Biography
The UK indie rock outfit known as the KBC was assembled in 2004 by James Mulholland (b. Preston, Lancashire, England; guitar, vocals, keyboards), Richard Ormerod (b. Preston, Lancashire, England; bass), and Michael Brown (b. Preston, Lancashire, England; drums). The three Preston natives had first connected at school through a shared passion for Motown Records, house music, and classic indie tracks from the 1980s and 1990s. After a concentrated stretch of individual practice, they launched the group that year.
High Voltage Sounds, the Manchester label that emerged from a local club night devoted to fresh indie rave acts, issued the limited-edition 7-inch single “Trippin’” in March 2005. Its dancefloor-friendly intro, driving bass line, and druggy lyrics created an instant stir, echoing the approach of northern contemporaries the Longcut while favoring denser production values. Months later the band secured a major opportunity with a slot on the unsigned stage at Glastonbury Festival, which in turn led to prime-time airplay from indie DJs nationwide.
Throughout the remainder of 2005 and all of 2006 the trio supported the Strokes and ¡Forward, Russia!, while also mounting their own exhaustive tours of smaller UK venues; these efforts steadily expanded their audience and cemented their standing as a dynamic live act. Additional limited releases appeared during 2006, most prominently the Japan-only EP Boxed Beats & Shelved Rhythms. Their debut album, On The Beat, arrived on High Voltage Sounds at the beginning of 2007 and intensified the band’s high-energy dancefloor assault. (NB: Not to be confused with the 80s KBC Band from the USA.)
High Voltage Sounds, the Manchester label that emerged from a local club night devoted to fresh indie rave acts, issued the limited-edition 7-inch single “Trippin’” in March 2005. Its dancefloor-friendly intro, driving bass line, and druggy lyrics created an instant stir, echoing the approach of northern contemporaries the Longcut while favoring denser production values. Months later the band secured a major opportunity with a slot on the unsigned stage at Glastonbury Festival, which in turn led to prime-time airplay from indie DJs nationwide.
Throughout the remainder of 2005 and all of 2006 the trio supported the Strokes and ¡Forward, Russia!, while also mounting their own exhaustive tours of smaller UK venues; these efforts steadily expanded their audience and cemented their standing as a dynamic live act. Additional limited releases appeared during 2006, most prominently the Japan-only EP Boxed Beats & Shelved Rhythms. Their debut album, On The Beat, arrived on High Voltage Sounds at the beginning of 2007 and intensified the band’s high-energy dancefloor assault. (NB: Not to be confused with the 80s KBC Band from the USA.)
Albums
Singles