Kingtide have been around these parts for a year-and-a-half but it may just be that you haven’t heard of them. If you loved Leamington based Penfold then you’ll love these. Why? Well because the two are the same. Yes, the DangerMouse hamster sidekick’s moniker has been dropped and they've now been crowned Kingtide. Penfold is dead. Long live the King(tide). Rest assured the band are still sounding like “REM with grit” if that’s how you chose to describe them as before. Certainly the Stratford music venue Cox’s Yard did. But bands are never static and since the group’s beginnings back in May 2003 they have continued to evolve. The royal family  | | Kingtide |
So who are they? Kingtide are a four piece indie-rock outfit formed when Ben Ablewhite and Paul Ryan met by chance at an open mic night. Ben was the up and coming songwriter, gaining confidence while Paul ran the night. Over time Ben enjoyed a kind of residency and the two forged a close friendship which prompted them to form the band. Paul brought along his drummer friend Colin Locke and Ben introduced the others to bassist Lewis Smith at the first practice. Within two weeks, their blend of Mansun and Wonderstuff influences had bagged their first gig and by the autumn of 2003 they released The Green EP. Recorded locally by BBC music producer Matt Katz, the six track CD was warmly received and helped the group continue to gig around the country, most notably with OneMusic finalists the Broken Dolls. Have a listen to the band by clicking on the link to their track Into The Light. You make up your mind about the band by following the link on the right. We reckon they're top! From Green to Red  | | Kingtide |
It’s no coincidence that in the month of November, when they released their second eagerly anticipated record, that they are our featured band. The four boys released The Red EP as a follow up to last year’s equally colourfully titled effort. The launch party was held at the Jug and Jester pub in the band’s home town Ablewhite is excited about the new release. He said: “I think the Red EP reflects just how far we have come in such a short period of time. I can honestly say that we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved". How to get featured BBC Coventry and Warwickshire's Band of the Month feature aims to showcase the best local musical talent. If you think you and/or your band are worthy enough of a feature then email us at: coventry@bbc.co.uk or by using the address on the right. You can use the same address to contact us with any gig details.
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