Low Country Kingdom Changing the Face of San Francisco's Alternative Music Scene

San Francisco is weird. Its alternative reputation has always been one of its charms, whether it be the people, the food, or just its general style.

San Francisco’s music scene is no different, with hundreds of artists trying to make a name for themselves in the business with rock, hip-hop, and classical backgrounds. But Low Country Kingdom is trying to break out of the mold.

Self-described by guitarist and rapper Scott Ricketts, the band’s style channels “Chromeo meets Outkast meets porn in space.”

While this may sound strange, it oddly makes sense in describing the band’s uses of classic rock band instruments like electric guitar and drums, mixed with electronic and transcendental computerized beats.

Originally consisting of Scott and drummer Adam Lampert, Low Country Kingdom began their journey in 2012, meeting through and working with a mutual college friend. After writing a few songs, they realized this could be something worth pursuing.

“Our friend fell asleep during an epic all night writing sesh… and [Adam and I] ended up with a couple songs we really liked. So we fired our friend and started a new project which would later become LCK,” says Ricketts.

After making music for a couple years, in 2014 LCK figured they needed something fresh. Posting a Craigslist ad for a female vocalist for one of their shows, the band ended up signing on singer Susanna Shidlovsky.

Thrusting herself into the business all at once, Shidlovsky became a full-time member right away.

“I decided I wanted to pursue singing in December 2014… and I was lucky enough to find Low Country Kingdom’s ad on Craigslist asking for a vocalist for their upcoming show at Slim’s… Since then we’ve been rocking out and doing the most awesome shows,” she says.

The band’s far-out attitude is helping them make a name for themselves in the San Francisco scene, booking gigs at Slim’s, Elbo Room, and even playing homecoming at Tamalpias High School this year.

Their audience certainly appreciates their character, and their love for what they do comes through in their performances.

Concert-goer Michele McCaffrey says, “You can just tell that they’re so stoked to be out there performing… their energy is so fun and they have an amazing time up there.”

Take one look through LCK’s website, and you can understand why they are so interesting. Their “About” page chronicles the story of a medieval-esque group of rebels who are toiling through San Francisco, overthrowing tyrants and aiming for “the eventual purge of evildoers from the power elite of the Far West Continental.”

Ricketts isn’t sure it really matters, saying, “Technically it’s not completely factually accurate, but nobody cares about our real story.”

The “Merch” page is just as confusing, offering things like bricks, chainsaws, and dryer vents, all of which are currently sold out.

Shidlovsky finds this to be representative of the band’s personality, explaining it as “just a bunch of silly genius storytellers at work.”

“I have no clue how they got this “Merch” idea but it always makes people laugh… that’s what the guys love doing,” she says.

With their magical, peculiar journey just getting started, the band is looking forward to what’s in store for them, and they’re not putting any limits on it.

“We’re going to play like a thousand shows next year… any club, any high school dance, any college party,” says Lampert.

Though they’re working hard in San Francisco, they’re willing to travel the world for what they love, wherever they can make an impact on people.

“We might even consider Canada, Mexico. Whatever,” says Ricketts. “Just hit us up and we’ll be there.”