Leeds-born, London-based indie pop outfit To Kill a King formed in 2009 around the talents of Ralph Pelleymounter, Ian Dudfield, Josh Platman, John Willoughby, and Ben Jackson. Steeped in both the rural folk aesthetic of Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling, and the orchestral arena rock leanings of Frightened Rabbit and the National, the band inked a deal with the Communion label and released its first single, “Fictional State,” on May 29, 2011, with plans for a studio full-length to follow later in the year. ~ James Christopher Monger