We’re a group of friends who play psychedelia, synthpop, folk, cut-ups, jingles… whatever we feel like. We all write, sing and play multiple instruments. It’s a proper cottage industry, all recorded and released from home.
Unifying themes include unsparingly honest self-deprecation, left-wing social/political outlook, love of the nervous outsider, and a fair dose of whimsy and surrealism. We’re not keen on repeating ourselves, so do dig deep as there’s good stuff (lyrically, melodically, rhythmically) all the way back.
We occasionally do online concerts from home, and we still release EPs or songs when the occasion demands. There are also comedy films, and our own zine, “Beware!”.
To be clear: our music is about all bits of human experience. We try to put across all parts of life, the rushing highs and the crushing lows, the mundane and the bizarre. Sometimes all at once. Hearing the beginning of a song is no guarantee that the end will be the same. Hearing the beginning of an album is no guarantee of anything. Some songs are deadly serious. Some are froth. Some are both, because you can do that with words.
Some things we don’t do. We are never right-wing, never jaded hipsters, and we never set out to offend good people. We will never make the music you hear on Radio 1. We will never stop caring. We will never stop pushing the boundaries of what we can call Keshco and how far we can push ourselves. We will never stop.
Who Are These People?
Keshco has a changing cast of creative characters. Some of them have passed by for only a short time. Others have become part of the extended family. We mention a few here:
Andy Brain. 02/01/80. Usually found on acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards, or parping into a recorder. Auburn-headed Andy tinkers on computers mixing, mastering and cutting up the band’s precious work. You can hear his plaintive cries on “James Harries” or “Enlightenment”.
Bob Follen. 15/11/79. With his drums growing exponentially, Robert can also be found on keyboards, mad lead guitar, or bashing chimes. He croons as the Devil in “Halloween”, and as himself on “Below The Waves”.
Luke Sample. 06/03/78. Housewives’ favourite, Luke can usually be spotted with electric guitar, keyboards, or trilling on a flute. His hushed tones grace “Crimes of Casio” and “Son of a Systems Engineer Manager”.
Caroline Vile. 09/04/77. Band manager from 2007 and more recently a full member, playing clarinet, recorders and keyboards plus vocals.
Andrew Walton – band film tech in 2000s and has contributed lyrics and vocals to a few recordings.
Gareth Monger – band member in the 1990s and still occasional artwork contributor. Gareth also co-writes Beware! The Zine with Andy.