When the KingQueen band takes the stage, the crowd knows they’re in for a great time. Today Ina joins us to discuss their new single ‘Roller Coaster’, their inspirations what we can expect from them in the future! Make sure to check out our interview below:
We are happy to have you today. Tell us about your fall season so far! What have you guys been up to?
With the lockdown and everything, I’ve just focused on finishing up mixing songs that were recorded with the band before the lockdown that started in March. And of course, editing and releasing the music video for “Roller Coaster”
Can you share more with our readers about your latest release “Roller Coaster”? What inspired the single?
I write a lot in my car while driving. Melodies and words pop up and this one I started and finished writing on my way back to LA from a gig in Vegas. It was honestly a mix of emotions not towards one person but just to people in general. It’s not like I wrote it as a breakup song to a singular person it was more of my thoughts on how some people just can’t be clear but will hit you up whenever they feel like or when they are drunk haha. I guess we all have been in that situation so it’s a tribute to us all that have felt a bit used and not given the attention we actually deserve. Or the answers we needed in the moment. So yeah it’s about heartbreak but not like a deep and sad kind of heartbreak, more like “ehhhh this sucks and you’re messing with my mind” kind of thing.
How did the band first get started?
Wow. So KQ have had so many different band members throughout the years. But the band itself started in 2011 after I left a record deal with Universal as a pop solo artist. I was craving the pop punk rock I was born to perform. So I became independent and have followed my heart ever since.
How did you all decide on the band name KingQueen?
KingQueen actually was my solo artist name and nick name. After a long night out with my drag queens I was named KingQueen and I kept it and performed under it and I love it and I love what it represents and it’s truly me and the sound of the craft we perform.
How would you describe your sound to someone who just listened to your music for the first time?
Energetic, powerful, in your face and inviting at the same time. It’s a mix of the past and the future.
How has these past few months of quarantine affected you all creatively?
Creatively it’s actually been a blessing. I’m obviously not happy about this pandemic and I miss performing live sooooo much! But it’s given me the time I’ve begged for these past years to just sit down and tune into the mixing and production part. Truly work through the songs. And I love it. Now we have tons of music coming out that I’m truly proud of since I got to work through it with no distractions.
What advice do you have for anyone interested in starting their own band?
Do it. It’s not easy! It’s a relationship, learn when to let go and when to give. Some people will stay some people with go and that’s the heartbreak of music and bands but don’t worry, those who are meant to go all the way will be there. And don’t take it all personally! Keep doing you. Keep going!
How do you get pumped up before a big event?
Ohhhh man. It’s like so exciting I get so nervous and excited at the same time it’s like a ball of energy so honestly, I do nothing all day I’m lame. I am quiet and I just prepare mentally and then as soon as my feet touch the stage it’s like lighting comes through my body and it’s showtime. It’s where I feel like life happens. Life is that stage, the people, the band, the music and the lights. I love it!
Biggest lesson learned in your career so far?
There are so many. But I think the most important one is to let go of all the noise. The times I didn’t quite enjoy the stage as much was when I knew someone from the industry that was important was watching and I regret that! I let it cloud myself and it kind of ruined my moment of fun because I was thinking to impress rather than just do what I always do. So I think that’s a big lesson because it’s important to connect and enjoy and do your thing every time. Industry people are just people and opinions. In the end of the day what matters is how you feel about yourself.
Are you currently working on any special projects?
Yesssss!! Releasing a single every 2 months, both with the band KingQueen and solo as Ina Of KingQueen. I do solo stuff for different genres or song I don’t think fit to perform with the band and then collaborate with other artists too. The next one is “Bad Kids” with She and Bandits and Blake English. Super excited for you all to hear!
Thank you for speaking with us! For our final question, is there anything else you would like to add?
Katika wimbo wao mpya wenye mchangamsho “Play Your Clarinet!”, Into the Blood wanaunganisha midundo ya kielektroniki inayoshika kwa urahisi na mgeuko wa kusisimua: solo la klaneti lenye mionjo ya jazz kutoka kwa Peter Fuglsang. Uchezaji wake unaongeza mguso wa uchezaji wa moja kwa moja unaokamilisha msingi wa kidijitali wa wimbo huu, na kuunda tukio la kipekee kabisa la kusikiliza.
Wimbo huu utazinduliwa kimataifa tarehe 22 Novemba katika lugha 11 tofauti—ikiwemo Kiswahili, Kifaransa, Kiingereza na Kichina n.k.—pamoja na toleo lisilo na sauti za kuimba.
Jiunge nasi katika safari ya kimataifa Acha “Play Your Clarinet!” ikupeleke kuvuka mipaka, sauti na tamaduni. Wimbo mmoja. Lugha kumi na moja. Utasikika kwenye majukwaa yote makubwa ya kusikiliza muziki mtandaoni, na video za maneno ya wimbo zitapatikana kwenye YouTube. Jifunge mkanda na ufurahie safari!
Kuhusu Into the Blood Duo la Into the Blood—Jens Brygmann (sauti za kuimba na ngoma za kidijitali) na Carsten Bo Andersen (kinanda na sintesa)—imekuwa ikifanya kazi tangu mwaka 2016. Muziki wao umekuwa ukipigwa kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya redio duniani, vikiwemo vya Uingereza, Australia na Ufaransa.
