I figured with two albums out now it was time for this project to get its own thread. Kite Parade is really just a solo project by a guy named Andy Foster, who has a really unusual story as a musician. He played saxophone as an army musician, then had a gig for many years playing in cover bands on cruise ships. In his spare time he was writing his own music, and bit by bit he finished songs and eventually recorded them with Rob Aubrey (known for his work with Big Big Train, IQ, and others). Nick D’Virgilio handles most of the drums, which are of course outstanding. A few other players round out the songs, but it’s mostly a solo affair.
The debut album,
The Way Home, was one of my favorite albums of 2022. The follow up
Retro was released a few weeks ago on CD, but as of yesterday is now available at Bandcamp. I’ve had it for a little while now, and while it’s not quite as memorable as the debut, the songs are all strong and it’s been growing on me with each listen. It’s also getting a little more publicity than the debut, with the Prog Report having Andy Foster on their podcast recently, and I’ve seen it getting some reviews in various places.
The debut was more of a prog-pop blend, with a few heavier moments.
Retro leans a bit more towards hard rock, but is still plenty proggy. It all fits in the modern UK neo-prog vein.
Not sure why the albums aren’t available on streaming services, but at least check out the two preview tracks available on Bandcamp for each album, as they give a good idea of what the music is like. Really think there are some people here who would like this (people who are into Big Big Train, Spock’s Beard, Frost, It Bites, etc.).
https://kiteparade.bandcamp.com/album/the-way-homehttps://kiteparade.bandcamp.com/album/retroAlso check out this great play through video by NDV laying down drums for the song “Retro.”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ifA9F1tpBC0
Topic: Kite Parade (UK prog project featuring Nick D’Virgilio on drums) (Read 918 times)