Their eclectic, though not groundbreaking, style ranges from secure, cathartic indie pop to virulent hardcore punk, taking in shades of noise experts Sonic Youth and Jesus Lizard as well as grunge forerunners Dinosaur Jr. and Pixies. Their cultivation of the best of '80s alternative made them critics' darlings in their home country and they garnered a healthy following in the difficult to reach foreign markets, but contract wrangling has limited their output to just two full-length albums since their formation.

Bassist Aaron Hegarty (not to be confused with the Antony and the Johnsons frontman) and drummer Bryan McMahon grew up together in Dublin, meeting guitarist Joey Wilson at age 19. Several years later, the three came to form the core of a band under the moniker Medium Wave. Having tried out a succession of singers and guitarists, they finally reverted to a power trio in 1999, with lyricist and chief songwriter Wilson assuming singing duties by default, having realized nobody but himself could properly vocalize the meaning behind his music. Medium Wave spent eight solid months refining their sound in a rehearsal space in an old Georgian building in Dublin, and in February 2000 renamed themselves Future Kings of Spain.

Their first gig was as eye-catching as their unusual name: that December, they supported former Dinosaur Jr. figurehead J Mascis + the Fog in Dublin's Temple Bar. Support slots with JJ72 and the Fall, as well as a short stint in L.A., further boosted their profile in the year that followed. Soon to be labelmates Ten Speed Racer tipped London's Red Flag Records off to the band's rising star, and the former group's Joe Chester helped produce their debut single for the label, "A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place," in September of 2002. The single included a dramatic reworking of Todd Rundgren's "Love of the Common Man," as well as "Your Starlight," which became the band's third single the following June.

The three relocated to New York in the autumn of 2002, where they were gifted with the opportunity to work with Ted Nicely, who's best known for co-producing Fugazi's 13 Songs, and engineer Eli Janney of Girls Against Boys. The first release from these sessions was the acclaimed single "Face I Know," released in March of 2003. Along with the new recording of "Your Starlight," this formed the basis of the group's eponymous debut album in August 2003. Future Kings of Spain would go on to sell over 40,000 copies worldwide. In 2004, Future Kings of Spain added guitarist Karl Hussey to their ranks, allowing them to expand their dynamic range and complexity without sacrificing aspects of Wilson's vocal performance, and soon set about writing their second album.

Recorded in London and Malta with producer Ian Grimble (Manic Street Preachers, the Fall), Nervousystem (named for "Brains and the Nervous System," another of the band's early names) was completed in late 2005. However, the album was delayed by scheduling constraints at Red Flag; frustrated by this bureaucracy, the band signaled its intention to leave the label, and an agreement was finally reached between the parties in February of 2007. Founding their own label, What's the Kim? Recordings, Future Kings of Spain released the singles "Guess Again" and "Kick in the Teeth" in May and July, respectively, before Nervousystem's belated release arrived in September of 2007. The band's patience was rewarded as the album debuted at number 24 in the Irish album charts, while the group received nominations for Best Irish Band and Best Irish Album at the 2008 Meteor Irish Music Awards. ~ Dave Donnelly