Tokolosh

Tokolosh are a Manchester group active since 2011. The lineup includes Liam Frost, Nathan Sudders, Christian Madden, Nicky Madden and Richard Young, and the band is described as a Mancunian supergroup with former members of The Whip and The Earlies. Verified details also identify the group as featuring Liam Frost and The Earlies.

Sound and style

Their music resists easy classification and draws on prog, folk, soul, psychedelia, rock and electronica. It has also been described in other terms such as progressive R&B, acoustic techno and ambient folk. The band makes its sound without samples, pedals or loops, relying instead on drum and bass rhythm, choral harmonies and Liam Frost’s vocals.

Lyrical themes

The songs focus on adult relationships, including desperation, obsession and the way people change within a relationship, for better or worse. The lyrics are described as darkly sexual and often sit alongside a tense, mysterious atmosphere.

Recordings and songs

Tokolosh’s first single, Shapeshifter, is described as catchy while remaining far from mainstream pop. Bloodlines is plaintive and melodic, with Frost’s high vocal style set against lyrics about the harm people do in the name of love. The Hollow is a folk-influenced, intense piece of music with a quietly seething quality.

Influences and live repertoire

The band names influences ranging from Michael McDonald and Chaka Khan to fitness guru Tony Horton and UFC light-heavyweight champion Jonny “Bones” Jones. They also perform a version of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ The Night.

Name

The name Tokolosh comes from South African mythology, where a tokolosh is an evil spirit said to become invisible by swallowing a pebble and to cause illness or death. It is also said to bite off sleeping people’s toes.