A little bit of the best from our GCSE Music pupils

Formed in London, The Kubricks are a seven-piece band who mix ska, reggae, and infectious melodic pop.

After surfacing in 2013 with their debut EP, ‘Wasters & Wannabes’, The Kubricks soon became one of the must-see ska bands of this generation. Tracks from their debut release were supported by Huey Morgan on BBC Radio 2, and Tom Robinson (BBC Introducing – 6Music), and The Specials’ bassist, Horace Panter championed the band, claiming, “I can hear Madness, The Ruts, Squeeze and The Clash in there…” The timing was perfect, and coincided with a new interest in ska music, as many of UK’s festivals began dedicating entire stages to the genre. Riding on the back of this wave, the band soon found themselves supporting legends such as UB40, Bad Manners and The Toasters.

Produced by Toby Davies of Gentleman’s Dub Club, the band’s first album ‘The Heist’ was released in 2017. The UK’s longest-running skazine, Do The Dog, commented at the time that it was, “A very strong contender for album of the year”, whilst Bucketlist in Canada called it, “A gem of an album that makes ska and reggae seem like a perfect fit with 21st-century musical trends.” Tom Robinson (6Music) immediately shared the track ‘Down With the Dogs’ with his listeners, and BBC Introducing in Essex soon began supporting the album, inviting the band in for a live session.

Following two autumn UK tours, the band released a brand new album in December 2022 titled ‘Between Antipodes’. Their most ska-pop record to date, production duties were taken by Tom Donovan – producer and musician from hip-hop act, Monster Florence.

The Kubricks have honed their commanding live set, headlining their own shows and playing festivals across Europe. They have played to tens of thousands over the years with appearances at the Isle of Wight Festival, Kendal Calling, Green Man, Shambala, Boomtown Fair, Bearded Theory’s Spring Gathering, Godiva, Weinturm Open Air (Germany), Lott Festival (Germany), Zik ‘n’ Roll (France), Dance Ska La (France), and The London International Ska Festival, amongst many others.

KnightyKnight is following