Jonathan Crosby - Vocals, Guitar
Karl Grant - Bass
Lee Spavins - Drums
Biography 2011
Three musical catalysts collide by chance, like some audio-laboratory experiment gone wrong. After the smoke has cleared, what's left is a volatile compound of commanding guitars and regimented percussion.
Seemingly by chance, Kilto Take have experienced a rapid rise to attention befitting their disciplined approach to music. A band for little more than four months, Kilto Take garnered label interest and after their eighth live date were signed to Medical Records. This relentless pace of change, only equalled in the tempo of their tracks, shows no more signs of stopping than the band's determination to perfect their distinctly British flavour.
"Somehow we've reached a happy medium," says Jon Crosby, lead guitarist and singer, when asked about how the outfit came to be. Once an avid drummer, there's a constant interest in pushing boundaries inherent in the man who likes to stay in touch with modern sounds, and provides the soaring riffs, and heartfelt vocals that punctuate and dominate Kilto Take's wholly epic sound.
It's a contrast to Karl Grant, who spends much of his time listening to past heroes. And the differences don't stop there; the pair were originally far from the good friends they are today. Surprising, then, that Karl wound up playing bass with the band, despite never having played bass before. A lack of tradition means he refuses to adhere to the bassist's norms, and results in his low notes taking listeners ever higher.
But it was only a chance meeting at a local rehearsal studio that finally completed this powerful indie rock line-up. To mirror this accidental history, drummer Lee James Spavins started out on guitar, before moving into percussion and coming into his own. With militant precision he holds court and propels each track forward, adding nothing without cause to allow every instrument, note and snare be felt in full, devastating effect.
Growing out of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire indie scene, Kilto Take arrive onto a musical landscape scarred by the likes of Radiohead, Gang of Four, The Cure, Depeche Mode and early U2. It's this musical inspiration and heritage that forms the strong basis of their craft, and by blending in the searing modern influential sonic elements of today's independent music scene, they look set to add another successful layer to the big-room sound of England's indie underground.