Out Today Via Gearbox Records
“Jaw-dropping brilliance” –Jazzwise
“For all the ink spilt over the UK jazz renaissance, it’s been notable that most of the scene’s activity to date has been confined to London. Offering an overdue corrective is Knats” –Uncut
“They gleefully rewire jazz with a hard-as-nails rhythm section, drum’n’bass energy and punk aggression.” –The Guardian
“Though Knats currently live in London, they do not play London jazz. They’re from the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne, in the far north of the U.K., and pride themselves on playing Newcastle’s homegrown Geordie jazz, known for its deep, danceable drum’n‘bass grooves and infectious, aggressive melodies.” –DownBeat
“An inventive collection of sophisticated horn-led grooves enhanced by piquant funk, Latin, classical, and drum and bass elements” –Record Collector
Today, Newcastle Upon Tyne jazz trailblazers Knats have released new single “Take a Seat on the Settee.” The new song comes on the heels of an incendiary year for the band which includes releasing their critically acclaimed debut album via Gearbox Records (Cahill//Costello, Liza Lo, Abdullah Ibrahim, Elliot Galvin), as well as supporting Geordie Greep (black midi) and playing as the backing band for R&B legend Eddie Chacon on UK tours. They also played a sold out Jazz Refreshed headliner, supported Str4ta at a sold Jazz Cafe, performed at the BBC Proms, and recently collaborated with Mike Keat of The Cuban Brothers and Simon Bartholomew of The Brand New Heavies on a track titled “Beauty & The Beast (Peace)”.
HEAR / SHARE “TAKE A SEAT ON THE SETTEE” HERE
This latest track sees the quintet collaborating with local Geordie noise-rock pals lots of hands, and once again highlights the scope of their compositional chops. Written by Knats’ Stanley Elvis Woodward, “Take a Seat on the Settee” is a tongue-in-cheek, genre-fluid piece combining elements of warped orchestral art-rock with harmonic ideas from the likes of Satie and Shoenburg. The result is something equal parts surreal and seductive, as warbled vocals dance around explosive horn and sax breakouts, uncanny keys, hazy guitar lines, and deceptively intricate drums. Speaking about the storyline Woodward says it “details a lad telling his mam about all the naughty stuff he did when he was younger.”
Single art (by Billy Woodhouse) | Hi-res HERE
Led by two lifelong best friends from Newcastle, Stan Woodward (bass) and King David-Ike Elechi (drums), Knats pride themselves on making “Geordie Jazz,” with sophisticated arrangements, strong melodies and danceable grooves. The band have developed an enviable word-of-mouth ascent, as well as earning Spotify playlist covers and plaudits from the likes of the Guardian, Jazzwise, Record Collector, Uncut, DownBeat, MOJO, and more. Their recent debut album marked the beginning of the Knats’ sound, proper. It is a materialisation of the musical journey Stan and King have been on together over the past 10 years, drawn directly from their experiences growing up in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne—overcoming hardship and figuring things out on their own. Eventually, they found their missing link: the virtuosic young Geordie trumpet player, Ferg Kilsby, who, with his slick melodic ideas, completes the full sound that is Knats.
In its entirety, their album is dedicated to Knats’ loved ones; Stan’s composition and recent single “Tortuga (For me Mam)” shows his love and appreciation of his Mam, while “Se7en”, a darker tune, expresses his emotional relationship with his Dad, formerly “DJ Se7en”. “Adaeze” is a tribute to King’s late sister, taken from a gospel folk tune, incorporating West African percussive breaks and instrumentation. Acting as a message to all those who may know someone suffering with mental health to check on those around them and be that helping hand they might need.
The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle is not to be overlooked.
“Take a Seat on the Settee” credits
Composed – Stanley Elvis Woodward
Words – King David Ike Elechi/Cooper Robson/Billy Woodhouse
Vocals – Billy Woodhouse/ Elliot Dryden
Bass/Guitar – Stanley Elvis Woodward
Drums – King David Ike-Elechi
Trumpet/Flugalhorn – Ferg Kilsby
Tenor Saxophone – George Johnson
Piano/Keys/Synth – Sandro Shargorodsky
Recorded – Blast Studios by Andy Bell
Mixed – Andy Bell
