Knats

Knats are a jazz band originally from Newcastle upon Tyne in England.[1]

King David-Ike Elechi (drums) and Stan Woodward (bass) met as teenagers at school in Newcastle and started playing rock covers together before eventually playing reggae and jazz.[2] They moved to London c. 2022 to study jazz at Trinity Laban; they met Ferg Kilsby (trumpet), who is also from Newcastle, online.[2]

They released their debut album, Knats, in 2025.[3] Their second album, A Great Day in Newcastle, was released in 2026[1] and was nominated for the 2026 Mercury Prize.[4] The cover photo is an homage to the 1958 photo A Great Day in Harlem.[5][6]

Members

  • King David-Ike Elechi (drums)[2]
  • Stan Woodward (bass)[2]
  • Ferg Kilsby (trumpet)[1]
  • George Johnson (saxophone)[1]
  • Sandro Shar (piano)[1]

Discography

  • Knats (2025)
  • A Great Day in Newcastle (2026)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Pometsey, Olive (28 April 2026). ""Geordie optimism is this rigorous spirit of hard graft": Newcastle jazz band Knats break out of the north-south divide". The Guardian.
  2. 1 2 3 4 McCree, Cree (5 May 2025). "Knats: From Newcastle with Lotsa Love". Downbeat.
  3. ↑ Roseblade, Nick (1 May 2026). "Knats - A Great Day in Newcastle". Clash Magazine.
  4. ↑ Savage, Mark (30 July 2026). "Olivia Dean nominated and Lily Allen snubbed in Mercury Prize list". BBC News.
  5. ↑ Forde, Archie (1 May 2026). "Knats: A Great Day in Newcastle Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Duggan, Neil (18 March 2026). "Knats: A Great Day in Newcastle". All About Jazz. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
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