Trash Kit

Combining post-punk, no wave, and African influences in vibrant and dynamic ways, London's Trash Kit use the interplay of Rachel Horwood's formidable drumming skills and Rachel Aggs' agile guitar and vocals as the heart of their music. The sheer energy of the band's playing dominated their 2010 self-titled debut album, but Trash Kit refined and expanded their sound on later efforts. As they incorporated elements of free jazz on 2014's Confidence and touches of mbira rhythms and Zimbabwean guitar music on 2019's Horizon, they lost none of their early intensity. While they were university students, vocalist/guitarist Aggs and drummer/vocalist Horwood became friends and bonded over their musically inclined childhoods: Growing up, Aggs learned violin, piano, and, thanks to her dad's fondness for folk and bluegrass, the mandolin, which influenced her playing style as a guitarist. Meanwhile, Horwood picked up saxophone, violin, accordion, guitar, and piano as well as drums. The pair played in several bands together before conceiving of a project that would make drumming the focus of the music; inspired by African percussion as and street performers who drum on trash cans -- as well as post-punk legends like the Slits and the Raincoats -- Aggs and Horwood founded Trash Kit in 2008. The duo became a trio with the addition of former Electrelane bassist Ros Murray. After posting some songs online and playing a few gigs, the label Upset the Rhythm invited Trash Kit to play their Yes Way festival. They signed the band soon after, and Trash Kit's self-titled debut album, which mixed post-punk and Afrobeat in lively outbursts, appeared in 2010. Following the release of Trash Kit, the band's members spent time playing with their other bands, including Aggs' projects Sacred Paws and Shopping, and Horwood's groups Bamboo and Halo Halo. When they reunited for 2014's Confidence, they refined their approach and brought on Murray's former Electrelane bandmate Verity Susman to add free jazz-inspired saxophone to the mix. Trash Kit's music continued to evolve when Horwood's Halo Halo bandmate Gill Partington took over bass duties from Murray and the band joined the Ex on their anniversary tour, an experience that taught the trio how to expand their music in a live setting. These changes shaped Trash Kit's 2019 album Horizon, which was also informed by the work of Afro-futurist science fiction author Octavia Butler.
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