Interview: Mark Donoghue and Richard Lee Mears (King Kraken)

Interview: March 2025

Ahead of the release of their second album - March of the Gods, review here - Hotel Hobbies spent some time with two members of King Kraken. It was a jovial, interesting and informative discussion.

Hotel Hobbies: For those not familiar with the band, can you give a little bit of history - how you got together and how you got your name?

Mark Donoghue: We started in 2018. Basically, our rhythm guitarist got together with the bass player Karl and they started jamming together. I think, at the time, Richard was in a band called The Boom Sons and they poached him. It sort of clicked. They started jamming and Pete put out some adverts for a singer and a guitarist. Believe it or not, me and Adam were the first people to respond.

As for the name of the band, one part of me wants to say there was a very romantic reason of how it came about. It would be good to say we wanted the biggest and scariest name to represent our music and that we thought of a kraken. Then a king kraken would be the cannibal of the species and would be terrifying. The truth of it is that Peter’s Victory amp had the name Kraken on it. Richard said that we should put King in front of it. Not very glamourous but it worked! (laughing)

Hotel Hobbies: Mark, you have a distinctive and powerful voice. When you were younger, which vocalists did you look up to and when did you discover you were actually a great singer too?

Mark Donoghue: There’s only been one vocalist in my life and that’s Freddie Mercury. I am under no illusions I am like him! I started as a keyboard player and played keyboards in bands for many years. I got drunk one night and I went on a karaoke and it turned out I could imitate Tom Jones fairly well and I could also do The Commitments extremely well. So after everybody in my hometown got sick of me singing Tom Jones and The Commitments at karaoke, I joined a band with my mate. He'd always been in bands, but he wanted to do a classic rock covers band and they were looking for a singer. It was Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, UFO and Ozzy – all of them. We ended doing a Maiden / Metallica tribute so I had to do Bruce Dickinson and James Hetfield. I was also playing keyboards so Rush was in there too. King Kraken is the first band where it's genuinely my voice and not me trying to sound like somebody else.

Hotel Hobbies: So we are here to talk about the new album which is out in just under a month. It seems quite a long process releasing an album these days as there are already a few songs out. You must be looking forward to the whole album being out there.

Mark Donoghue: We can't wait. We recorded it back in August with Romesh. We knew that at the time we wanted to release Chainsaw Saviour because we were due to play Planet Rockstock. We wanted to get in early and thought maybe if we release it quickly, we'll have a chance on Planet Rock.

Richard Lee Mears: We didn’t actually plan on doing four singles but it kind of fell like that. The album was ready in September and we didn’t want to sit on it for four months. So we said we would do four singles. The album is full of singles if you ask me. So, why not? I can’t believe that we’re on the last single due to come out on 28th March. Everything for the album is done. All the videos are filmed and the time since last August has just flown.

Mark Donoghue: It’s been non-stop - work, work, work. As soon as you sit down, something will come in an email needing a poster for this or a photo for that.

Richard Lee Mears: The first single was released in November so we are talking almost six months by the time the album comes out.

Hotel Hobbies: It has been a little while since the debut album and much as I enjoy it, the new album feels like a step-up in confidence, atmosphere and songwriting.

Mark Donoghue: Thank you very much. I really appreciate that. On the first album we were finding each other and on this one we found a new sound and made a real conscientious effort when we wrote it. We wanted songs that trimmed the fat, as it were. Check everything, cut it down and shape it. That’s how the songs develop for the second album. It’s a shorter album. Karl made a great comment about the song Scream, which is a six minute song condensed in three and a half minutes but still feels like a six minute song. We took out all the unnecessary bits. We knew how each other works. We play to each others’ strengths. This album was a lot less stressful than the first album.

Richard Lee Mears: We learned so much from the first album. I’ll never forget that first album. Coming into the second album, we kind of took stock, so to speak. We thought about what worked about the first album and what didn’t. We pushed everything this time. Even down to the production. We used Romesh again. The production is amazing. It’s all just better. There are bangers on the first one but there’s real bangers on the second one. There is a bit more prep work in there.

Hotel Hobbies: To talk about some of the tracks, the albums opens with Scream which I describe in my review as a monumental opener with an irresistible groove.

Mark Donoghue: Nice!

Hotel Hobbies: I also like to dive into the lyrics when I write reviews. The album tackles a lot of different subjects and this song, to me, seems to be about trauma and personal resilience. Was that always going to be the opening track?

Mark Donoghue: The strange thing about this album is that the songs were actually written in the order they appear on the album, which is unheard of. We always knew that had to be the first song. High energy, intense and straight in. Give them everything in the first thirty seconds. Scream is the perfect song for that.

Richard Lee Mears: We didn’t really write much else except for what is on the album, and we wrote them in order. Scream came first and we thought right, what do you do next. Keep the pace up with El Giganto. Back down a bit for Berserker and back up for March of the Gods before bringing right down in the middle. It then picks up again in the second half.

