There aren’t enough two piece bands out there, even though they seem to be a winning formula. Yes, this is generalising, but there are so many two-pieces that take the stage and simply blow you away. Just take a look at Deap Vally, Drenge or Horsefight.
Perhaps there’s a drive to overcompensate – what they lack in numbers they make up for in noise? Or maybe these people have so much sheer energy, that it only ever took two of them, and another person would throw off the whole power balance?
Kit Trigg thrashes out overblown riffs and overdriven breakdowns, and could probably produce enough raw power to solve the energy crisis.
Grounded in blues and stoner rock, Kit Trigg is comprised of Kit himself on the mic and guitar, and Nic on the drums. Kit’s vocals are razor-throated, something like a manic Little Richard swallowing broken glass.
The duo came together a few years ago, the band born out of six hour jam session. In Kit’s words; “Honestly it just felt so special, it felt like the room was sparkling.” They also share a mutual love of the usual things, like exploding, sex, skating, “running really fast”, wrecking shit, and poetry.
The pair continue to jam to this day. Having started making music at the tender ago of five, Kit describes his writing style as “pretty lazy really”. Aged eight he was tracking himself and recording over the top, a process that has stuck with him to this day. Unsure as to whether he’s mindful or just just lazy, he says:
“I just play and jam and just let the song come and talk to me, I don’t feel like I’ve ever really written a song, just stayed nice and open and when the feeling is there, I just catch it.”
As you may have noticed, Kit Trigg is an expert at downplaying shit. The description on their Facebook simply reads “we’re fucking terrible”. Just one listen to his latest EP, Thrasher, and you’ll figure out that’s a lie. And regardless of how those songs together, there is really nothing lazy or sloppy about them. In fact, to jam out these tracks is fairly impressive, and pretty perfect stylistically.
The title track is an instantly addictive hit of deep blues riffs, Trigg’s shredded vocals and punk meltdowns. Skaters will be familiar with the reference, when once asked about the significance as the EP title, Trigg replied:
“It was just a big philosophy of this part in our lives, go fast and commit. If you skate, you might be familiar with this phrase”.
The record picks up pace on the second track, Loser, shifting into high-octane thrash and looming riffs that will shake your skull loose. Pulling back to the more restful Rolling Lady, blues and roots-reminiscent harmonics come together for something completely different.
Despite not having the pace of the rest of the EP, it does ground Kit Trigg more firmly in blues rather than punk. It also offers another, more melodic, guise for Kit’s soulful vocals.
Final track Bad is an epic six minutes, compared to the quick fire of the previous songs. A culmination of everything that came before, the song winds its way through smooth guitar work and a slow beat that brings up Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Tin Pan Alley.
This is where the two piece really impresses, building to round out their sound with cymbal work and a decent weight in the solo guitar work. Messy with gain but sharply executed, the guitar verges into Hendrix territory, a key influence for Kit.
Dissolving into real heart-rending blues vocals, building then dropping back down, Bad holds up as the unexpected stand out on Thrasher. It’s also worth getting acquainted with Kit Trigg’s previous releases, like I Feel So Much Better and Lucky Smile. Although they maybe slightly scrappier, these tracks channel some really good performance, with the feel of Kurt Cobain about them.
Asked what we can expect from Kit Trigg over the next few months, we’re told “A couple of London shows, a UK tour starting on the 29th September then when that’s through and we’ve played the damn out of our new songs (about 15 in total), gonna hit the studio and make our first album. It’s time I think… I’m so excited it’s a really awesome time!”. I’m also assured that they make it a habit to trash their drum kit every live show.
You can also check out Kit’s artwork for the band – his hand is responsible for the awesome illustrations on the EP and on their Facebook page. Again inspired by the skate scene, he told Happy:
“All my drawings are based on crude Skate drawings because I just love the humor and also the Positivity, so when I draw all my drawings they’re usually to help me get through and learn about a difficult time I’m having, I love when art really, deeply has a positive effect on you. We’re also gonna make a couple of skateboard decks with my drawings on soon!”
