Boy Kill Boy

Boy Kill Boy

Boy Kill Boy are a British indie rock group from Leytonstone, London, active from 2004 to 2008. The band’s line-up is Pete Carr on keyboards, Kevin Chase on bass and backing vocals, Shaz Mahmood on drums, and Chris Peck on vocals and guitar. Before adopting the name Boy Kill Boy, they are known as Future of Junior; the name change follows a mishearing of the phrase “Boy Called Roy”.

Formation and early releases

The band releases its first single, “Suzie”, in 2005 on Fierce Panda. Later that year it follows with “Civil Sin”, after signing to Fallout. These early singles establish the group on the UK indie circuit, and “Civil Sin” also appears on the soundtrack to FIFA 07. “Suzie” appears on the soundtrack to FIFA Street 2.

Major label period and Civilian

Boy Kill Boy signs to Vertigo Records and issues “Back Again” as its first major-label single in February 2006. The song reaches number 26 in the UK Singles Chart. The re-release of “Suzie” follows in May 2006 and reaches number 17. The band’s debut album, Civilian, is released in May 2006 and enters the UK Albums Chart at number 16. The album includes the singles “Back Again”, “Suzie”, “Civil Sin” and “Shoot Me Down”. “Back Again” also appears in the video game Test Drive Unlimited.

Tours and live activity

In 2005, Boy Kill Boy step in to replace Nine Black Alps on the NME New Music Tour after that group’s singer falls ill, and they add further support dates with Maxïmo Park and The Rakes. The following year they headline the NME New Bands Tour, with The Automatic, ¡Forward, Russia! and The Long Blondes as support. They also support Hard-Fi, tour the United States with The Charlatans, and play dates with Echo and the Bunnymen, The Kooks, Dirty Pretty Things and Razorlight in Europe. In October 2006 they undertake a UK headline tour. The group also opens the Radio 1 stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2005, and supports Feeder at the Camden Roundhouse in November 2006 for a War Child event, with “Shoot Me Down” released in connection with that performance.

Later work and split

In March 2008 the band releases The Stars and the Sea on Mercury Records. The label does not release the record in America, and the group later ends in 2008 amid difficulties with its label. A substantial following develops in the United States before the split.