Q&A with London's eccentric King Charles

King Charles

Stoke of Genius:

Stoke of Genius interviewed Charles Johnston, known by his pseudonym King Charles, ahead of his gig tomorrow (April 6) at The Sugarmill.

He provided some intriguing insights into his surreal world.

SOG: Why ‘King Charles’?

King Charles: By name, by nature; naturally.

Are you looking forward to returning to Stoke's The Sugarmill after such a great reception last year?

Yeah Stoke's gonna' be amazing. Very excited about returning, can't wait to see everyone who's coming. 

Who are your influences?

God, girls, furs, pearls, flesh, blood, polar bears, crocodiles, the city, the wild, the end of time all keep my thoughts on their feet and my mind in varying degrees of motion.

Who would you compare yourself to?

The highest, the wisest, the fastest, the brightest; the lowest, the foolish, the slowest the darkest. Just so I know my place.

What was it like touring with Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons and Noah & The Whale?

I have a wonderful time with all of them, I have covered a lot of ground across England and America, opening their shows, all forming an enormously exciting cluster of moods, moments and memories. They all showed me a lot and I hope to continue touring and making music with them all.

How do international crowds compare to those in the UK?

Oversees they seem to be interested and get excited about different things in different territories which makes the shows all feel very different. Touring abroad can really keep you on your toes because you’re never sure how they are going to react and what they want from you.

King Charles

What has life been like since LoveBlood hit the UK Top 40? How has it changed in terms of media association and public perception?

Life's been cool, there are more supporters and sold-out shows which is great.

How does being solo compare to when you were in adventureplayground?

I loved adventureplayground. Extraordinary group of people, all front men now. Very unusual, creative atmosphere that i miss sometimes but we all had to pursue what was brewing in us.

I'm on tour now so thats what's making the biggest difference.

Are you enjoying the UK tour and what are you most looking forward to?

I'm loving this tour, always look forward to the shows that surprise me somehow. There are some venues I've wanted to play for a while too, so am pleased to be doing those.

Can you say which festivals you will be at this summer?

We've got some that we haven't played before; Wickerman, Belladrum, 2000trees, I know there's more. I am trying to play around the rest of the country before I release the next album.

What are your plans after your UK tour? 

Release a new album, play with The Rolling Stones, go to America, get bigger, tour new places, think about some new things. See what happens.

See King Charles at The Sugarmill tomorrow (April 6) from 7.30pm. It is for ages 14+ and is £11 on the door.