Kensington

Kensington, an indie rock outfit from the Netherlands, came together in Utrecht during 2005. By 2008 the group had settled into a consistent four-piece configuration consisting of Casper Starreveld on guitar and vocals, Eloi Youssef also handling guitar and vocals, bassist Jan Haker, and drummer Niles Vandenberg. Drawing inspiration from new-wave revival acts such as Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs, they tracked a five-track EP as early as 2006; favorable press and live shows then paved the way for the follow-up Youth EP in 2008. The band next traveled to Leeds to lay down their first full-length album alongside James Kenosha, a collaborator linked to Kaiser Chiefs. Issued in summer 2010, Borders entered the Dutch album charts at the start of 2011. After inking a deal with Universal, the musicians cut their sophomore effort Vultures, handling production duties themselves together with Niels Zuiderhoek. The record arrived in May 2012 and peaked at number 13 on the national listings.

With their third album Rivals the quartet achieved their first genuine commercial breakthrough, entering the Dutch chart at number one upon its August 2014 release. The set remained on the listings through the remainder of the year and ultimately earned double-platinum certification on the strength of the hit singles “Streets” and “War.” Over the ensuing twelve months Kensington collected multiple honors, including recognition from both MTV Europe and the Dutch 3FM awards. Their fourth album, Control, surfaced in late 2016, again topping the Netherlands chart and propelled by the single “Do I Ever.”