to the whole album.”

There is one overriding hope, says Amber: “That people hear themselves in it.”

||| Live: KING continues their story every Monday in June with their residency at the Bootleg. The KING shows are the early shows (doors at 7 p.m.) this month.

||| Watch: Their stop-animation video for “The Story” below.