“With an awful lot of great music around, it’s easy to get carried away with superlatives, but with Onism, Koyo take us into favourite new (to most) / new favourite band territory”
“Yorkshire quartet’s third is a gutsy, freewheeling joy. 9/10”
““That sense of falling back on organically created riffs and hooks is palpable on Onism, and the effervescence with which they have broken out of their malaise is often a joy to behold””
KOYO are a rock band, incorporating elements of alternative, psychedelic and progressive rock. Alumni of Leeds Conservatoire, they are a major factor in the city’s burgeoning music scene.
Based on their live performance they were selected to open the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds festivals. They followed up with performances at Rockaway Beach, Live at Leeds, Ramblin’ Man, Camden Rocks, Sheffield Tramlines, Bingley Weekender and Download.
Their eponymous debut album received outstanding reviews across the music press, making the end of year top album listings in Classic Rock, PROG and Louder than War magazines.
They re-entered the studio with producer Mike Horner (Hot Chip, Franz Ferdinand), resulting in standalone single “Before” and their sophomore album, You Said It. The album sustained support in the press and engaged with new fans, receiving airplay on BBC Radio Leeds, Amazing Radio, 6 Music, Radio X and Absolute Radio.
With the lockdowns inhibiting their ability to tour, the band set to work on their third album, titled Onism. The band launched a crowdfunder to raise funds to complete the project. The campaign was successful and selected by Kickstarter as a “Project We Love”, highlighting it as a brilliant example of creativity.
Onism is out now.
KOYO are Huw Edwards (lead vocals, guitar), Jacob Price (sampling, synthesisers), Layth Ibrahim (bass) and Tom Higham (drums).