Newcastle jazz trio Knats are having quite a year. Their second album A Great Day In Newcastle has been shortlisted for the 2026 Mercury Prize, they have appeared on Later… with Jools Holland, played Montreux Jazz Festival and the BBC Proms, and now they have teamed up with Glasgow’s corto.alto for a new remix of Never Gonna Be A Boxer.
Here are five reasons to discover Knats now.
1. Their new Never Gonna Be A Boxer remix takes them somewhere different
Never Gonna Be A Boxer was already one of the standout tracks from A Great Day In Newcastle, earning a place on BBC Radio 6 Music’s B-list and a performance on Later… with Jools Holland.
Now Glasgow jazz collective corto.alto have completely reworked it.
The new version adds liquid drum and bass, breakbeats, ambient synths and distorted samples while keeping elements of the original track underneath.
It is a good introduction to a band that seems determined not to stay inside traditional jazz boundaries.
2. A Great Day In Newcastle is up for the Mercury Prize
Knats’ second album A Great Day In Newcastle has been shortlisted as one of the 2026 Mercury Prize Albums of the Year.
Released in May, the record reached number two on the Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart and is built around the band’s Newcastle roots.
Rather than treating regional identity as decoration, the album explores working-class life, community, masculinity, resilience and the realities of growing up in the North East.
Tracks include Gainsborough Grove, Wor Jackie, Big Market, Carpet Doctor featuring Geordie Greep and Never Gonna Be A Boxer.
3. They are part of an exciting new generation of British jazz
Knats are led by lifelong Newcastle friends Stan Woodward on bass, King David-Ike Elechi on drums and Ferg Kilsby on trumpet and flugelhorn.
Their music moves between jazz, breakbeats, danceable grooves and heavier, more experimental sounds.
That approach has already taken them from learning and playing together in Newcastle to the BBC Proms, Montreux Jazz Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Love Supreme and national television.
They have also signed to the legendary Fontana label, whose UK roster includes artists such as Jacob Collier, Jordan Rakei and Jon Batiste.
4. Their London shows are getting bigger
Knats play two nights at MOTH Club in London on 28 and 30 October 2026, with both dates selling out more than four months in advance.
If you missed those tickets, there is another chance.
The band have announced their biggest London headline concert so far at Village Underground on 2 April 2027.
They will follow it the next night with a major homecoming show at Newcastle’s Boiler Shop.
For a band whose profile has risen rapidly during 2026, the Village Underground date could be a particularly good opportunity to see what comes next.
5. There are plenty of chances to see Knats live
Knats head out on an extensive UK tour this autumn, including dates in North Shields, York, Sheffield, Bristol, Southampton, Falmouth, Poole, Nottingham, Huddersfield and Birkenhead.
Selected dates include:
23 October – King Street Social, North Shields
24 October – Durham Jazz Festival
25 October – The Crescent, York
26 October – Yellow Arch, Sheffield
27 October – Exchange, Bristol
28 October – MOTH Club, London
30 October – MOTH Club, London
2 November – Heartbreakers, Southampton
4 November – Cornish Bank, Falmouth
5 November – St Peter’s Church, Poole
18 November – Bodega, Nottingham
21 November – Future Yard, Birkenhead
2 April 2027 – Village Underground, London
3 April 2027 – Boiler Shop, Newcastle
If you like contemporary British jazz that is energetic, unpredictable and firmly connected to where it comes from, Knats are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Listen to Never Gonna Be A Boxer (corto.alto Remix) and find Knats through their official channels.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knatsband/
Bandcamp: https://knats.bandcamp.com/
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