West King String Band

Cultivated on the porches and back yards across the train tracks on West King Street in St. Augustine, Florida, West King String Band draws from countless genres of music to create a unique homegrown sound they call 'blues-grass'. The outfit took their manic, upbeat riffs on the road and have embarked on several east coast tours and recorded multiple EP's. Their first full length album "Achin'" released in August of 2016 captivates the blues-grass sound and features both foot stomping songs full of energy and technique as well as slow bluesy grooves accompanied by lyrics tinged with sadness and humor. From Sing Out Loud, a series produced by the St. Augustine Amphitheatre: Joe Rocco’s barber shop, St. Augustine Family Barber, sits nestled under an oak tree just feet away from Gypsy Cab Company. It is a small, unassuming building with jazz paintings lining the walls and vinyl records everywhere. On a stormy day in February, however, the music wasn’t just two dimensional. The West King String Band shuffled into the corner of the shop, opposite Joe’s barber chair, and let fly some sweet harmonies and magical melodies that brought the place to life. True to their name, The West King String Band did, in fact, start on West King Street in September of 2013. It was founded by St. Augustine natives Zack, AJ, Jesse, and Jack, all of whom either went to high school or college together. Their years of knowing each other could undoubtably be seen by the ease in which they played as a group. Coupled with the gentle roar of Rocco’s razor, the West King String Band’s sound felt as though it had always belonged in the shop. The rain, the overwhelming smell of shaving cream, and the cat shirt worn by Jack sure made for a picture perfect single take. Original grassy folk music with clever songwriting and hot pickin'. New album out soon.