The Kut

Princess Maha established The Kut in London during 2010, channeling the grunge and alt-rock ethos of the 1990s through audible nods to L7 and Hole. Though conceived as Maha’s alter ego, the project operated live as a trio anchored by Diana Bartman on drums and Stella Vie on bass plus backing vocals. Their opening EP, Make Up, surfaced in 2014 and earned them first place in that year’s MTV Brand New Unsigned Poll. Rock Paper Scissors, the follow-up extended play, appeared the next year. Festival and club dates accumulated steadily, encompassing Download, Camden Rocks, and Rebellion Festival. A self-titled EP dropped in 2017, the same year Kerrang! Magazine placed the band on its Breakout Stars list. After a crowd-funding drive, the group signed with Cargo and began tracking its first full-length album. James Loughrey, whose credits include White Zombie and My Vitriol, produced Valley of Thorns, which reached stores in 2018.