Out of Wilmington, North Carolina, The Speed Kings shout a rebel yell which combines punk and rock-n-roll, drawing from old influences. The current line-up is Axl- Vocals and Guitar, Spike-Vocals and Guitar, Will- Bass and Backing Vocals, and Jeff- Drums. You can check out their music at http://www.myspace.com/thespeedkings. I got a chance to ask Will about their music and inspirations.”,”Axl- Vocals and Guitar. The Speed Kings interview by Roya Butler

You call yourselves a rock and roll punk band. Explain that further.

Will:

well, really all punk is a stripped down form of rock-n-roll, with a little more edge and rebellion thrown in for good measure. We’ve got some songs that are straight up punk rock, and then others that have more of a 50’s rock-n-roll feel to them.

What made you decide on making a band in this genre of music?

Will:

basically, it’s just what came out when we started playing. We like to draw on old influences because we want to make music that will stand the test of time and not fade away like most trends in music today.

What are your musical inspirations?

Will:

The Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, Johnny Cash, Ramones, Link Wray, Social Distortion, just to name a few. We all draw from a lot of different artists, in a lot of different genres.

What inspires your lyrics?

Will:

Cheap Booze, Expensive Women, Fast Cars, Loud Motorcycles, & Dirty Rock n Roll!!

What’s your song ‘hold fast’ about?

Will:

I don’t know…you can probably get different messages from it. For me, I think it’s about living your life day by day because the worlds a fucked up place. You should live each day like it’s your last

How’s the rock-n-roll/punk scene in North Carolina?

Will:

the North Carolina scene has never been at a loss for great bands, but like any other scene it kind of comes in waves. 2008 is looking like a great year so far. We just played a show in our home town Wilmington with the US Bombs and Far From Finished. That show was on a Tuesday night and the place was fuckin packed. It just showed me that the scene is definitely alive and well.

How did you meet your band mates?

Will:

we’ll Jeff and I started jamming with some other dudes about 3 years ago. I had been seeing Jeff around town and at shows for years but never really knew him. I had been introduced to Axl a few years back by a mutual friend. Axl had just moved to Wilmington from Miami where he was playing in a punk band called The Hangovers. I thought that they had a great sound and immediately thought of him when we were looking for a new singer and guitarist. Spike just recently joined the band, but has been a friend of all of ours for years. He’s been in a ton of great bands over the years. We’re all into the same shit like old hotrods and choppers so we all get along great.

What are your favorite venues to play?

Will:

in Wilmington, we love playing at The Soapbox. Their sound is the best in town. Also, for pure dirty rock n roll vibe you can’t beat the 42nd St Tavern. As far as outside of Wilmington, I think the best place that we have played has been Abbey Lounge in Boston. They all greeted us southern boys with open arms!