King Tuff

King Tuff (born Kyle Thomas)^[1][2] is a recording artist on Sub Pop Records^[3] and Burger Records.

King Tuff, the band, has released several music videos and has continually toured across the United States, Australia and Europe since 2012.^[4]

Thomas is currently a member of garage rock musician Ty Segall's backing band The Muggers, formed following the release of Segall's studio album, Emotional Mugger.

Life and career

Thomas grew up around music; his father was a big music fan so he would hear all of his dad's music. Prior to his father getting a Fender Stratocaster when Kyle was 7, he played on a keyboard and drum kit. According to Thomas, the Stratocaster served as a source of inspiration. Thomas never decided what he would do with his life, though was hesitant to go to college because he didn't know what he would study. After high school Thomas would write songs and play with bands, saying: "I would go on tour, but I never really took it as a serious job up until a couple years ago, when I decided to really make an effort at it. It’s been a real long, slow practice."^[5]

King Tuff's first release was a self-made CD-R distributed by Spirit of Orr records, The majority of which consisted of rough versions of songs later released on Was Dead, King Tuff's first 'official' album. After beginning his career as King Tuff, he did not get any publicity so he moved on to other projects such as the bands Witch and Happy Birthday. "King Tuff" eventually started to gain popularity causing Thomas to go back to his former stage name of King Tuff ^[6]

Was Dead

King Tuff’s 2008 debut album Was Dead was originally released by Tee Pee Records sister-label The Colonel.^[7] It is now considered collectable because so few were pressed. In 2013, Burger Records re-issued a DeLuxe blue edition, which charted in the #8 position on Billboard's Heatseeker chart dated June 6.

King Tuff

His second album, King Tuff was produced by Bobby Harlow and released by Sub Pop on May 29, 2012,^[8] charting at No. 21 ^[9] on Billboard's Heatseeker Albums chart. The album also debuted on the CMJ charts at No. 14,^[10] eventually climbing to No. 2 and knocking Jack White's Blunderbuss from its top charting position.^[11]

Black Moon Spell

On September 23, 2014, King Tuff released his third album, Black Moon Spell, on Sub Pop Records, again produced by Bobby Harlow,^[12] and featuring Ty Segall as guest drummer on the title track. Upon release, the album immediately became CMJ's "most added" for the week of September 23^[13] on college radio airplay. The album debuted at #1 on Billboard Heatseeker in the "Hot Shot Debut" position chart for the week of October 11,^[14] and immediately pushed to the #1 position on the CMJ College Radioplay chart for the week of October 14.^[15]

Discography

Studio albums

• Mindblow (2006)
• Was Dead (2007)
• King Tuff (2012)
• Black Moon Spell (2014)

EPs and singles

• Hex Dispensers, The / King Tuff - Agatha's Antlers / Hands (2011)
• Wild Desire (2012)
• Screaming Skull (2012)
• King Tuff / Lentils, The - Biggest Hearts / That Sweet Disease, Pitchfork Review 7” Single Series Vol. 3 (2014)

Live albums

• Live at Third Man Records (2013)
• Live At Pickathon: Ty Segall / King Tuff (with Ty Segall) (2015)

References