The Devil Is Real / King Dude

TJ Cowgill of King Dude partners with Justin Pittney in a project that marks a shift toward deeper collaboration and shared creative vision. Rooted in years of mutual respect this music collaboration explores new sonic landscapes, challenging both their artistic limits and the listener’s expectations.

For over fifteen years TJ Cowgill has built a cult of followers around the globe under the name King Dude. His dark, cinematic songwriting has led to a dozen full-length albums, countless singles, and collaborations and tours with artists like Chelsea Wolfe, Amigo the Devil, Drab Majesty, Earth, and Ghost. In 2022, he released Death, the final King Dude studio album, and turned his attention to something new.

“It’s a single that feels both lived-in and possessed”

“I knew that whatever I did next,” Cowgill says, “I wanted it to be a collaboration – with someone I respect musically and who shares my sense of humor. I wanted to make music with someone I actually want to hang out with.” That someone turned out to be Justin Pittney, a longtime friend and collaborator. The two first connected in 2013 when Pittney recorded and produced King Dude’s Holy Trinity EP. What began as a studio experiment quickly evolved into a bond rooted in mutual respect and a shared taste for pushing boundaries.

“The Devil Is Real is just the beginning”

Now, with The Devil Is Real, their partnership takes center stage. Pittney – producer, multi-instrumentalist, and sonic architect – is behind the desk again, shaping the single with instrumentation, production, and arrangements that bring Cowgill’s haunting songwriting to life. It’s a single that feels both lived-in and possessed—the result of years of late-night texts, shared stages, and inside jokes.

Pittney has fronted the bands Residuels and Love City, touring with bands like Buzzcocks, Pierced Arrows, and The Sonics, and as friend and collaborator Iggy Pop puts it: “I first met Justin Pittney working on the Stooges music for a TV spot. I noticed he had a great feel for our music, and I enjoyed his company and his wit – and I still do.”

The Devil Is Real is just the beginning. What happens when two longtime conspirators give in fully to the chaos? We’re about to find out.