Kassidy

Scottish four-piece Kassidy may look like a pre-groomed Kings of Leon, but their acoustic indie sound has more in common with the classic Americana of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young than the Southern boogie rock of the Followills. Formed in Glasgow, multi-instrumentalists Barrie-James O'Neill, Lewis Andrew, Hamish Fingland, and Chris Potter originally intended to play as a traditional four-piece outfit until settling on a setup that saw all members share vocal and guitar duties equally. Named after their favorite film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, they were forced to change the C to a K to avoid any confusion with the Philadelphia battle rapper of the same name. After releasing their debut single, "Night in the Box," through small label King Tut's, they attracted the attention of various record companies, and following a well-received slot at T in the Park, they signed to Vertigo in 2010. They recorded three volumes of their Rubbergum EP in their makeshift living quarters/studio before working with producer Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian) on their debut album, Hope St., which was released in 2011. Their sophomore effort, One Man Army, followed in 2012. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi