Singer-songwriter Elle King delivers with fire in her belly

During a sun-splashed afternoon on New York’s Randall’s Island, fans arrived at Governor’s Ball in anticipation of catching too-cool-for-school headliners the Strokes, as well as perennial critics’ darling Beck, and the energetic synth pop duo Matt and Kim, among other acts. But Elle King was also part of an extraordinary lineup last Friday at the popular music festival, primarily inhabited by hipster twentysomethings.

King stole part of the show by delivering her breakthrough single “Exes and Ohs” but the raspy voiced singer nailed it with covers of the Beatles’ “Oh Darlin’” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”

Delivering the latter took some guts, but King has plenty of gumption. That’s part of her appeal.

“I do things my own way,” King said. “I’ve always been like that.”

That was evident when the spunky singer-songwriter showcased songs from her fiery debut album “Love Stuff” at South By Southwest during the spring of 2015.

Courtney Barnett, Best Coast and Kali Uchis were the most buzzed-about female recording artists entering that South By Southwest. But King trumped each of those, playing a number of shows during a four-day stint in Austin during the mega-music conference.

“Alcohol and Red Bull kept me going,” King said. “When you play South By Southwest you have to go for it. You have so many shows to play. You meet a lot of people. You’re going all the time. You want to go out there and make an impression.”

King, 26, can’t help but make an impression.

There’s nothing quite like the tune on the hit parade. The soulful King’s sexy voice doesn’t sound like anybody else’s on the circuit. That’s part of what makes King so refreshing. She doesn’t chase trends. There’s nothing calculated about her bluesy tunes, which sound fresh even though they’re retro.

“I just write what I feel like writing,” King said. “I don’t pay attention to what’s in. I don’t care about that stuff. I’ll leave that to other people. It’s all about what moves me.”

Some of King’s most effective songs are lovelorn numbers. “I’ve broken some hearts and I’ve had my heart broken just like everybody else,” King said. “I think what I sing about is relatable. Who doesn’t go through this stuff with love? A lot of the songs come from situations I’ve had with people. I’ve had some interesting experiences.”

King, who will perform Friday at the Wichita Riverfest, is a charismatic character who injects some life into the rock world. Even though she’s young, King engages the audience, and she seems to genuinely enjoy entertaining.

“I think it’s about having fun up there,” King said. “If you have fun when you perform, it comes across to the people out there. I love revealing myself to those who come out and see me. I like to talk in between songs. If you’re going to be spending money on one of my shows, I think it’s a good thing if people leave feeling like they know me.”

King is the progeny of London King and actor Rob Schneider, who divorced shortly after King was born in 1989. “But it was my stepfather who probably had the hugest impact on me in terms of music,” King said. “He was a musician and he taught me so much. He was the one who showed me how to play my first song on guitar. My mom was always very supportive as well. Whatever I wanted she ended up doing for me. I took lessons and stayed with music.”

It has all worked out for King, who is smart, bawdy and dynamic. If King thinks a banjo will add to a song, she’ll pull hers out and add a bluegrass touch.

“You do what have to do,” King said. “We worked so hard on this album. It was a three-year process. It wasn’t easy.”

Elle King appears at 9 p.m. Friday at the Riverfest in Wichita. Buttons are $10. Buttons for ages 6 to 12 are $3, and kids under age 5 are admitted free. Show time is 9 p.m.

For more information, www.wichitariverfest.com

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 9:59 PM with the headline "Singer-songwriter Elle King delivers with fire in her belly."