Toleo la asili la “Play Your Clarinet!” pia linapatikana kwenye rekodi ya vinili ya inchi 12 kama sehemu ya mradi wao mkubwa wa Destination 11, unaojumuisha video ya muziki ya dakika 11. Video hiyo imewahi kuonyeshwa katika matamasha mbalimbali ya kimataifa ya filamu fupi, na hadi sasa tayari imeshinda tuzo mbili nchini India, kufikia hatua ya fainali kwenye East Village New York Film Festival na Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, nusu fainali kwenye Seattle Film Festival na robo fainali kwenye Synergy Film Festival huko Los Angeles.
Mradi wa Destination 11 umefadhiliwa na White City Consulting na Custom Coaching.
Montreal-based pop sensation and LGBTQ activist Van Hechter is back with “Boy Problems,” a stunning new single. The track merges his signature upbeat charm with rare emotional depth. Hechter, known for hits like “Disco Brother,” “Hot Damn,” and “Love Elastic,” reveals a new side to his magnetic electro-pop personality, offering a message that is both radiant and raw.
At 4 minutes and 24 seconds, “BoyProblems” is a bilingual (French & English) eruption of glitter, melancholy, and empowerment. It’s built on irresistible synths, glossy production, and pulsing basslines. The song invites listeners into a world where heartbreak beats in rhythm with liberation. The melodies feel euphoric on the surface, yet are stained with a haunting vulnerability, proving that dancing and deep feeling can exist together.
At its core, the song is a manifesto about refusing to settle for half-love. Van delivers lyrics that make you sway, smile, and suddenly pause; the truth stings. If love isn’t loud, real, and fully given, he’d rather walk away. It’s a reminder wrapped in rhythm: loving yourself means refusing the small version of what you deserve.
Filled with Hechter’s signature humor, glamour, and optimism, “Boy Problems” is a club anthem and a soul-stirrer all at once. The bilingual lyrics expand its emotional reach. The track feels at home anywhere, from Parisian dance floors and New York rooftops to headphones on a bus or speakers at Pride.
This is a jam that makes you feel like you’re flying, free from pretense. It’s definitively dance-pop and unmistakably Van Hechter, though the smile has a real heartbeat underneath. Listeners will hear that signature flair; he’s still cheeky, stylish, and unapologetically queer. His artistry is simply sharpened with new emotional honesty. This is a growth moment, delivered with a wink and a synth hook.
“Boy Problems” is a significant step beyond a simple catchy single. It’s a toast to self-worth. A glittering rebellion against lukewarm love. A reminder that the dance floor can be a place to heal. This sonic centerpiece belongs on your playlist, and on your friends’ too.
Sometimes a song shows up like that friend who kicks open the door without knocking, grinning and saying, “get your shoes, we’re leaving.” “Tule Tule,” the new single from South Sudanese artist TR Craze featuring Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko, moves exactly like that. The track is bold and charged, carrying the weight of lived experience while stomping over a dark, menacing drill beat that feels built for the streets as much as the club.
TR Craze’s backstory reads like a movie script Hollywood studios would fight over. He was born in South Sudan, shaped by the trauma of civil war, and pushed into the harsh realities of refugee life. He literally survived the treacherous routes through Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. This man distills survival into rhythm. On “Tule Tule,” you can feel that heart, that urgency, and that fire in his delivery, channelled into a raw, assertive drill performance that cuts through even if you don’t understand a single word of the opening verse. At its core, “Tule Tule” is a raw, assertive drill track that isn’t afraid to bare its teeth.
The word “Tule” comes from Nuer. It refers to youth games and the electric thrill of chasing something, whether that’s victory, joy, or destiny. TR Craze uses that spirit like a drumbeat beneath his voice. The choruses hit with a communal, call-and-response warmth but here that playfulness is flipped into a gritty, chant-like hook – “Tule Tule” – that feels like the rallying cry of a crew on the move. Even without translating the lyrics, the tone tells you everything. This is about motion, pursuit, celebration, and refusing to stay stuck in the past, all wrapped in an unapologetic, high-adrenaline atmosphere. Lyrically, the track leans into street life, dominance and crew loyalty, matching the tension in the beat.
Behind them, producer Kyxxx builds a dark, tense soundscape, stitching drill drums with Brazilian bounce and Bhangra-flavoured rhythmic elements that keep the track constantly on edge. The result is a gritty, energetic and unapologetic atmosphere that pulls you straight into their world.
Then Caine Marko slides in for the second verse, and the whole energy pivots into a sharp, swagger-heavy bounce. His flow is clean but gritty, confident and confrontational, shifting between braggadocio and sly charm.
“She knows I’m a wolf and I run the pack,” he starts, classic alpha talk, but delivered with a laid-back grin. “She come first like running track,” he continues, flipping between affection and athletic metaphors like a man who’s too used to moving fast.
Then he opens up the verse more: “Doing dirt and getting with a bitty, I only pretty… then back to the city. Got me some liquor then it got me some weed.” It’s lifestyle rap, but the reckless, unapologetic kind. It’s the messy, outside-at-night, live-in-the-moment vibe that balances TR Craze’s more grounded narrative. When he ends with “you going to hang with the gang,” the energy snaps into a group-hyped finale, a reminder that music like this isn’t meant to be consumed alone, underlining the crew-first loyalty at the heart of the record.
“Tule Tule” works because it blends worlds without softening its raw, street-hardened edge. It merges East African emotion, Caribbean-UK swagger, drill and hip-hop grit, Brazilian and Bhangra textures in Kyxxx’s production, diaspora storytelling, and a spirit of joy that refuses to be dimmed by pain.
Let “Tule Tule” run while you’re walking, cooking, texting, or plotting big dreams – or getting ready to step out with your crew.