Kid Canaveral

Kid Canaveral

Kid Canaveral are a Scottish indie pop and alternative rock group, formed in 2005 in St Andrews while the members are at university. The band is a four-piece with a two-boy, two-girl line-up, and they are based in Edinburgh.

Releases and label

The group self-releases its early work, putting out four 7-inch singles and its debut album on its own label, Straight To Video Records. Its debut album, Shouting at Wildlife, appears in July 2010 and draws together twelve tracks of indie-rock and DIY-pop songwriting. The band also has a song, “Her Hair Hangs Down,” featured in a short film made in 2010.

Live work and exposure

Kid Canaveral builds a reputation through live performances across the UK, including four UK tours and support slots with Camera Obscura, James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, KT Tunstall, Frightened Rabbit, Glasvegas, King Creosote and The Phantom Band. The band also appears regularly at the Fence Records Home and Away Game Festivals, alongside acts including Hot Chip, Four Tet, British Sea Power and Malcolm Middleton. Its singles receive airplay from BBC Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank and Steve Lamacq, and Andrew Weatherall includes the band in a BBC 6Music 6Mix. XFM names the group its X-posure Artist of the Week, and BBC Radio 1’s Scotland Introducing makes Shouting at Wildlife its album of the month.

Critical reception

The band receives strong reviews in the Scottish music press and wider blog coverage, with Shouting at Wildlife appearing in end-of-year polls, including number five in the Scottish BAMS poll of more than 40 UK bloggers’ favourite albums of 2010. Avalanche Records, described as Scotland’s premier independent record store, names it its best-selling album of 2010.

Style

Kid Canaveral’s music is described as indie-pop with power-pop and indie-rock influences, with attention to strong melodies, jangly guitar work and singalong choruses.