PREMIERE: Kioko share unique twist on Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’

In the run up to the release of their hugely anticipated EP Let’s Be Frank, multi-cultural Birmingham band Kioko put together a unique twist on Drake’s 2015 smash hit ‘Hotline Bling’ and we’re very excited to bring you the visuals for the track below.

Made up of Matt Doyle (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Jon Brown (Guitar), Ben Torrens (Bass), Tom Collins (Drums), Ewan Whyte and Laurence Taylor (Trumpet/Vocals) and Josh Wilkinson (Trombone), Kioko are a group of like-minded artists with big personalities who started their musical journey together as boys in music class at school. Talking about this rework, the band said,

‘It all started from the incredible memes of Drake’s dancing in the video and we were messing about in rehearsal one day with our own versions of the moves. Then we decide to see how it would work with our own spin on the song. We enjoyed how it sounded with the band and sat well with some our new material so decide to try it on a gig and people seemed to like it’.

The group’s signature reggae spin really brings a new dimension to the track and with a sweet blend of trumpets, guitars and vocal harmonies, this is a really exciting offering.  The grayscale visual sees the band perform the single in an intimate setting with just their instruments for company, highlighting their individual musical talents and showcasing just why their live performances have been so well received.

Whilst ‘Hotline Bling’ is a bit of fun, the band have also recently released ‘Get Up In The Morning’, the first single taken from their forthcoming EP and the soulful Reggae tune plays as a tribute to single parents, with Kioko beautifully narrating the story of a single mother and the daily struggles faced as a lone parent.

With that project set to drop in the very near future, make sure you follow Kioko on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest news on their releases, live dates and much more.

Matt Tarr
@MattTarrJourno

Matt Tarr

Matt Tarr

Urban Music Editor
With grime and hip hop being major influences on him growing up in South East London, Matt's passion is urban music but over the years he has gathered a hugely diverse taste, ranging from Wiley to The Smiths by way of Machine Head, that has made him a very open minded individual.
Matt Tarr
Gigslutz Urban New Music
About Matt Tarr
With grime and hip hop being major influences on him growing up in South East London, Matt's passion is urban music but over the years he has gathered a hugely diverse taste, ranging from Wiley to The Smiths by way of Machine Head, that has made him a very open minded individual.