Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

  • Tuesday 31 January 2012

Following their two sell-out tours of NZ in 2010 and 2011, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis make their third visit to NZ to promote their acclaimed second album Smoking In Heaven. The multi-instrumentalist Durham siblings hail from Kentish Town, London and have released two self-recorded albums of swing, jump-blues and ska. Their second album is something of a departure from the template established on their eponymous debut. While their first album reflected their tender years — “the soundtrack to a very cool school dance” — Smoking in Heaven “is a more rollicking and reckless knees-up for grown-ups” (Scott Kara, NZ Herald).

Youngest member Kitty celebrated her 18th birthday the day of their show at the Powerstation in January and it’s difficult to believe she is a grizzled veteran who has been performing live for more than 10 years. Her howling harmonica solos are a particular live highlight.

Equally precocious is Lewis, who cuts his own 78s and cobbled together a comprehensive home studio from vintage analog equipment.

Between them, the trio play guitar, piano, banjo, lap-steel guitar, harmonica, xylophone, double bass, ukulele, trombone and accordion, swapping instruments between songs. Live, their line-up is augmented by mum Ingrid (from legendary post-punkers The Raincoats) on double bass, dad Daddy Grazz on guitar and legendary octogenarian Jamaican trumpet player Eddie ‘Tan Tan’ Thornton who turns 80 in 2012 (amongst other highlights in his career, he played on The Beatles Revolver).

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