“If I Were King” the first single from Queensrÿche’s highly anticipated new album AMERICAN SOLDIER, is now available for download from all digital retailers. “If I Were King” was written based on an interview lead singer Geoff Tate conducted with Sean Lenahan, a veteran of U.S. conflicts in Somalia and Kosovo. Some chilling sound bites from Tate’s interview with Lenahan can be heard at various points in the song. The song is also streaming at myspace.com/queensryche.
“This is a song about loss and healing,” says Tate. “A soldier who lost his friend in a firefight and spent a lot of time afterwards struggling with his feelings, wishing he could have done more to save his friend. The song is saying if I were king, if I could do anything, I’d have you back in my
life again, back by my side. I thought that was a very interesting and inspiring viewpoint.”
Queensrÿche has also set up the phone number (206) 260-1215 for fans to call and get updates on the new album and tour directly from Tate himself. The number also has an option where fans and soldiers can leave a message for the band. Every day starting on March 20, a new 30-second preview clip of one of the songs from AMERICAN SOLDIER can be heard by calling the number, leading up to the March 31 release of the album.
AMERICAN SOLDIER features a dozen songs inspired by numerous interviews with veterans conducted by Tate, who was intent on telling their story using their words. After speaking with soldiers who served in various conflicts–from World War II to Iraq–Tate turned their firsthand experiences from the frontlines into an unflinching musical examination of war from the soldier’s perspective.
Queensrÿche will launch an extensive tour of the U.S. on April 16 at the Snoqualmie Casino outside of the band’s hometown of Seattle. The shows will be presented in three suites, with the band performing sets from AMERICAN SOLDIER, Rage For Order, and Empire.
Queensrÿche U.S. Tour Dates
APRIL
16 Snoqualmie, WA Snoqualmie Casino
17 Snoqualmie, WA Snoqualmie Casino
18 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre
19 Chico, CA Senator Theatre
22 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues
23 San Diego, CA House Of Blues
24 Los Angeles, CA House Of Blues
25 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues
26 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
28 Denver, CO Paramount Theater
29 Kansas City, MO Voodoo Lounge @ Harrah’s
30 Milwaukee, WI Northern Lights Theater
MAY
1 Milwaukee, WI Northern Lights Theater
2 Maplewood, MN Myth
3 Walker, MN Northern Lights Casino
5 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection
6 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
7 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
8 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
9 Mt. Clemens, MI Emerald Theatre
10 Greensburg, PA Palace Theatre
12 Verona, NY Turning Stone Casino
13 Stamford, CT The Palace Theater
14 Sayerville, NJ Starland Ballroom
15 New York, NY Nokia Theatre
16 Atlantic City, NJ House Of Blues
17 N. Myrtle Beach, SC House Of Blues
19 Tampa, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
20 Lake Buena Vista, FL House Of Blues
21 New Orleans, LA House Of Blues
22 Houston, TX House Of Blues
23 San Antonio, TX Hemisfair Park
24 Dallas, TX House Of Blues
27 Fayetteville, AR Arkansas Music Pavilion
28 Oklahoma City, OK Bricktown Events Center
29 Albuquerque, NM Kiva Auditorium
30 Phoenix, AZ Dodge
JUNE
3 Agoura Hills, CA Canyon Club
4 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
5 Kelseyville, CA Konocti Harbor