Kill It Kid

Last updated

Kill It Kid
Kill It Kid (UK).jpg
Kill It Kid performing in 2015
Background information
Origin Bath, England
Genres
Years active2008–2015
Labels
Past members
  • Chris Turpin
  • Stephanie Ward
  • Marc MacNab-Jack
  • Richard Jones
  • Adam Timmins
  • Dom Kozubik
Website www.killitkid.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Kill It Kid was an English alternative rock band fronted by Chris Turpin on guitars and vocals. Members also include Stephanie Ward, on keys and vocals, Marc MacNab-Jack on drums and Dom Kozubik on bass guitar.

Contents

The band was widely recognised as one of the best new acts of 2009, [1] with Clash rating their debut album 9/10. [2]

Influences and sound

Kill it Kid originally blended roots, rock and blues led by vocals from both Chris Turpin and Stephanie Ward; [3] [4] their line-up has included slide guitar, fiddle and on rare occasion banjo. Although the band never really saw their music as folk, [5] the band were initially linked to the British nu-folk revival. [6]

The sound on their second album, Feet Fall Heavy (2011), was compared to bands like The White Stripes. [6] [3] [7] Chris Turpin describes the change in a 2011 interview: [8]

It's an entirely different record, it almost feels like a different band, to be honest. It's just the reality of living and working in the music industry for two years and turning into a family band. You all become siblings which is a bit peculiar after like, the seventeenth day on the road. The main difference is there's no violin and there's no acoustic guitars, it's a much heavier process.

The band are influenced by blues and folk music; [3] the band is named after the Blind Willie McTell song Kill it Kid. [1] [4] [7] [9] [10]

History

Formation

Kill it Kid met and formed in Bath, [11] where its original band members lived, most of whom were students at Bath Spa University. [4] [12] [13] According to vocalist Chris Turpin, in an interview in 2011: [8]

I was gigging on my own doing solo pre war acoustic blues, Steph was doing similar on the other side of the scale, Bessie Smith and all the early female blues. We started playing together in different little groups, I was playing behind her in some jazz concerts and she had come to see my shows. Mark saw me at a solo gig, he backed me at some gigs. we then decided to get everyone in a room together.

In February 2008, a tutor at the university invited John Parish, the producer of PJ Harvey and Eels, to discuss recording with Chris, Marc and Steph. He took a group into the studio while students watched, "we sat and slogged for 12-hour days singing over and over again trying to get these songs right whilst 20 or so students sat the other room listening" explained Chris Turpin. "It was a bit strange – I don't know if there was tutoring going on or what." The finished product became their debut EP, which drew increasing label interest. [11]

Success and breakthrough

Kill It Kid were signed to One Little Indian Records three months later and began touring the UK. In January 2009 they went to Seattle to record their debut album with producer Ryan Hadlock, [11] (Foo Fighters, The Gossip, The Strokes) in Bear Creek Studios [14] In 2009, they released their self-titled debut album to critical acclaim. The album was subsequently nominated for XFM's New Music Award 2010. [15] [16] [17]

Kill it Kid's second album, Feet Fall Heavy (2011) was produced by Leo Abrahams and recorded at Fortress Studios [18] in Shoreditch over a period of ten days; [19] it features samples of Alan Lomax [20] field recordings, and has received widespread critical acclaim. [21] Feet Fall Heavy was to be released on 19 September 2011 but distribution was disrupted after rioters set fire to and destroyed a Sony warehouse in Enfield, North London (used by independent-music distributor PIAS) in which most of the existing physical copies of the album were being stored (see: 2011 England riots ). [22]

The band signed a publishing deal with EMI Music in September 2011. [23] In late 2012 the band signed a recording contract with Seymour Stein, singing to his label Sire Records. The band headed to Los Angeles in the spring of 2013, to begin work on their third studio album You Owe Nothing, released in 2014). On 13 November 2015, the members of the band announced they were taking a break from Kill It Kid.

