Popscene Presents

KNATS

Mercury Prize nominees rom Newcastle, England, in their SF debut!

Monday, 3/22

@ Brick & Mortar Music Hall

7pm doors, 8pm show

$22.00 advance, all ages welcome

“Anyone under 21 years old must pay an additional $5 at the door for a drink ticket, redeemable for a non-alcoholic drink at the bar, thank you!"

KNATS

Knats are a Mercury-nominated trio from Newcastle upon Tyne, channelling

rock grit, fusion fire and floor-filling grooves into a bold new sound they call

“Geordie Jazz”.

Formed by two lifelong best friends from Newcastle’s West End – bassist Stan

Woodward and drummer King David Ike-Elechi – the core trio is completed by

trumpet phenom Ferg Kilsby.

Jazzwise described them as one of the most exciting new bands in the UK. In

the words of The Guardian, they “gleefully rewire jazz with a hard-as-nails

rhythm section, drum’n’bass energy and punk aggression.”

After moving to London in 2022 to hone their jazz skills at Trinity Laban

conservatoire, Knats quickly built a reputation for their explosive live shows,

selling out headline gigs at Jazz Refreshed and Rough Trade East, supporting

Str4ta at a packed Jazz Cafe and Theon Cross at the BBC Proms.

In March 2025 they released their self-titled debut album on Gearbox

Records, reflecting their diverse influences – from jazz fusion to UK club

beats. With its strong melodies, virtuosic solos and infectious grooves, the

album won widespread acclaim and earned them a nomination for ‘Jazz

Newcomer of the Year’ at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

Knats went on to back Eddie Chacon, tour with Geordie Greep and perform at

SXSW (their US debut) before signing to Fontana Records and releasing their

second album, A Great Day In Newcastle, in May 2026. The album

showcases a heavier side to the band’s sound, drawing on their roots playing

rock and metal. Produced by Geordie Greep and featuring an array of

collaborators – including powerful storytelling from Newcastle poet Cooper

Robson – it’s an unflinching portrait of working-class life in their home city, full

of humour, optimism and grit. They call it “Geordie Noir”.

In July, A Great Day In Newcastle was nominated for the Mercury Prize,

capping a whirlwind few months for the band. Since the album’s release,

they’ve appeared on Jools Holland, supported Nadine Shah at the BBC

Proms, collaborated with corto.alto on a remix of ‘Never Gonna Be A Boxer’,

performed at Green Man and We Out Here festival and played two sold-out

shows at London’s Moth Club.Alongside coverage in The Guardian and Jazzwise, Knats have been featured

in DownBeat, Rolling Stone Japan, The Line of Best Fit, Mojo and Record

Collector. They’ve had radio support from leading UK tastemakers Lauren

Laverne, Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum, Soweto Kinch, Jamz Supernova, Deb

Grant & Nathan Shepherd, Tom Ravenscroft and Jazz FM’s Tony Minvielle.

On BBC Radio 6 Music they made the playlist (following in the footsteps of UK

jazz pioneers Ezra Collective, KOKOROKO and corto.alto) and were selected

as a New Music Fix Breaking Artist. Nick Grimshaw is another supporter and

invited Knats on his Side Tracked podcast to announce the Mercury Prize

shortlist.

In the fashion world, Knats have brought their energy and charisma to

collaborations with Newcastle United Football Club, END, Palace, Beams,

Aubin & Wills and Arc’teryx.

With the Mercury Prize announcement in October and influential figures

among their fans – from Sam Fender and Lauren Laverne to Jim Moir (Vic

Reeves), who created the art work for recent single ‘Bowling Ball’ – Knats are

bringing Geordie jazz to the world.

50 Words

Knats are a Mercury-nominated trio from Newcastle upon Tyne, channelling

rock grit, fusion fire and floor-filling grooves into a bold new sound they call

“Geordie Jazz”. Formed by two lifelong best friends from Newcastle’s West

End – bassist Stan Woodward and drummer King David Ike-Elechi – they’re

completed by trumpet phenom Ferg Kilsby.

103 Words

Knats are a Mercury-nominated trio from Newcastle upon Tyne, channelling

rock grit, fusion fire and floor-filling grooves into a bold new sound they call

“Geordie Jazz”. Formed by two lifelong best friends from Newcastle’s West

End – bassist Stan Woodward and drummer King David Ike-Elechi – they’re

completed by trumpeter Ferg Kilsby. Described by Jazzwise as “one of the

most exciting new bands in the UK”, they’ve won plaudits from Lauren

Laverne, Gilles Peterson, The Guardian, DownBeat, Rolling Stone Japan and

many more. Their latest album, A Great Day In Newcastle, was shortlisted for

the Mercury Prize and takes the energy to new heights.