Dropkick

Originating in Scotland, Dropkick fuses bright power pop with Americana accents, producing an airy warmth and tuneful melodies more typical of West Coast American ensembles. Jangly or gently fuzzy guitars, rich vocal blends, and tight grooves define their approach, which centers on the melodic compositions of guitarist and vocalist Andrew Taylor, the sole unchanging presence across the band's timeline. A committed independent act, Dropkick tracks everything in its combined studio and practice facility, manages its own U.K. distribution, and works with independent imprints in Spain and Sweden. Steady output and reliable standards have earned the group a dedicated audience across Britain and the Continent. The 2014 collection Good Vibes: The Dropkick Songbook, Vol. 1, consisting of revisited tracks from earlier releases, offers a clear entry point to their catalog and approach, whereas Homeward, issued the same year, emphasized their roots-leaning direction and Longwave from 2018 stood out as a particularly accomplished display of their seasoned pop craftsmanship.

Brothers Alastair Taylor and Andrew Taylor launched Dropkick in Arbroath, Scotland, in 2001. At the outset Alastair served as lead guitarist while engineering and producing in the band's home studio; Andrew functioned as principal songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, supplying lead vocals and concentrating on guitar yet also contributing drums, bass, mandolin, and banjo to the recordings. Although they named intelligent British pop acts such as the Beatles and Elvis Costello among their chief influences, Dropkick also embraced the Americana and alt-country movements, citing Tom Petty, the Jayhawks, and Wilco as special favorites. Their first album, 2001's Dropkick, featured bass and harmony vocals from Ian Grier and appeared on the band's own Taylored Records imprint. In 2004 the Taylors released their second album, Album 25, with Martin Black on guitar and Donny Coutts on bass. The brothers overdubbed themselves into a complete ensemble for the third release, 2005's Music to Watch Sheep By, after which Ian Grier rejoined on guitar for 2006's Obvious, supported by Stuart Low on bass. Turning Circles in 2007 added another sibling, Roy Taylor, who contributed guitar and vocals. Dot the I from 2008 came out on Taylored in the U.K. and on Rock Indiana in Spain, where the group had built support. Sound Asleep Records, a Swedish indie, partnered with Dropkick for a second 2008 outing, Patchwork. Abelay Hotel arrived in 2009, showcasing the three Taylors alongside bassist and guitarist Scott Tobin.

Time Cuts the Ties, released in 2011 and whose artwork referenced Anodyne, the last album by alt-country standard-bearers Uncle Tupelo, was largely the work of Alastair and Andrew, with Ian Grier participating once more. Alastair, Andrew, and Grier recorded 2012's Paper Trails together with drummer Mike Foy, who was joined on guest spots by Scott Tobin, Ian Sloan, and Roy Taylor. The configuration of Alastair, Andrew, Grier, Tobin, and Foy issued two albums in 2014: Homeward presented new material with an Americana emphasis, while Good Vibes: The Dropkick Songbook, Vol. 1 had the refreshed lineup re-recording earlier favorites. Alastair Taylor departed at the close of 2014, prompting Roy Taylor's return on guitar for 2016's Balance the Light. Longwave in 2018 captured further lineup shifts with the arrival of a fresh quartet—Andrew Taylor (vocals, guitars), Ian Grier (keyboards, guitars), Alan Shields (bass, vocals), and Mike Foy (drums, vocals). That same edition of Dropkick also performed on the subsequent studio release, 2020's The Scenic Route.