In this episode of AMN Amnplify, Dave Bruce sits down with Mark King from LEVEL 42 for an in-depth conversation about songwriting, music, creativity, and his incredible journey in the music industry.
During the interview, Mike looks back on his remarkable career, discusses his keyboard rig and the upcoming Australian dates, and also talks about his solo work.
Interview: Mark Diggins – The Rockpit
Level 42 frontman and legendary bassist/ vocalist Mark King reflects on the band’s golden era, deep album cuts, and the creative dynamic with founding members Boon Gould and Phil Gould. Plus, Mark talks about working with Allan Holdsworth; he touches on the legacy of his iconic Status Graphite basses.
Level 42 bassist and frontman Mark King chats with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips about the band’s long-awaited visit to Australia in January 2027. King looks back on the impact of COVID on touring and the wider live music industry, talks about the Level 42 songs likely to feature in the Australian set, including “Love Games”, “Something About You” and “Starchild”, and discusses his approach to live performance, soundchecks and in-ear monitors. He also reveals why he has returned to playing his old JD basses, talks about his Markbass setup and reflects on the challenge of creating new Level 42 music following the death of his longtime songwriting partner Boon Gould. After several cancelled attempts to tour Australia, King is hoping 2027 will finally be the year Level 42 makes it Down Under.
Level 42 perform Running In The Family, their jazz-funk top ten song, live at Radio 2 in the Park 2026 in Stirling.
Level 42 perform Lessons In Love, their smash-hit single from 1986, live at Radio 2 in the Park 2026 in Stirling.
Mark King and Mike Lindup sit down for an interview before the Radio 2 In The Park 2026 show, talking through some of the band’s history and what’s changed over the years with the lineup and arrangement of older songs. They touch on the balance between sticking to the record versus letting things evolve live, plus a bit of back and forth about their connection with audiences over the years and where Mark’s sound comes from.