Richard Lee Mears: I always use the analogy of the March of the Gods because the album was literally given to us by the gods. I don’t know what it was. It just feels like a gift.

Hotel Hobbies: That comes through in the confidence of the album. I have listened to it in different ways while writing my review. All the way through – which is the way I normally listen to music – but also repeating songs when writing about certain ones.

Richard Lee Mears: That's, awesome.

Hotel Hobbies: It stands up in whichever way you listen to it.

Mark Donoghue: Thanks, man. Appreciate that.

Hotel Hobbies: To mention another song, Berserker is an example of the depth of thought behind your arrangements. There is a quieter moment in the track – which generally covers quite a violent theme - where the protagonist is reflecting on his own situation. Those layers of light and shade, they seem really important to the album.

Richard Lee Mears: I think that was missing a little on the first album. This time, we wanted to give the listener a different perspective on the songs. Like you said, light and shade. It is a continuation of the first album because the songs don’t sound too different but we did make a conscious effort to keep them concise.

Hotel Hobbies: Hero is an incredibly personal song for you Mark. It is a gorgeous track if it is okay to call a King Kraken song gorgeous! It is a completely different vibe musically and lyrically.

Mark Donoghue: Yeah. It’s about my father who died in 2011. When the Karl came up with the bass riff, it was sort of born. I always wanted to do something chilled out. I knew at the start of the first album, I wanted to do something for my Dad, but there wasn't the opportunity that time. On this album, I thought now is the time and I find it really hard to listen to and obviously, hard to perform. But you know, you've got to do it. I love the song and I'm really proud that I actually managed to do it.

Richard Lee Mears: I think the thing with Hero is that we have always had that side to us. Sometime, when we are practicing, we will make one of our own songs into a jazz song or whatever, just messing around - so it’s always been there. Adam is a fantastic blues guitarist. It’s always been there under the surface. I know it is obviously about Mark’s father but we had a shit year last with people really close to the band dying. It's kind of a good way to remember them as well. Out bassist’s partner died last year and the song is strong and honest. It was a nice thing to put on the album.

Mark Donoghue: It's deeply personal to me, but anybody can take it and apply it to themselves.

Hotel Hobbies: Something completely different is Chainsaw Saviour at the other end of the realm of things. It’s based on The Evil Dead. Is that because of a love of horror films amongst the band?

Mark Donoghue: No, (laughing);  it is the love of horror films from me! Ninety percent of my lyrics I take from pop culture: movies, comics and books. There are films all the way through this album.

Richard Lee Mears: Primordial did a feature on us recently and said King Kraken are bringing back storytelling to metal. I really thought that was good. We have El Giganto which is a monster attacking a city and Vigilante is about Batman.

Mark Donoghue: And Preacher is literally the plot of Pale Rider with Clint Eastwood because Adam loves that film.

Hotel Hobbies: The final track, Under The Sun, has a truly epic feel about it.

Mark Donoghue: I've always wanted a sort of biblical fantasy horror sort of theme. So I took the theme of the rapture. God comes down. That's it. You're all done. But I put in a what if? What if the rapture had happened and God had had a word with the devil saying get up on Earth, clean house and make it all nice and pretty for me. The song is from the devil's perspective. He's coming up and he's telling all the people you had your chance.

Hotel Hobbies: A wide range of themes on the album.

Mark Donoghue: (laughing) From Batman to biblical Armageddon, yeah.

Hotel Hobbies: You sound incredibly proud of this album. It is crammed with not only great songs but great moments. It flows exceptionally well.

Mark Donoghue: Well, thank you very much. Even, if it goes nowhere, I've got this piece of history in my hand now. I can show it to anybody and everybody that comes along. It is here forever now.

Hotel Hobbies: Including delivery drivers! (referring to a recent Facebook post where a delivery driver had bought a copy on the spot!)

Mark Donoghue: Yes, that was funny. I said to him, please wait just two seconds, I’ve really got to open this up. He bought a copy there and then but I said don’t play it until April 18th (laughing). 

Richard Lee Mears: If you had told 20 year old Richard that I would be playing at these festivals and on these albums, I would have bitten your hand off. It is the opportunities the music affords us; that’s what I take from it.

Mark Donoghue: It's really exciting to think of the opportunities we've had because of the first album: Bloodstock, Planet Rockstock and Stonedead. Plus, we have two gigs with Phil Campbell and Bloodstock Winter Gathering. That’s all because of the first album because the second is not out yet. So when this one drops, I am excited for where it can take us.

Hotel Hobbies: You worked with the same producer again. What do you think he brought out differently this time?

Mark Donoghue: I think he brought out a sense of tightness. He knew exactly who was doing what. When I did the vocals on the first album, everybody came in. This time he said, I want to work with you and we got them done in record time. He knows how Pete plays his rhythm and how Adam plays his lead. He knew how everything slotted together. I don’t want to sound pretentious but he brought out a sense of perfectionism in us. It was a flawless experience.

Hotel Hobbies: He seems like the perfect producer for you.

