Collection: Knats

Knats were formed in Newcastle upon Tyne by bassist Stan Woodward and drummer King David-Ike Elechi, two childhood friends whose teenage years were shaped by the UK club music of the North East before a self-directed journey into jazz fusion changed the direction of both their playing and their writing. The quintet, which also features trumpeter Ferg Kilsby, keyboardist Sandro Shargorodsky, and tenor saxophonist George Johnson, moved to London in 2022 when Woodward and Elechi enrolled at Trinity Laban, and signed to Gearbox Records in 2024 after a run of high-profile performances that included the BBC Proms, Love Supreme, and a sold-out Jazz Re:freshed headline show. Their self-titled debut album (Gearbox, spring 2025), recorded at Damon Albarn's Studio 13, draws on 1970s jazz-rock fusion in the vein of the Headhunters and Weather Report while running drum 'n' bass and punk energy through the rhythm section, a combination that received praise from Jazzwise, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone Japan. Their second album, "A Great Day in Newcastle" (Gearbox, 2026), produced by Geordie Greep and featuring poet Cooper Robson as a new member, doubles down on the North East working-class themes and moves further into what the band call Geordie Noir. Both records are in stock here.