Kill it Kid have toured the UK and Ireland extensively as well as throughout Europe, with occasional US appearances. They have played festivals including South by Southwest, and Hop Farm in 2010 (headlined by Bob Dylan). [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

Their song Run featured on the 2013 Samsung commercial "Charge" Directed by Romain Gavras. The commercial depicts a man sitting on a beach with scenes from multiple movies rushing at him before he uses voice and motion control to select a movie.

Break

On 13 November 2015 they announced on their Facebook fan page that they will be taking an indefinite break. [29] Chris Turpin and Stephanie Jean from the band posted that they got married in December 2016. [30] As of 2019 Kill It Kid has been completely dissolved and former members Chris Turpin and Stephanie Jean have created a new band called Ida Mae. Meanwhile, drummer Marc went on to drum for Reef, The Heavy, James Arthur and is full time drummer for Band of Skulls. [31]

Members

Current

Former

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

EPs

Singles and EPs

Notes

  1. ↑ Reached nr. 20 on US Mainstream Rock Songs

References

  1. 1 2 Skinner, James (5 October 2009). "Kill It Kid - Kill It Kid - Review". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  2. ↑ Akhtar, Ash (29 September 2009). "Kill It Kid – Kill It Kid: '...an outstanding British record'". Clash . No. 43. Archived from the original on 12 August 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "Kill It Kid - Exclusive interview". WeirdMusic.net. 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Mineo, Mike (28 August 2009). "Kill It Kid!". Obscure Sound . Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Interview". Vectisradar.com. 29 September 2011. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  6. 1 2 Lo, Chris (19 September 2011). "Kill It Kid - Feet Fall Heavy - Review". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Kill It Kid UK Tour 2009". The New Current. 20 September 2009. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 "Interview with Christ Turpin". Nessymon.com. 5 September 2011. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "kill it kid interview sxsw 2010". spinner.com. 12 March 2010. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  10. ↑ "Kill It Kid: Delta Blues from Bath". Clash. 1 May 2009. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 Cochrane, Greg (24 March 2009). "Introducing... Kill It Kid". Newsbeat - Music. BBC Radio. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "Bath Spa University – Courses – Postgraduate – Songwriting". Bathspa.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  13. ↑ "Kill It Kid – Track of the Day". news.qthemusic.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  14. ↑ seattle recording Archived 26 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "iTunes single of the week - Kill It Kid 'Birst Its Banks'". Wing Management. 20 October 2009. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  16. ↑ "NME Reviews – Album review: Kill It Kid – 'Kill It Kid'". Nme.Com. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  17. ↑ "The xfm new music award". mtv.co.uk. 18 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  18. ↑ "Fortress Recording Studios London". Fortressstudios.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  19. ↑ "One Little Indian Records/heart rested". soundcloud.com. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  20. ↑ "Introducing Kill It Kid – Filed under 'Alan Lomax'". killitkid.posterous.com/. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  21. ↑ "What the Critics have been saying... van KILL IT KID op Myspace". Myspace.com. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  22. ↑ Caspar Llewellyn Smith, Tim Jonze and Helienne Lindvall (9 August 2011). "Independent record labels fear ruinous stock loss in London riots fire – Music". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  23. ↑ "Myspace". Myspace. 29 August 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  24. ↑ "Kill It Kid kick off September tour in Dublin". Hotpress.com. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  25. ↑ "One Little Indian tour dates". Indian.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  26. ↑ "Q interview". News.qthemusic.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  27. ↑ "Kill It Kid at SXSW 2011 – Music". London: Guardian. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  28. ↑ "Announce of new single tour dates". espyrock.com. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  29. ↑ "Band Statement. Fri 13th Nov '15". facebook.com. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  30. ↑ "Dear Friends". facebook.com. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  31. ↑ "ARTIST COLLECTION: IDA MAE – GETTING CLOSER". BandLab Media. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
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