Kill It Kid

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There's a long tradition of young British musicians falling in love with the American blues. It started in the sixties when the likes of The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Led Zeppelin became mesmerized by the sounds that emanated from the backwoods and bayous of the South.
 
Continuing in this unspoken ritual is vocalist and guitarist Chris Turpin, who fell under the spell of Robert Johnson and Blind Willie McTell. After reading Johnson's name in an early interview with The White Stripes, the budding guitarist took to Berwick St in London and combed record store bargain bins for the keys to unlock this legacy for himself.
 
"I bought a Robert Johnson compilation for just a few pounds" he recalls. "I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was the most potent, intense guitar music and single voice I'd ever experienced. I had never heard anything like it before. That's why I started a band. I wanted to capture that same essence."
 
So, like any good bluesman, Turpin took his acoustic guitar and started performing - constantly. Playing three times a week at open mic nights "for a pint", he developed impressive chops both instrumentally and vocally. Soon, other musicians began to take notice. Drummer Marc Jones approached him, followed by co-vocalist and pianist Stephanie Ward. In 2008, taking their name from a Blind Willie McTell tune, Kill It Kid was formed.
 
"What's a British kid's relationship to the blues? Well, at the time, the music scene was so focused on scenester and hipster bands or ridiculous pop," sighs Turpin. "We were just sick of it.
What they sang about didn't feel relevant or connect to us in the slightest. It was opulent and vacant. When we came together. We wanted to do something visceral. There's an earthy poetry that comes from the blues. It cuts like a knife in terms of sincerity and authenticity. We craved that."
 
Telling venues he was "a record label executive or promoter", Turpin personally booked a gruelling month-long tour of the UK where the players truly cut their teeth, slogging it out night after night. Over the course of the next four years, they toured hard and grew a loyal following, releasing music via London Indie label One Little Indian Records—home to none other than Sir Paul McCartney. During that period, they rounded out their line-up with bassist Dom Kozubik. In 2012, Sire Records A&R legend Seymour Stein caught a show and signed the band. A year later, the quartet retreated to Los Angeles in order to cut their self-titled full-length debut for the U.S. with producer Julian Raymond [Cheap Trick, MUTEMATH]. Now, Kill It Kid arrive at a crossroads between unadulterated blues catharsis, tight rock 'n' roll song writing, pensive folk musings and distorted grunge attitude. Impassioned vocals give way to finger-splitting string bends and impenetrable riffs with unmitigated emotion.
 
"You could call it 'New British Blues', but there's an element of heaviness and even doses of Americana, folk, and country" he smiles. "We started off with the ethos that we're doing this for ourselves and not to please anybody else. The modus operandi of this band is to create something honest and simple."
 
That's precisely what the lead single "Caroline" represents. Slipping from a hulking guitar groove into a soaring refrain, it upholds the pillars of blues and rock. "It's got classic subject matter," admits Turpin. "The song discusses love and loss. It came together in literally three minutes between two phone calls. That idea sums up what the record is really about. It walks the line between being a devout love song and a heartbroken, despairing breakup song, depending on how you listen to it."
 
Then, there's the debut single "I'll Be The First", which slides from handclaps into a propulsive and powerful beats and an anthemic hook. He continues, "You can move to it. It's got that rhythm. The mindset is similar to an early blues song. The subject matter isn't overly clear, nor does it have to be. It was written to sound like an old Mississippi Fred McDowell tune."
 
Meanwhile, "Don't It Feel Good" and "Blood Stop Run" sees Ward take the mic, adding an intensely sensual female edge to the music during its heaviest moments and nodding to the likes of Southern sirens Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. "It's exciting to write songs for Steph's voice," he exclaims. "It's like the mirror edge of my voice. It's not polite, and it's not sweet. It's dangerous."
 
Ultimately though, the record ‘You Owe Nothing’ is meant to be experienced as one dynamic piece, like any timeless record. "We just want people to enjoy it and appreciate it," concludes Turpin. "We hope you get a kick out of it. It's simple rock 'n' roll music. This was written as a record. You need to listen to it as a whole. That's the way to find some solace and release inside the music."



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