AA Loves: U.S. Royalty

D.C. based U.S. Royalty has invaded my speakers and I never want them to leave. Like their name implies, they represent a slice of Americana infusing their sound with southern blues rock riffs, steady driving drum lines, and reminiscent lyrics that evoke the quintessentially American concept of a road trip with your best friends. But their sound is more complex than that with distinguishable continental influences. I’d say they are somewhere in between Creedence Clearwater Revival  and Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew.

However, I suppose it’s this Americana sound that resulted in their overly sleek first music video for "Every Summer” that admittedly looks like a hipster Abercrombie and Fitch commercial. Although, they really do have a fantastic sense of style. The band that is, not Abercrombie.

Frontman John Thornley was actually the inspiration for director Jake Davis, who shot their first video, and his Test Shots series, where he seeks to showcase an individual’s style rather than simply capturing an outfit with a photo. The results are certainly interesting, artfully abstract, and of course beautifully filmed.

Unfortunately, this band has only released an EP and a handful of tracks that I have searched far and wide to find. Fortunately for you, I’ve already done the legwork. Now go forth and listen!

Download their EP here

Listen to their new releases, “Louisiana Spell” and “My Dearest Friend,” here.