Band of the Week 005: Kioko
Band: Kioko
Hometown: Birmingham
For fans of: The Skints, Kiko Bun
Online: Facebook / Instagram / Spotify
KIOOOOOOOKO!
If you’ve ever seen this lot live, you’ll no doubt know what I’m referring to. If not, isn’t it about time you did? Kioko are bubbling at the top of the city’s cultural melting pot with a modern reggae/ska sound that’s attracted attention from a rabble of renowned names.
- Review: Kioko light up their hometown show at the O2 Academy
- Why the Birmingham music scene is better than you think
Recommended by none other than UB40 and courted by Jamal Edwards of British online channel SBTV, Kioko are firmly on the up. They’ve recently toured with a breadth of musical legends, supporting the likes of Lee Scratch Perry and Jimmy Cliff, while they were personally approached by the aforementioned UB40 to support them at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Prestigious stuff.
Kioko’s new EP features a series of covers with their familiar reggae twist, such as ‘One Kiss’ by Dua Lipa. The covers were also recorded by SBTV for their online channels. Covers Vol. 1 is available to stream and download through their website.
Kioko headline O2 Institute Birmingham on Wednesday 28 November. Tickets are available here.
Founding editor of Counteract. Freelance travel and music journalist.