KING 810: Sex, Gunn, & Rock 'N Roll; An Interview with David Gunn
by Traci Leone
Intense and often violent music videos are a reflection of KING 810’s style. Unabashedly telling the world about their lives in Flint. The video for La Petite Mort falls into place, reflecting la petite mort or ‘The Little Death’, an otherwise indescribable moment of orgasm. The video, also directed by Gunn, is shot beautifully. A lovely tangle of women progresses with the song into a full out orgy. King 810 is the first to ever incorporate on-screen sex in an 8-minute long music video.
”When we were in the studio making the song we were trying to put together the ethos of what the song looks and feels like... This was kind of always the plan since we recorded it. We didn’t necessarily know how we were going to make it happen or if we were going to make it happen. We have lots of ideas for every song but not every song gets a video but we figured out how to get this one done.” Like them or not, KING 810 is not happy unless they are pushing boundaries and raising the bar for themselves. “When it gets boring, we’ll quit.” and David Gunn is not bored.
The video has gained a lot of attention and a different kind of criticism which doesn’t phase the band. “It’s more out of place, which is strange because that’s what it’s all about. This thing called rock n roll, sex drugs, and rock n roll is the credo but then when you put naked people in your videos or anything that’s against the grain counter culture, risky, edgy, aggressive genre has a real taboo problem with typical middle age white male square ideals. Supposedly the extreme department of music... has the same shitty politically correct bullshit politics inside of it...Maybe if we rapped everything would be okay. We could have naked girls and violence and all these things we already talk about without it being shocking.”
Gunn’s disdain for the watering down of rock and roll transcends the music industry, “It’s a reflection of the times. These types of things are what we’re dealing with now. When you turn on the TV you see radical left or radical right, or black lives matter, or women’s rights, or whatever it may be and it’s all just a bunch of dividers. At a certain point, it doesn’t matter if you’re representing a certain amount of people if what you’re doing is actually divisive and weakens the whole thing. How many times do you want to divide, how weak do you want to make it? All these groups need attention and there is nothing wrong with it but you don’t need to divide the whole pie so many times that it’s no longer a pie. Everyone needs equal everything but this way of thinking, trying to be politically correct ends up dividing. Women should have equal rights, yeah no shit, but equality isn’t what ends up happening.”
Historically the most extreme forms of art have been a mirror to current events but to Gunn the current climate is frustrating. “It’s a universal poison. Never having any rough edges. Everyone is bred to tweet an apology at every misstep.” KING 810 remains true to their art without apology and they’re used to that rubbing people the wrong way. “When someone has an idea about something you’re doing it’s already annoying because they have nothing to do with it. What they’re actually saying is that they have a real defined archetype of what you are and whatever you’re doing doesn’t fit that so they’re offended.”
“Without [sex] we don’t have anything.” This stripped down look at human nature doesn’t mesh well with the politically correct climate Gunn loathes but the juxtaposition of sex and violence is intentional. Gunn writes what he knows.”These types of things, especially sex, predate literature so we were definitely having a lot of sex, eating a lot of food, drinking, sleeping, having multitudes of group sex and all of these other things before we ever wrote anything down and that is a fact. This phrase [la petite mort] is so innate. Before we were drawing around in the sand, like pithecus era shit, when we were climbing around in trees we were screwing not writing anything.” Gunn’s postmodernism allows the pretense of what art should be to crumble, paving way for something raw, touching the nerves for pain or pleasure but now both.
As for what Gunn thinks about his own sexuality, “I’m kinda simple. I don’t really know all the categories nowadays ya know cause everyone is kind of out of control and there is a lot of weird shit going on which I don’t care about. I’m simple. I can make due with just a handful of the opposite sex. It doesn’t have to be that complicated.”
