Knats look to put Newcastle on the jazz map with a stunning self-titled debut album, one born of longtime friendship and a love of the groove.
From the heart of Newcastle’s West End to the stages of the BBC Proms and Jazz Cafe, Knats are rewriting the rules of UK jazz. Their self-titled debut feels like more than just a first album, it feels like a statement of identity and history from a band of brothers born to groove.
Led by bassist Stan Woodward and drummer King David-Ike Elechi, lifelong best friends whose musical journey started in their teens, Knats call their sound “Geordie Jazz.” But that tag barely scratches the surface. Think deep-pocket rhythm sections steeped in funk, complex harmonies drawn from a jazz canon, and a streetwise vibe that’s uniquely northern. Add the virtuosic trumpet of Ferg Kilsby, whose slick, melodic phrasing feels like a revelation, and you’ve got a band that sounds like nothing else coming out of the UK jazz renaissance.
The record pulses with personal stories. “Tortuga (For Me Mam)” is Woodward’s love letter to his mother, full of warm, enveloping tones. “Se7en” dives into deeper waters, a shadowy exploration of his relationship with his father, a former DJ whose alias gives the track its name. “Adaeze,” named after Elechi’s late sister, draws on gospel folk and West African percussion to create a moving tribute and a call to check in on those quietly struggling.
Knats arrives on the heels of a breakout year: backing Eddie Chacon on tour, supporting Geordie Greep of black midi, selling out headline shows for Jazz Refreshed, and earning co-signs from tastemakers like The Guardian and Jazzwise. But it’s on this debut LP that the trio truly plant their flag. This is the sound of musicians not just coming into their own but forging a new path altogether. Knats’ debut isn’t flashy or overstuffed, but it’s precise, emotional, and deeply rooted. It’s also undeniably danceable, showing that complex jazz arrangements can still move bodies, not just minds. What Knats have really created with this record is a love letter to Newcastle, to the families and communities that shaped them, and to the power of sticking with your friends because that’s how beautiful music is made.