KING LUDD RETURNS WITH FRENETICALLY CHARGED SINGLE “TIRED” VIA ZBTFD RECORDS
FEATURING MEMBERS OF DEAD TIRED, THE TREWS, MONSTER TRUCK AND MORE
Hamilton’s King Ludd returns with the release of new frenetically charged single, “Tired”. It’s a post-hardcore earworm that emulates “skate and destroy” attitude while also paying homage to the scene it was fostered and created in. The brainchild of seasoned producer and engineer, Michael Keire (with a single currently sitting at number 9 on the Billboard rock charts in Black Tea’s, “Living Easy”), “Tired”’s fuzzed and punch-to-the-gut guitar formulated while at university many years ago, but only came to fruition recently following last year’s King Ludd debut single release, “Trouble”.
“Tired” is a different story than its single predecessor – it’s a tale of trial and error, personal discovery, and growth.
The single comes to life with the help of Theo Mckibbon (Dead Tired, The Trews) on drums, Marco Bresette (Dead Tired, The Fledge) on lead guitar, Jon Harvey (Monster truck) on bass, Dean Povinsky (Wildlife) on vocals, and Keire on rhythm guitar. The song is further supported with Amanda Mead (Qoutas, Zbtfd) on backing vocals, Cohen Wylie (Crowleys) on auxiliary guitar and Juno 106, Thom Hammerton (Kathleen Edwards, Cuff the Duke) on keys with Tim Condon (Fresh Snow) and Dwayne Christie (Wildlife) on synth. Aaron Hutchinson and Connor Bennet provide trumpet and sax, with Kirk Starkey on cello. Listen here.
Accompanying the single today is also a music video directed by John Smith, whose credits include digital painting and animations for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, as well as video art contributions to Netflix’s Song Exploder for Trent Reznor, and additional work with Danny Elfman.
“At university, I was listening to a lot of Fugazi, Mid-west emo, specifically, Braid, the Hives and Mars Volta. I tried a several times to get the song to materialize with bands and in the studio but it never happened for various reasons,” shares Keire, now at the ripe age of 45. “Fast track many years and I felt like it was time to tackle tired after releasing Trouble. I felt like it would be a bit of a rinse and repeat kind of situation which it was not. At all. I ended up experimenting a lot. And while much of that experimenting didn’t end up on the record, it really solidified what I wanted to be on the record. With tired, I tried to grow and see where things could go and then I spent a lot of time feeling those ideas out a making a decision to focus on an intended vision.”
When it came to shooting the video, Keire had worked with Smith previously and with the added vision of Povinsky, the three decided to strike the David Lynch and Mathew Barney’s Creemaster Cycle iron of influence.
“We wanted to make sure the video pulled from dystopian films of the 80s and 90s with lucid-dream sensations coupled by a kafka-esque energy,” shares Keire. “And oddly, when we came together there was nothing formally decided upon. But there was a lot of trust that we would make something happen.”
Adds Dean Povinsky (vocals on the track): “I wrote these lyrics firstly as an emotional response to the formal qualities of Mike’s track itself. I was immediately hit by a feeling of unbridled anger. I always feel anger isn’t truly a baseline emotion but is a kind of defence mechanism to mask deeper feelings. The day I first listened I was already feeling angry about having to go to fucking work and do a fucking job instead of doing any of the 100,000 other possible things to connect me to my humanity such as hanging out with my daughter, finishing a painting or working on my own record. So, this song is a “fuck you” to the billionaire losers and sea upon sea of faceless menacing condo-rot dream-crushers as well as a tiny love letter to bygone eras, 90’s sitcoms, pizza and Lord of the Rings.”
Michael Keire has produced and engineered records in the Hamilton/Southern Ontario for many years and owns Threshold South recording studio home with Trevor Cooke (Sunnsetter, Sullen). Recently he’s worked with many artists including the Rheostatics, Cadence Weapon and Black Tea (whose single “Living easy” is currently sitting at number 9 on the Billboard rock charts). He’s also worked with other greats like Kathleen “Munroe” of Law-and-Order Toronto, the Arkells, and the Dirty Nil, to name a few. His focus has historically been on elevating other artists with their music.
With “Tired”, this marks another significant moment for Keire, who is now back in the spotlight. At the ripe age of 45 he began to journey into his own material with the release of his first single, “Trouble”, that featured Luke Benthem (Dirty Nil), Linnea Siggelkow (Ellis) and Jon Harvey (Monster Truck). This time around, Michael has teamed up with Zbtfd records for the tired release, and with that, many of the same faces as his previous single. However, this time things are more materialized and refined with long-time friend Dean Povinsky (Wildlife) on lead vocals and Amanda Mead (Quotas, Zbtfd records) backing vocals.
With King Ludd, Keire embraces a creative process reminiscent of Mike Watt’s “Ball-Hog or Tugboat?”—where the energy of collaboration fuels the art itself. Keire’s evolution into King Ludd is also a testament to his belief in making music for art’s sake—free from commercial constraints, rooted in passion and authenticity. The name King Ludd pays homage to the misunderstood Luddite movement, a symbol of resistance against exploitation and the fight to preserve artistic integrity in an era of algorithm-driven content.
King Ludd
[Single]
(ZBTFD Records)
Release Date: May 29, 2026
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Background Photo Credit: Jeff Howard
