René Grünenfelder opens “King of Mediocrity” by comparing himself to “the leader of a small town band / Three chords and a shaking hand,” which is either extreme humility or extremely accurate self-assessment depending on how you feel about indie folk songwriters naming their technical limitations in the first verse. The Swiss songwriter performs as Mo Klé and describes this track as “a humorous reflection on his own imperfections,” which undersells how precisely he’s catalogued them. The production, handled by Winterthur-based Giuliano Sulzberger, wraps Grünenfelder’s acerbic self-examination in warm guitars, lap steel, organ, and backing vocals that make doubt sound almost celebratory. It’s the opening salvo from his upcoming album Three Chords and a Shaking Hand, out June 2026.
What Does “King of Mediocrity” Mean?
Grünenfelder wanted to write about “accepting that we’re not perfect—and about the beauty that can often be found in exactly that,” which explains why the song’s central question—”Why can’t you love me when I am wrong and incomplete”—reads less desperate and more pragmatic. The wine bottle metaphor nails it: “Too good to throw but too bad to drink for yourself / Half-wrapped in yesterday’s paper / A last-minute gift for your neighbour.” That’s not mediocrity as failure; that’s mediocrity as functional existence, the kind that gets regifted but still serves a purpose.
The Sisyphus reference (“I keep rolling up Sisyphus’s rock”) acknowledges ambition while rejecting its tyranny. Grünenfelder claims he’d love everyone voting for him as “king of a democracy,” but immediately undercuts it: “A golden crown also weighs a ton / I’d rather stay a mediocre pawn.” The bridge delivers the song’s sharpest observation: “Some people feel destined to rule over others / Some others need mothers to feel loved.” Mo Klé plants himself firmly in neither camp, choosing instead to be the wine bottle nobody drinks but nobody throws away either. For a first preview of an album, it’s a strange flex—announcing your limitations before anyone asks—but Grünenfelder clearly decided honesty beats competence.
Interested in other reflections on imperfection? Check out Carel Brouwers – “Too Old”
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