Music / KUDOS
Inside Abbey Road with KUDOS
On a sunny day at the end of August, I joined Bristol rock band KUDOS on the long drive up the motorway, a high-speed train (which genuinely unnerved me) and then a snazzy electric bus to arrive at the doors of the legendary Abbey Road Studios.
I had been tasked with the arduous job of coming along to Paul McCartney’s playground to capture the recording session childhood fantasies are built on.
KUDOS are a bold stroke of Bristol brilliance, a rock band for Pink Floyd loyalists and frenetic Fontaines D.C. fans alike, with their captivating, riling energy never stamping over the subtlety; undeniably cool guitar lines leaving you wishing it was still socially acceptable to be a groupie.
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Having met in uni and pulling together through a shared love of music done right, KUDOS have been ripping up the Bristol circuit for years now; cutting their teeth playing lifeblood venues like the Louisiana, Crofters Rights and the Exchange.
So, how did they get to Abbey Road?
KUDOS were spotted by an Abbey Road engineer while playing a support slot at the Lanes
A man walks into a bar: that bar is The Lanes, and that man is producer Benjamin Nicholson. KUDOS are playing support, but it is nothing short of amazing: The Lanes stage with the kick drum at chest height, physically moving the crowd, like the bass is in our bones, like music has never felt more real.
It was some of the best I’d seen them play, visuals set behind them welcoming you into their world.
Having caught nothing more than the last song of their set, Ben was sold. Currently working and training at Abbey Road, he proceeded to offer the band a free recording session; something that seemed slightly too good to be true right until the moment we walked the steps up to that famous front door.
The recording process itself was the perfect balance of frenzied and focused, time limit adding that magic bit of clarifying pressure I think almost all creatives thrive under.
Mics were set up in a flurry, the whole band squeezing into what may be the smallest room on site; playing and recording together is their element.
Ben, then joined by assistant engineer Christopher Hayden, had full faith in the band: “These guys gig every five minutes, they’re not going to make mistakes,” he said, laughing.
And make mistakes they didn’t. Four takes in and they had the perfect one – not before a good few requests for tweaks from lead guitarist Tom Hugo. “I preferred Tom when he was drunk”, joked Ben, whose character perfectly aligned with the band despite this being their first real meet.
In between takes I took the liberty of some long, drawn-out toilet breaks to have a good wander around. Before he let me free on the building, Ben was sure to stress: “If you see Paul… don’t bother him,” – although apparently you’re far more likely to bump into Nile Rodgers, who’s always there recording something with someone.
The rooms around Abbey Road are just as grand and fizzing with energy as you’d expect – walls covered in film posters and black and white photographs so you’re always sure exactly where you stand.
The band got the overdubs completed separately to ensure it could all be mixed to perfection and, before we knew it, the session was over. And what better way to end the day than with a horrendously overpriced London pint?
KUDOS are going from strength to strength, and this opportunity goes to show that it’s always worth giving your all, even in the support slot.
They’ll be getting back to their core as formidable performers in their upcoming October tour, playing Cornwall, Brighton and ending with a headline show back where this whole thing started, The Lanes.
Catch them on October 25 as they bring the stage to life and celebrate their first musical release in over two years, Rain, due out the very same day.
All images: Amy Overd
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