Hiatus Kaiyote Are, Predictably, Howlingly Good
Hiatus Kaiyote Are, Predictably, Howlingly Good
There are several things unique about Australian quartet Hiatus Kaiyote aside from their name—not the least of which is, of course, their music.
Point 1: The band’s highly skilled grasp of jazz, funk, R&B and even rock already garnered them a Grammy nomination in the Best R&B Performance category back in 2013.
Point 2: Their second album, Choose Your Weapon, expected in May, is a stunning step up from their debut Tawk Tomahawk and likely to receive even more acclaim.
Point 3: Their various appearances at South By Southwest last month cemented their reputation as one contemporary music’s most innovative bands.
Point 4: And this was especially notable at Austin’s Brazos Hall one early afternoon–when the quartet reeled off two compelling live pieces for our Up Close shoot, and sat down and gave us an informative, fascinating look into their inner workings, how Choose Your Weapon represents as much music as they could possibly cram onto a CD, and where the future is likely to take them.
Consisting of Vocalist/guitarist Nai Palm, bassist Paul Bender, drummer Perrin Moss and keyboardist Simon Mavin, the band stymies writers who typically attempt to pigeonhole, but in this band’s case can’t—“the Mahavishnu Orchestra fronted by Erykah Badu” was one comparison we heard, so sure, why not?
Regardless of their style and approach, the skills and the degree to which Hiatus Kaiyote innovate can’t really be argued with. Witness these two performance in Austin and you’ll know what we mean.