Mark Donoghue: Yes, I can’t imagine working with anyone else now.

Richard Lee Mears: It’s a pressured environment but he just keeps everyone calm and chilled. It makes you think that you can work with that person and smash it. I knew he was going to pull the best performance out of us all.

Hotel Hobbies: Talking about relationships, you have a very good relationship with your fans, a good sense of humour and you value them enormously.

Mark Donoghue: We wouldn’t be here without them. I love the fans. It's essential for any band to respect their fans and to interact with them. I'm not one of these guys that will finish a gig and they disappear backstage and you won't see me. I'll come out the front and I'll be with you. I'll have a pint with you. Some bands forget the importance of their fanbase. There's no feeling like a fan singing your vocals back to you.

Richard Lee Mears: I think we do a good job of staying grounded. We’ve got a massive year coming up and I don’t think it has changed any of us. We still have the fire.

Mark Donoghue: You know, there's no pretence. As big as the year that is coming, we are so grateful and astonished by it. We know very well that this could end just like that. So we savour every single moment.

Richard Lee Mears: We are edging towards something now. We know how easy it is to mess it up.

Hotel Hobbies: Soon you will be meeting some of those fans on tour. You have quite a few dates coming up.

Mark Donoghue: It's my favourite part, believe it or not. It's my favourite part of the show, when the show ends. I love performing; don’t get be wrong. But my ultimate favourite part is when it ends and I go down into the crowd.

Richard Lee Mears: It’s a special time. This is our first headline tour. Ticket sales are going well. And it's been really tough for me because I really want to play again. It’s been four months. It doesn’t sound like a long time but I miss it. Playing live is where we shine the most.

Hotel Hobbies: Regarding playing live, I was thrilled you won the opening band slot for Stonedead. You had my vote!

Mark Donoghue: Thank you very much. Richard cried!

Hotel Hobbies: It is a great festival that I have been going to since the second year. It must be great to see your name on the same bill as some of those other bands.

Mark Donoghue: Yeah, it's insane. I'm 52 years old. I grew up with Almighty. Now, I'm sharing the stage with them. It’s not supposed to happen to me!

Richard Lee Mears: It was great to get the call. We have been to Stonedead for the last three years. I know how important it is to the album as well. Getting five thousand eyes upon you!

Mark Donoghue: The guys that organise it are really nice guys and really accommodating people. Considering the stress that goes into running that day, they’ve got all the time in the world for you.

Hotel Hobbies: I'm sure you'll go down amazingly well.

Richard Lee Mears: It will be the biggest gig we have ever played.

Hotel Hobbies: You mentioned Sabbath and Freddie Mercury. Where else do you the band get their influences and does it vary between the members?

Mark Donoghue: I definitely think Sabbath, Mastodon and Pantera in parts.

Richard Lee Mears: Blackstone Cherry I would say.

Mark Donoghue: Karl loves his Slayer. There’s a little of Slayer on the first album.

Richard Lee Mears: I think the things is, four of us are massive metal heads. Our guitarist likes only old music! He also brings in some of the classic rock sound.

Mark Donoghue: It works well because the songs are up to date but with a classic rock sensibility. They sound familiar without being dated.

Hotel Hobbies: Wales seem to be producing some great bands these days: Those Damn Crows, Scarlet Rebels, Florence Black and metal bands like Venom Prison are getting some excellent press.

Mark Donoghue: There's definitely something in the water over here. We also have Bullet For My Valentine. Those Damn Crows are doing so well at the moment. We have some great venues: Hanger 18, Sin City and The Bunkhouse. There’s not a shortage of great places to play.

Hotel Hobbies: You’ve mentioned some influences. Which newer bands are you enjoying?

Richard Lee Mears: That's a really difficult question.

Mark Donoghue: It's not. It's so easy. I really enjoy Breaking Benjamin at the moment. I'll tell you why. Every single song on every album could be a hit. It’s the way they write their songs. I absolutely love everything they do.

Hotel Hobbies: You have mentioned having a big year ahead. Where are you aiming or are you just really focused on this year for now?

Richard Lee Mears: Obviously, it could get a lot bigger but at the same time, this year is so important, we just want to focus on it. I think the next year is about keeping at the level we are because we don’t want to drop off. It’s about keeping momentum but also being realistic.

Mark Donoghue: Maybe we could spread tentacles into Europe.

Richard Lee Mears: It always been our goal to see how far we can push it. It’s become a business now. That’s something none of us thought would ever happen. I think it’s really important to keep getting to get good opportunities and build towards album number three.

Hotel Hobbies: Thank you so much for your time; I have really enjoyed speaking you. I will definitely see you at Stonedead and hopefully your Camden gig in May too.

Mark Donoghue: Excellent. Thanks for your interest and great questions. Come and say hello!

Richard Lee Mears: It’s been great!

King Kraken release March of the Gods on 18th April 2025

Pre-order it here: https://kingkraken.bigcartel.com/

King Kraken online:

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