Dikembe Is Back: A Look At Their Upcoming King -EP

Ethan Hill
Oct 13, 2025
10 min read

When I first got in contact with the guys in Dikembe, the last thing I expected was an early look at their new EP. I’ve been blasting their music for years now, at every band practice, every long day in the work van slinging flowers, I couldn’t believe my luck when they sent over the project. The last week or so I’ve had KING - EP on repeat, and it is a time machine back to the early 2000’s. Something like a mix between Brand New and The Used, but with the Dikembe spin on it. Each song has its own unique sound, so I’m gonna do this review a little differently and break them down in order.

Track 1: “Truck”

This track was the biggest shocker, especially after hearing KING and Haymakers as singles. Opening the EP with an acoustic track was not even on my mind, but it was the coolest surprise. I’m a sucker for a good acoustic track and I had never really heard Dikembe sound like this before. It was such a cool experience, and definitely a cool way to start things off. It's raw, honest, and creates an awesome dynamic moving forward into the rest of the EP.

Track 2: “Haymakers”

Haymakers was the first single from the EP, and I was immediately hooked on it. This song has everything; a classic pop punk intro, chunky palm muted riffs, and the absolutely legendary chorus. The vocals are really really solid too. They float through the song, and it’s really what every emo kid wishes they could sound like lol. It has such a classic feel to it, and it’s such a fun and energetic song. It has that nostalgic 2000's vibe, but somehow feels completely fresh, like a breath of fresh air.

Track 3: “Vice Grip”

The second I heard “Vice Grip” I knew it would be my favorite song off this record. The leads in this song are haunting, and the sample in the beginning really hit home for me. It has the intimacy of a Brand New song, and the tenacity of The Used. The verses float by so effortlessly, and then the chorus is just in your face and gritty. The bass line is so sick. I can’t express that enough. This song fucking rips. It’s such a bouncy, and fun song. Definitely my highlight from the EP. (Also love when bands keep the intimate moments like the random "fuck!" in the background of this track.)

Track 4: “Plant My Bones”

The guitars on "Plant My Bones" are so fun. They're immediately intriguing, and waste no time kicking things off. The vocals are once again flawless. The songwriting is top notch, which is something I haven't touched on yet, but I will. The lyrics are impactful, and deep. The melodies are crafted seamlessly on every track. Every song is interesting, and has it's special moments. My favorite moment from this track is hands down the gang vocals towards the end/middle of the song. It's such a cool choice, and REALLY works. I'm instantly hyped every time it starts lmao. It's got anthem vibes, and will be an absolute smash at live shows. I can't wait to be down in the pit for this song haha.

Track 5: "Lemons"

Lemons is sort of a secret track? An interlude? It doesn't appear on the cover, but it's most certainly a big moment for the record. Waves crash into your ears, sounds begin to swell, a drum loop begins playing, and yet again another perfectly placed sample sounds off. Any movie lover will definitely recognize this one, but I won't spoil it. It's perfectly intimate, but also a little silly, which I think is a perfect vibe for this project. It is a beautiful segue into the final track, and it leaves you with a fresh palate.

Track 6: "KING"

To end the EP we get "KING," the second single from the project.

If you know Dikembe and you haven't had this on repeat already, well I'm sorry that you're missing out so badly. The songwriting in this song is really some of my favorite. The lyrics hit home, and they're super catchy. "Spend every day of the week trying my best not to speak" has been fully ingrained into my brain and I spend every day of the week singing it lmao. It's such a good song, and like the rest of the songs, it really has a little bit of everything. The guitars are in the pocket, the bass is thick, the drums are blasting, and Steven has a voice like butter. It marks the end of an incredibly solid EP. The guys in Dikembe haven't lost a single bit of their passion or creativeness, and it's obvious on this EP.

My overall thoughts on this record are super positive. It has moments of intimacy and moments of ferocity. The music is fun, nostalgic, and interesting. Each song has it's own vibe, but the project still feels like a whole body of work and not just some throw aways stuffed into an EP. The lyrics are honest and crafted with intent, and the emotions are clear in each phrase or vocal line. Dikembe haven't lost their spark, and they're not even close to doing so. After 15 years, they still find a way to keep things interesting and fresh while staying true to themselves in the process. KING - EP is a great project, and it gets me hyped every time I listen. Even after a week on repeat, there are still little moments I'm noticing and it's been a super fun experience all around. Definitely go listen to this EP when it releases. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Behind The Record with Steven Gray:

EH: Truck is such a cool choice to open the EP with; How did you decide on that song to start things off and what made you stay acoustic?

SG: Truck started as a little jingle I was playing while setting up to demo something else. It became an earwig really quickly, and I realized that this tiny thing I had been thinking about on and off for almost a decade had actually profoundly affected me. Our friend Nic from a band called The Caution Children played the same festival we did in Virginia around 2013. After the set we were sitting around decompressing and Nic was sitting cross-legged in the parking lot. A truck started to back over him slowly and we all jumped on the truck. The truck pulled forward and Nic was fine. The driver jumped out in a panic and asked if he was alright. Nic straight up said “Yea but you ran me over with your truck.” and that was it. End of exchange. His nonchalant reaction has always been something I admired, and realized after writing the song that I was projecting everything I would have felt onto Nic. It felt like an important realization and it made the song catch even harder for me. The recording was interesting because we set up 4 or 5 mics in our drummer's house and were planning on blending some direct guitars, overlaying vocals after, and then testing mic combos to make a polished acoustic song. Once we heard a single mic that we had put on the other end of the house, it felt perfect to just use that and do it live. I wanted to include it first because the whole record is insight into what it’s like to struggle with mental issues while fully being aware of them, and the intimacy of the acoustic take felt like an appropriate introduction.