Being non-monogomous tends to catch David some flack though, “When you say you’d rather be with 50 people at a time rather than one, they assume you’re trying to get everyone to be that which, of course, is not true. I don’t know why it rubs people the wrong way I guess. It’s almost like it has an evangelical spin to it when you bring it up, which I never do unless someone asks. It’s almost like they think you’re trying to convert them but no, I’d actually prefer that you stay put with your one on one that you’re doing because you cancel each other out...” Gunn’s live and let live attitude translates to other issues as well. “...I feel the same way with gay, lesbian, transgender, and all these other things it seems so obvious that it’s for the better. I’ve never met any gay guys that I wanted to be with because not being gay is one big reason, but it’s kind of like ‘Okay, this guy is not out here in the mating race.’ and then he’s also taking another guy or two out. It’s almost like if you’re in a horse race and this horse is barreling into other horses and you’re mad at him? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Gunn does have some advice for people who like to meddle, “It’s okay to have values and other things like that. I don’t want to say morals but values things like friendship, loyalty values and respect values, leadership values, these are for anyone unless you’ve been alienated. The point is that it’s constructive to sit down and try to trace back these impulses. If someone says something to you like “non-monogamous” and you get upset you should sit down yourself, you don’t need a shrink or a therapist whatever, well you do need one if you’re getting upset about that then that is what you need right now but you don’t have to go to one to ask yourself “Why the fuck did I just get mad because of someone else’s sexual preference?” or “Why the fuck did I just get mad about someone else's religion?” or “Why am I mad at someone’s skin color?”... I think a lot of people might learn about themselves which is strange to say.”
When it comes to his own sex appeal David Gunn doesn’t mince words, “It’s not surprising since people have such bad taste anyway. It’s why certain music is popular and certain movies are popular. You can’t underestimate the taste of anyone. I just accept that yeah, well, of course, that really says something about the taste of people how poor standards they have. I’m not surprised or against it at all I just kind of feel bad for anyone who thinks that. There is a lot of shitty stuff out there that people really appreciate so I’m just one of them.”
If you are the kind of gal that wants to get Gunn’s sexual attention, “I’m old school, so old school that being female is pretty much enough. I mean old school like pithecus old school. Naw, to be completely honest I really don’t know I kind of ignore everyone. I’m not like a good spirit or a nice person or I really don’t start conversations or do anything that males are supposed to do like take notice or initiative so I’m kind of disenchanted and daydreaming 99% of my waking life. I’m kind of so disinterested in the whole idea that the only thing that gets my attention is if you were to come up and ask straight up whatever it is you’re getting at. I just don’t like all the other stuff. I’m not good at the back and forth or the courting and the ‘hahaha’ and shit, the bullshit. I’m usually out of it. Someone could be balancing a fucking table on their nose next to me right now and I just don’t care.” Good luck, ladies.
KING 810 keeps surprising the music industry and fans. With the release of the XXX La Petite Mort video exclusively on PornHub and more controversial projects in the works, they are resurrecting the spirit of rock and roll. Not giving a fuck about what people think and creating shit on someone else’s dime. Love ‘em or hate ‘em that’s not a bad way to live. “We did a porno, it’s the shit if people want to go watch it that’s cool.”
Catch KING 810 on tour starting June 9 in Columbus, Ohio. They will be joined by special guests GosT on select dates. Fans can also check out the episodic documentary ‘THIS IS KING’ on the band’s official YouTube channel, KING810FLINT. For more information visit www.KING810.com
Enigmatic frontman David Gunn talked to FRICTION about his new PornHub exclusive music video for La Petite Mort, sex and violence in Flint, equality and being considered a sex symbol.
The video has gained a lot of attention and a different kind of criticism which doesn’t phase the band. “It’s more out of place, which is strange because that’s what it’s all about. This thing called rock n roll, sex drugs, and rock n roll is the credo but then when you put naked people in your videos or anything that’s against the grain counter culture, risky, edgy, aggressive genre has a real taboo problem with typical middle age white male square ideals. Supposedly the extreme department of music... has the same shitty politically correct bullshit politics inside of it...Maybe if we rapped everything would be okay. We could have naked girls and violence and all these things we already talk about without it being shocking.”
Gunn’s disdain for the watering down of rock and roll transcends the music industry, “It’s a reflection of the times. These types of things are what we’re dealing with now. When you turn on the TV you see radical left or radical right, or black lives matter, or women’s rights, or whatever it may be and it’s all just a bunch of dividers. At a certain point, it doesn’t matter if you’re representing a certain amount of people if what you’re doing is actually divisive and weakens the whole thing. How many times do you want to divide, how weak do you want to make it? All these groups need attention and there is nothing wrong with it but you don’t need to divide the whole pie so many times that it’s no longer a pie. Everyone needs equal everything but this way of thinking, trying to be politically correct ends up dividing. Women should have equal rights, yeah no shit, but equality isn’t what ends up happening.”
