This Is The Kit + Rozi Plain + Neil Thomas

This Is The Kit is set to release a new album called Bashed Out in April. Produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, and coming out via Dessner’s own Brassland label. It features guest appearances from fellow National-er Bryce Dessner, Benjamin Lanz (Beirut), Thomas Bartlett (Doveman, The Gloaming) and Matt Barrick (The Walkmen).

The album’s title track digs into the mud, muck, and shit of life, acquiescing to the dirty violence of existence with a clear-eyed sort of courage.
Stables sings and plays guitar, trumpet, percussion and banjo throughout the record, but you’ll especially notice the way she handles a banjo, turning an often hackneyed sound into a thing of delicacy.

‘You thought you didn’t like the banjo but you were wrong pal. Kate Stables rips forward with a hypnotic twang pattern and a voice of rare unaffected beauty. Accompanied by a backing-band of minimal psychedelia, This is the Kit will transport you to a warm bath in the middle of a forest.’ – Neil Smith, The Liftmen.

When Rozi Plain upped sticks from her hometown of Winchester, she settled in the West Country capital of Bristol. Here, she took musical inspiration from her job painting the ferries that bob along the city’s main river artery, the Avon. Her songs possess a plucky sense of charisma and brilliantly capture life’s ephemeral nature: each track a beautiful snapshot of fragility, intimacy and gentle melody. Together with her older brother Sam (aka Romanhead), and her pal Rachael Dadd, she was a founding member of the Cleaner Records collective, a loose assortment of musicians based in Bristol.

The unassuming charm of Rozi’s live show has led to tours across Europe, the UK & USA. Along the way she has traversed countries and continents together with such like-minded luminaries as Devendra Banhart, KT Tunstall, James Yorkston and Viking Moses, as well as many appearances at festivals such as Green Man and End of the Road and opening the Park Stage at Glastonbury 2013. A BBC6 favourite Rozi has perfomred numerous live sessions for Marc Riley and Lauren Laverne. Whether performing alone or with an assembly of her regular musical allies (including François & the Atlas Mountains, This Is The Kit, Rachael Dadd and Being There) her uncluttered songs and effortless hooks create a blissful, singular voice.

Support by Neil Thomas