King Complex
By Edysmar Diaz-Cruz
If King Complex had a superhero origin story, the two-man band would have had its beginnings in space: traveling in a translucent pod for millennia, wondering what awaited them at the end of their journey. After poking and prodding, the pod would burst open and King Complex would fall out, crawling on the ground. Eventually, they learned to walk and somewhere along the way music came along.
At least that’s how drummer Cody Doss would have imagined it.
Front man Bracher Brown remembers the first time he met Doss -- through a mutual friend at a house party in Tallahassee.
Both Brown and Doss had previous experience in music, so the two decided to have a tryout together. First, Brown sang a song from his favorite band, The Beatles, to Doss. Then, they had a test-run at their friend’s storage unit.
That was about five years ago. Today, the St. Petersburg-based band has played sold-out shows all over the state of Florida, leaving behind pockets of fans who recognize them for their unique, visual-packed shows.
“I want everyone standing in the audience playing with their hair and biting their nails with a full-on on sensory anxiety overload,” said Doss. “It’s intentional. I want people to feel like they’re entering another world and forget about everything else for a little while.”
The two have distinct voices, unique in their own way, yet mesh well together onstage. Doss remembers an accurate description a friend gave him in regards to their vocals. While Brown’s voice is smooth and velvety, Doss’s voice is edgy and hunting. Together, their voices create a dichotomy.
Known for performing in suits and black ski-masks, King Complex leaves one heck of an impression for a first-timer. The band’s music alone is hard to define by simply giving it a genre, but people still try. From guitar-driven rock to futuristic electropop, King Complex warps multiple music dimensions into one. Dare to take a journey through their discography and newcomers will understand why.
“I'm at a point now where we've been doing music for a minute,” said Brown. “There’s exploration in it and trying new things. I feel good when we do good work.”
King Complex has an impressive collection of music, and they’re always working on the next thing. Usually, a song can be born on a whim.
For instance, Doss woke up one day with a baseline to their latest release, “Do What You Like.”
Though most fans recognize King Complex as a two-man band, there’s a team of creatives working with Brown and Doss to help make their visions come to fruition, playing into their decision-making process on how a song takes shape before its officially introduced to the world. Neither Brown or Doss can imagine their lives without King Complex, nor did they intend on seeking fame or fortune.
However, the band hopes that their music can reach a lot of people.
“I think about it frequently,” said Brown. “From a mental stability standpoint, it just offers something personally that I don’t even know if I can find in other people.”