Kassidy

Though the Scottish quartet Kassidy bears a resemblance to a polished Kings of Leon, their indie acoustic style aligns closer to the Americana traditions established by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young rather than the boogie-infused Southern rock associated with the Followills. The group came together in Glasgow, where the multi-instrumentalists Barrie-James O'Neill, Lewis Andrew, Hamish Fingland, and Chris Potter initially planned a conventional four-piece arrangement but ultimately adopted an equal division of vocal and guitar responsibilities among all members. Drawing their name from the beloved movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the band altered the initial letter from C to K in order to distinguish themselves from the Philadelphia battle rapper sharing that moniker. Upon issuing their first single, "Night in the Box," via the independent King Tut's imprint, interest from multiple labels emerged, leading to a contract with Vertigo in 2010 after a successful performance at T in the Park. The trio of Rubbergum EP volumes took shape within their improvised living space and studio, preceding their collaboration with Jim Abbiss—known for work with Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian—on the 2011 debut full-length Hope St. One Man Army arrived as their second album the subsequent year.