EH: What do you hope people will feel after they listen to the EP?

SG: My hope is that it will help others feel the comfort I get from hearing mental struggles

compartmentalized in songs. The thing that has drawn me to music the hardest has always

seemed to be those lines that recontextualize a feeling for you. Lyrics that make you stop and

go, “Wait. Wait yea that’s what it is.” For me, that has always been something that makes it feel like you are actually stopping and dealing with issues. Therapy and friends are great and so important for understanding and coping with those issues beyond your control, but the feeling of having an outside perspective from someone you don’t personally know assuring you that others have similar brain seasoning is an ultimate comfort. For example, Weatherbox is my favorite band. Brian writes the most incredible songs. The music provides this perfect backdrop for the feelings he’s trying to work through. My thought process has always been that if someone like Brian can take these curses and create something this powerful, maybe I’m looking at it wrong. Maybe it’s not a curse at all. I’m not under any sort of delusion that our music can do that for people, but I feel like my goal with writing and performing has always been to capture that. To make people feel a sense of community. I’ve always wanted to build a small refuge for weirdos like me. I really hope King does that for someone.

EH: Are there any lyrics on the record that hit differently now that you’ve had time to sit on it?

SG: The song King came about when I was dealing with some severe issues that had left me

agoraphobic. I wrote the lyrics in the middle of that time period. At the time I wasn’t sure exactly what the song was about, but I was sure I was diving into why I was horrified of being in public. It wasn’t until I changed my lifestyle and dealt with those feelings that I understood I was devastatingly aware of my condition and doing everything in my power to justify it. “The earth feels different, like everybody left but the shit kept spinning.” is a lyric that has an entirely new life and meaning these days. Nobody left, the earth didn’t change. I just started running from it. The song is now this weird pin that displays the worst time in my life, but it’s also my favorite thing I’ve ever written. It’s nice to look back and see so much growth in myself, and the song feels like some sort of weird prize for making it out alive.

EH: Can you talk about the samples you used and what inspired you to incorporate them? I especially love the vibe on “Lemons,” it’s a nice surprise.

SG: “Lemons” came about when we realized that we wanted a breath between “Plant My Bones” and “King”. Scott wrote the loop years ago, and we had used it a few times live during tuning breaks and as an intro to the set. We used a Jason Segel quote on our first EP, so it felt fitting to include him here. There is something about the characters he plays in most of his movies that’s just easy for me to identify with. They are mostly creative dorks who live with some level of self doubt. Originally we had Jason Segel talking to Rush about signing his friend’s 9 string, but the clip from Sarah Marshall felt more appropriate for the themes on the record.

EH: Which track are you most excited to play live and why?

SG: We have played Haymakers and King live, and they are both an absolute blast. For this next round of shows I’m actually going to just be singing live. Our friend Jon Garwacke is taking over my guitar parts so I can focus on vocals for the new songs. “Vice Grip” is definitely my favorite song to sing. I get to cut loose and actually get aggressive during the chorus, and the bridge has some lines I love so I’m looking forward to that one big time.

EH: Were there any moments in the studio that completely changed the course of a song?

SG: “King” originally went straight from the last chorus into the outro. The whole bridge section came about because we had never played the song together, just sent demos back and forth for a year. When we finally got into the same room, we realized we wanted to rock for a minute, and Scott got to be super 2010-revival with it, which I love. Scott and I used to play in a band called Wavelets together, and the bridge in King sounds like a Wavelets song. This was the first time we had written music together since that band, so the bridge is really really special to me.

EH: It’s been a while since your last full release; How does it feel to finally share this project with the world?

SG: We released Muck in 2020 right after the whole world shut down. We had a big lead up and some supporting tours that just got flushed, so we had to scramble to work out a release

schedule that was feasible in that pandemic climate. This was cool because we got to do a

video game and I got into streaming, but it felt like we were winging it in terms of getting music out there. This time around we got to do music videos, have support shows lined up, and even went ahead and made another game to go with the record. This time I even got to put weird secret stuff in it and actually helped develop it. I got to help animate the music video as well. This release has felt more normal, and there is a great comfort in that for me.

I’m also just very excited for people to hear these songs because it was a completely new

writing process for us, and I feel like it shows in the quality of the songs. We actually do

choruses now, and they get stuck in my head. If people like these songs even half as much as I do I will be elated. I hope people can feel the work we put in, and how carefully we crafted this batch of songs.

EH: What does the future look like for Dikembe moving forward?

SG: We have been very lucky recently with getting to play with our heroes, so I hope that continues. Aside from that, we have a new ep that is almost ready for recording. I’m beyond excited at the idea that we will be doing music more often. I hope the future has a lot less time between releases for us.

EH: What is a question you never get asked in interviews and you wish you did?

SG: I feel like the artwork and lore behind it don’t get asked about ever. Josiah Lloyd has done all of our album art since Mediumship, and he and I have a pretty fleshed out universe for the characters and artifacts from the Mediumship, Ledge, Hail Something, and King artwork. The music video we did together touches on it too. There is a whole Voidhead mythos I would love to go off about, and I’m actually stoked on the next chapter in the story because it involves the identity of the bearded creature from the “King” video and why he is featured so prominently. I wish someone would ask if the monster on the cover of Mediumship is the same monster on the King cover so I could say, “No but they’re both in the music video.”

EH: If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

SG: It’s “Flies in All Directions” by Weatherbox and it isn’t close.

Thanks so much to Steven and the Dikembe dudes!

I'm so stoked for this to be out and everyone to hear it!

Make sure to grab it on 10/17 and show all your friends!

See ya next Monday - Ethan