1 2 WATCH: Cousin Kula

With their head-turning new single and the announcement that their debut album ‘Double Dinners’ will be gifted to a burgeoning fan base on 26th November, Bristol five-piece Cousin Kula look set to be considered one of the most exciting and innovative bands in the UK. 

Recently signed to Rhythm Section, the band are offering an otherworldly tapestry of striking cadence that has been sorely absent in the current, rather tame UK alt/indie scene. The group are hidden away in the hilly West Country, continuously improving their already exemplary instrumental craft. Their psychedelia-infused strand of jazz is intricate, elegant and expansive, and most importantly challenges the listener and their perception, both musically and lyrically. 

‘Now That You’re Gone’ is the perfect teaser for the upcoming album, and offers an epitomisation of the group’s sound and message. With cascading guitars, groove-laden bass and bizarrely dazzling vocals, the track swoons in airy melancholy, with constant undertones of hued abnormality. Lyrically, singer Elliiot Ellison shows himself to be a thrilling narrator and conceptualist, with descriptions of time and emotion manifested through immersive imagery and startling statements.

Commenting on the new single, keys player Will Wells said: 

“This one started life deep into lockdown. I would set keyboards up outside Elliot’s bedroom window so we could still play together without me coming in the house. I guess the tune’s simplicity is, in some way, a reflection of the slower pace of life we’d gotten used to.”

With their debut body of work a month away and a run of headline shows set for early December, Cousin Kula are ready to shake up UK guitar music, and prove themselves to be 1 2 WATCH.