Newcastle trailblazers Knats share new video for ‘Never Gonna Be A Boxer’
L-R: Ferg Kilsby, Stan Woodward, King David-Ike Elechi | Credit: Ellie Slorick
“It’s moments like this where Knats excel not only as individual players but as a collective whose compositions reach beyond the purview of UK jazz.”– Pitchfork
“jazz that is sprawling and eclectic, with gritty, menacing percussion one moment, and bright, groove-led horns the next.”- The Guardian
“a big compositional leap, boldly examining poverty, prison and crime via action-packed sonic fizz bombs”– MOJO
“Newcastle collective Knats are transcending nostalgia to ask what it really means to trudge through inherited violence and working-class masculinity without a clean way out” - The Line Of Best Fit
“‘A Great Day In Newcastle’ is the best thing to come out of the North East since Andy Carroll. This is an album to get lost in. Lost in the killer melodies, time signatures and rhythms. Lost in the stories but most importantly a place to lose yourself from the grind of work.” - CLASH
“they bring a gust of fresh air straight off the River Tyne”- Observer (One To Watch)
“jaw-dropping brilliance”- Jazzwise
“A Great Day in Newcastle is a triumphant celebration of regional identity; a soaring reminder that even in the shadow of industrial ghosts, new, restless, and beautiful rhythms can still emerge” - Far Out
“nothing short of delightful” - Cult Following
“like Jason Williamson fronting National Health had they been steeped in bebop and breakbeat culture” - The Wire
“For Knats, it feels like this is just the opening act of something bigger.”- All About Jazz
“You will be hearing more from Knats.”- The Arts Desk
“an exhilarating exploration of the sound they have built together over the years, advanced even further by the creative freedom manifested in the instrumentation and the ode to their hometown which is felt strongly throughout.”- When The Horn Blows
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It’s easy to forget that little over 12-months ago Knats were yet to even release a debut album. In the here and now, the Newcastle upon Tyne trailblazer’s Geordie Greep-produced second record ‘A Great Day In Newcastle’ has been hailed as one of the “best jazz albums of the year”, landing them a #2 spot in the Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart.
That last year has seen Knats - led by Stan Woodward (bass), King David-Ike Elechi (drums), and Ferg Kilsby (Trumpet; Flugelhorn) - on a whiplash journey that includes a critically acclaimed debut album on Gearbox Records, a Parliamentary Jazz Award nomination, packed out headline tour dates up and down the country (as well EU/UK stints as the live band for both Geordie Greep and low-key RnB legend Eddie Chacon), and their US debut at SXSW. To round things off, in late April, just two weeks ahead of the new album’s release, the band signed to legendary label Fontana (UK home to AURORA, Jordan Rakei, Jacob Collier, Jon Batiste, Madison Cunningham and more).
Mixed by the inimitable Hugh Padgham and executive produced and mastered by the world-renowned Gearbox Studios, ‘A Great Day In Newcastle’s’ incendiary and captivating blood rush of high-energy and genre-bending, danceable grooves has been fervently devoured by fans and media alike. Not least because of their compelling approach to chronicling the milieu of the North East’s working-class experience - the trials and tribulations, community, and culture. As the next generation of UK jazz artists start to break through, there is something quintessentially vital about this album coming from this region. From a band who’ve persevered for years with what they recently described to The Guardian as “Geordie optimism” and “hard graft”, pushing through regional disparities that have seen musicians faced with dwindling arts programmes, funding, and unequal opportunities. From Woodward learning to play on a “Tesco guitar” and the band being told they weren’t good enough to cover Arctic Monkeys, to later performing at The Proms in 2024, there’s a diligence and resolve here that is emblematic of their home region.
Complete with fitting artwork emulating the beloved late-50s Harlem Art Kane shot, ‘A Great Day In Newcastle’ sees the band dig into stories of lived experiences - their own, their close friends, and local legends of years gone by – touching on topics such as toxic masculinity and fighting culture, crime, life after prison, alcoholism, and the mining industry (with the closing track using words from a BBC interview with Durham Miners from the 60s). The addition of poet, Cooper Robson, adds a new dynamic to the band's narrative, tackling these often-dark themes with a playful approach that fully embodies that aforementioned optimism.
Today, the band have shared a new video for their recent fan favourite single ‘Never Gonna Be A Boxer’ - a track inspired by the culture of toxic masculinity in working class areas. Directed by Kyle Macfadzean, the cinematic noir video sees Woodward and Elechi bareknuckle fighting in an industrial estate, surrounded by a jeering crowd. The fight is interspersed with footage of the band playing the track in front of Newcastle’s iconic Tyne bridge, which features on their album cover.
Watch / share the video for ‘Never Gonna Be A Boxer’ here
‘A Great Day In Newcastle’ is out now via Fontana – order here / stream here
Tracklisting:
1. Intro
2. Gainsborough Grove
3. Wor Jackie
4. Messy ln
5. Azure Blues
6. Big Market
7. Carpet Doctor ft. Geordie Greep
8. Never Gonna Be A Boxer
9. Farewell Johnny Miner
Live dates:
May 13 - La Bellevilloise - Paris, France
Jul 10 - Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival - Moseley, UK
Oct 30 - MOTH Club - London, UK
Album credits:
Stanley Elvis Woodward - Writer; Arranger; Bass Guitar; Synth Bass; Words / Lyrics
King David Ike-Elechi - Drums; Percussion; Arranger
Ferg Kilsby - Trumpet; Flugelhorn; Co-writer; Arranger
Cooper Robson - Words / Lyrics
Geordie Greep - Producer; Electric Guitar
George Johnson - Tenor Saxophone
Sandro Shargorodsky - Keyboards; Piano; Synthesiser; Synth Bass
Tobias Amadio - Trumpet
Enya Barber - Violin
Frank Barr - Clarinet]
Bertie Beaman - Trombone
Sebastian Barley - French Horn
Tom Ford - Electric Guitar
Viviane Ghiglino - Flute
Otto Kampa - Alto Saxophone; Conductor
Morgan Key - Cello
Josh Mitchell Rayner - Writer; Arranger; Piano
Dillon Pinder - Trombone
Ed Pickford - Writer
Lucy Rowan - Alto Flute
Natalia Solis Paredes - Viola
Congling Wu – Violin
Engineered by Simone Gallizio at Fish Factory Studios
Mixed by Hugh Padgham and Chris Webb at the Friary Studios
Mastered by Caspar Sutton-Jones at Gearbox Productions
