Biography
The Black Kids originated in Jacksonville, Florida, with Reggie Youngblood handling guitar duties and lead vocals, Ali Youngblood and Dawn Watley covering keyboards and backing vocals, Owen Holmes on bass, and Kevin Snow on drums. As siblings, Reggie and Ali first encountered the remaining members during childhood Sunday school sessions, a setting Reggie has noted offered rare opportunities for cross-gender socializing in the traditionally conservative South, leading the five to unite as a band in 2006.
Their sound merged buoyant pop structures drawn from the 1960s, atmospheric textures inspired by 1980s new wave, and lively dance rhythms, all delivered with an organic, playful energy. Local audiences in Florida grew devoted after the group uploaded its four-song EP Wizard of Ahhhs to MySpace in August 2007. The sharp, melody-driven tracks, already familiar to those who had attended Black Kids performances such as their memorable 2007 Popfest set in Athens, Georgia, soon attracted Florida and Georgia listeners, prompting early coverage from several bloggers. Online attention intensified rapidly, positioning “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You” and “Hurricane Jane” as likely breakout singles. Once Vice, New Musical Express, and Pitchfork Media amplified the buzz, the band’s October 2007 appearances at the CMJ Music Marathon drew overflowing crowds of intrigued listeners and earned enthusiastic reviews, all prior to securing any label contract.
Shortly afterward the group aligned with Quest Management, arranged an initial English tour, and considered multiple record offers. They ultimately joined Columbia Records domestically and Almost Gold Recordings for international markets outside North America, then tracked their debut album Partie Traumatic under the guidance of former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. Extensive touring followed the release, along with the 2009 appearance of Cemetery Lips, an EP containing three remixes and three original compositions. The members subsequently dispersed to different cities and entered an informal hiatus while attempting to shape a follow-up album. During this period Reggie Youngblood launched the project Blunt Bangs, and Holmes issued two Gospel Music albums via Kill Rock Stars. Black Kids reconvened for shows in 2013; after discarding earlier second-album material and without Snow, who had departed, the remaining four recorded new songs in Athens, Georgia, with Andy LeMaster producing. These more mature and less impetuous tracks coalesced into Rookie, issued independently by the band in September 2017.
Their sound merged buoyant pop structures drawn from the 1960s, atmospheric textures inspired by 1980s new wave, and lively dance rhythms, all delivered with an organic, playful energy. Local audiences in Florida grew devoted after the group uploaded its four-song EP Wizard of Ahhhs to MySpace in August 2007. The sharp, melody-driven tracks, already familiar to those who had attended Black Kids performances such as their memorable 2007 Popfest set in Athens, Georgia, soon attracted Florida and Georgia listeners, prompting early coverage from several bloggers. Online attention intensified rapidly, positioning “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You” and “Hurricane Jane” as likely breakout singles. Once Vice, New Musical Express, and Pitchfork Media amplified the buzz, the band’s October 2007 appearances at the CMJ Music Marathon drew overflowing crowds of intrigued listeners and earned enthusiastic reviews, all prior to securing any label contract.
Shortly afterward the group aligned with Quest Management, arranged an initial English tour, and considered multiple record offers. They ultimately joined Columbia Records domestically and Almost Gold Recordings for international markets outside North America, then tracked their debut album Partie Traumatic under the guidance of former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. Extensive touring followed the release, along with the 2009 appearance of Cemetery Lips, an EP containing three remixes and three original compositions. The members subsequently dispersed to different cities and entered an informal hiatus while attempting to shape a follow-up album. During this period Reggie Youngblood launched the project Blunt Bangs, and Holmes issued two Gospel Music albums via Kill Rock Stars. Black Kids reconvened for shows in 2013; after discarding earlier second-album material and without Snow, who had departed, the remaining four recorded new songs in Athens, Georgia, with Andy LeMaster producing. These more mature and less impetuous tracks coalesced into Rookie, issued independently by the band in September 2017.
Albums
