the kill devil hills
The Kill Devil Hills are a 6-piece based in Fremantle, Western Australia. Formed in early 2003 as a cowpunk trio they have mutated into a sonic stew of rock, folk and punk, carving out their own weird take on the great Australian tradition of swamp music. With a visceral live show, the KDH walk a crooked line between fierce psychedelic noise and haunting balladry.
This is a band searching for the delicate balance between beauty and savagery: gristly electric guitar and overdriven violin vying against the fragile twang of a banjo; a heartaching drawl matched against the swelling cacophony.
Two albums have been released to date, 2004’s Heathen Songs and 2006’s The Drought, both received with open arms by the band’s growing audience. These have been released through Torn and Frayed/Shock in Australia and Bang! Records in Europe.
A very popular live band in their home state, the Kill Devil Hills have toured widely throughout Australia, playing all major centres on numerous occasions to ever-expanding crowds. Early 2007 has seen the band undertake its first international tour, playing numerous cities through Canada and the US, including Toronto’s North by NorthEast Festival.
Now having played with a wide array of Australian and international acts, the band counts supports for the Dirty Three, the Beasts of Bourbon, Paul Kelly, the Drones and the Black Keys among its highlights.
The band is currently at work on their third studio album, to be released early 2008, along with an imminent European tour.
Website: www.killdevilhills.com
Soundbite: Drinking | Gunslinger