Profile: UK:ID

UKID HeadzOver the past few years Glastonbury based four-piece UK:ID have established themselves as one of the most exciting and talked about live acts in the south of England. Consisting of two brothers, KJ, whose heavily influenced by rock and metal, and Benjah, a sharp witted hip-hop lyricist, their blend of tastes were further complemented by offerings from University pals turned band mates Glenn and Joey who brought a bit of drum n bass to the table. The band cite influences such as The Prodigy, Does It Offend You, Yeah? and Pendulum, but their high octane, powerful and thought provoking material is really quite unique and music loving punters can’t seem to get enough of it; a Facebook following of 14,600 and counting shows how the hype over UK:ID is encouraging people to keep up to date with their progression. When the band set up a crowd-funding campaign to produce their first studio album dedicated followers stepped up in their masses to make it happen. Our team at The Fix has now had a first glimpse at this new material and all the indications are that the band have hit the next level. “Benjah shines as a recording artist,” says The Fix’s Saysay Matthews, “his biting and ballsy lyrics are delivered with a healthy dose of aggression and badass attitude, but the choruses are melodic and catchy. I can’t get enough of their new track ‘Puzzles,’ it’s fricking great.” Arran Dutton, founder of The Fix and a fellow Glastonbury boy has also been bowled over by the band in recent years, though believes that the rise in standard over the past 12 months has been phenomenal. “These guys have grown into something quite special and seem to improve every time I see them. Their performance at The Godney Gathering in July hit a whole new level and you can’t take your eyes of Benjah as a frontman, he knows how to work the crowd and the tent was swelling with people of mixed ages being drawn in and getting hooked. It was upbeat, full of energy and accomplished. They make a statement with their music, it’s delivering a message, a perspective, but it’s exciting too and when I see them smash it live it’s hard to believe that they’re unsigned. “Deadly Greys” has the potential to be a huge anthem for the band. It’s dark, eerie and electric.” “The new track “Dole” is just ridiculously brilliant,” says our John-Joe Peters. “The opening is Nirvana-esque, but then it rollercoasters around into a thing of beauty; you listen to UK:ID and you think that you’ve got a handle on the genres their music spans, but this track then seemingly throws some grunge and indie rock into the mix and it works. It gets me pumped every time I listen and I just love Benjah’s lyrics. The drumming on the track is genius.” UK:ID will be announcing the release of their album in the coming months. You can keep up to date with the band, including all gig listings, at their official website or via Facebook.