Historically the most extreme forms of art have been a mirror to current events but to Gunn the current climate is frustrating. “It’s a universal poison. Never having any rough edges. Everyone is bred to tweet an apology at every misstep.” KING 810 remains true to their art without apology and they’re used to that rubbing people the wrong way. “When someone has an idea about something you’re doing it’s already annoying because they have nothing to do with it. What they’re actually saying is that they have a real defined archetype of what you are and whatever you’re doing doesn’t fit that so they’re offended.”
As for what Gunn thinks about his own sexuality, “I’m kinda simple. I don’t really know all the categories nowadays ya know cause everyone is kind of out of control and there is a lot of weird shit going on which I don’t care about. I’m simple. I can make due with just a handful of the opposite sex. It doesn’t have to be that complicated.”
Being non-monogomous tends to catch David some flack though, “When you say you’d rather be with 50 people at a time rather than one, they assume you’re trying to get everyone to be that which, of course, is not true. I don’t know why it rubs people the wrong way I guess. It’s almost like it has an evangelical spin to it when you bring it up, which I never do unless someone asks. It’s almost like they think you’re trying to convert them but no, I’d actually prefer that you stay put with your one on one that you’re doing because you cancel each other out...” Gunn’s live and let live attitude translates to other issues as well. “...I feel the same way with gay, lesbian, transgender, and all these other things it seems so obvious that it’s for the better. I’ve never met any gay guys that I wanted to be with because not being gay is one big reason, but it’s kind of like ‘Okay, this guy is not out here in the mating race.’ and then he’s also taking another guy or two out. It’s almost like if you’re in a horse race and this horse is barreling into other horses and you’re mad at him? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Gunn does have some advice for people who like to meddle, “It’s okay to have values and other things like that. I don’t want to say morals but values things like friendship, loyalty values and respect values, leadership values, these are for anyone unless you’ve been alienated. The point is that it’s constructive to sit down and try to trace back these impulses. If someone says something to you like “non-monogamous” and you get upset you should sit down yourself, you don’t need a shrink or a therapist whatever, well you do need one if you’re getting upset about that then that is what you need right now but you don’t have to go to one to ask yourself “Why the fuck did I just get mad because of someone else’s sexual preference?” or “Why the fuck did I just get mad about someone else's religion?” or “Why am I mad at someone’s skin color?”... I think a lot of people might learn about themselves which is strange to say.”
When it comes to his own sex appeal David Gunn doesn’t mince words, “It’s not surprising since people have such bad taste anyway. It’s why certain music is popular and certain movies are popular. You can’t underestimate the taste of anyone. I just accept that yeah, well, of course, that really says something about the taste of people how poor standards they have. I’m not surprised or against it at all I just kind of feel bad for anyone who thinks that. There is a lot of shitty stuff out there that people really appreciate so I’m just one of them.”
If you are the kind of gal that wants to get Gunn’s sexual attention, “I’m old school, so old school that being female is pretty much enough. I mean old school like pithecus old school. Naw, to be completely honest I really don’t know I kind of ignore everyone. I’m not like a good spirit or a nice person or I really don’t start conversations or do anything that males are supposed to do like take notice or initiative so I’m kind of disenchanted and daydreaming 99% of my waking life. I’m kind of so disinterested in the whole idea that the only thing that gets my attention is if you were to come up and ask straight up whatever it is you’re getting at. I just don’t like all the other stuff. I’m not good at the back and forth or the courting and the ‘hahaha’ and shit, the bullshit. I’m usually out of it. Someone could be balancing a fucking table on their nose next to me right now and I just don’t care.” Good luck, ladies.
KING 810 keeps surprising the music industry and fans. With the release of the XXX La Petite Mort video exclusively on PornHub and more controversial projects in the works, they are resurrecting the spirit of rock and roll. Not giving a fuck about what people think and creating shit on someone else’s dime. Love ‘em or hate ‘em that’s not a bad way to live. “We did a porno, it’s the shit if people want to go watch it that’s cool.”
Catch KING 810 on tour starting June 9 in Columbus, Ohio. They will be joined by special guests GosT on select dates. Fans can also check out the episodic documentary ‘THIS IS KING’ on the band’s official YouTube channel, KING810FLINT. For more information visit www.KING810.com
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