Krooked Tongue have today released their debut album titled ‘I Know A Place’. Krooked Tongue come charging in with ‘I Know A Place’ like a band that has no interest in playing things safe, and that’s exactly what makes the album hit so hard. Rooted in gritty alt rock with flashes of desert swagger and indie attitude, the record feels raw in a way that’s increasingly rare. It never sounds overly refined or overly concerned with trends. Instead, it thrives on instinct, letting sharp riffs and restless energy lead the way. That choice pays off, giving the album a pulse that feels immediate and unforced.
The trio’s chemistry is impossible to ignore. Every track feels like it was built in the same room it explodes out of, with guitars that grind and stretch, drums that feel slightly on the edge of falling apart in the best way, and vocals that land somewhere between defiant and self aware. Nothing here feels overly polished, but that lack of gloss is the whole point. The band leans into tension rather than smoothing it over, creating a listening experience that feels alive instead of assembled.
‘Blood Shark’ stands out as one of the album’s most electrifying moments, a track that practically lunges out of the speakers. It’s all urgency and bite, with a riff that refuses to sit still and a rhythm section that pushes everything forward with relentless momentum. Lyrically, it taps into frustration and inner conflict without getting weighed down by it. The delivery feels sharp and intentional, giving the song a sense of purpose that elevates it beyond just a high energy highlight. It’s the kind of track that sticks because it feels like it has something to prove.
On the other side of the emotional spectrum, ‘I Don’t Believe in Ghosts’ reveals a more restrained and reflective side of the band. The track trades some of the raw aggression for atmosphere, letting space and mood carry as much weight as the instrumentation. There’s a quiet intensity to it that lingers, capturing uncertainty and grief without spelling everything out. It shows a level of control that adds depth to the album, proving Krooked Tongue aren’t just about volume and attitude.
Elsewhere, the album continues to shift and evolve without losing its identity. Songs like ‘Marigold’ and ‘You Don’t Need a Sun Tan’ bring a bit more melodic breathing room, while heavier cuts double down on the band’s ability to make noise feel purposeful rather than chaotic. The sequencing keeps things moving, never letting the energy dip for too long but also avoiding the trap of sounding one note. It’s a careful balance that the band handles with confidence.
‘I Know A Place’ succeeds because it embraces imperfection and turns it into a strength. Krooked Tongue sound like they’re chasing feeling rather than polish, and that makes the album resonate on a deeper level. It’s messy in the right ways, sharp when it needs to be, and reflective without losing its edge. This is a record that doesn’t just make an impression in the moment, it lingers, daring you to come back and find something new in the noise.
About ‘I Know A Place’
With the financial pressures of being an independent band navigating the costs of recording and releasing their debut album to vinyl, as well as self-funding a trip to New York City to showcase at its renowned New Colossus festival in March, Krooked Tongue turned to GoFundMe and with the support of their fanbase, raised £1,000 in less than two weeks.
The album’s previous singles have seen support from Apple editorial’s ‘Breaking Hard Rock’, ‘New In Rock’, New Noise Magazine, HEAVY Magazine, CLOUT, Fab UK, Bristol 24/7, Sirius XM, Total Rock, Primordial Radio and Boogaloo Radio, with ‘Nothing Ever Grows’ being used throughout the Bivol vs Beterbiev boxing fight on DAZN Sports and ‘Let ‘Em Loose’ and ‘Blood Shark’ being used to soundtrack Progress Wrestling’s live shows at London’s Electric Ballroom.
Produced by long-time collaborator Josh Gallop (Sergeant Thunderhoof, Mother Vulture) at Stage 2 Studios in Bath, their 10-track album spans the breadth of the human experience: teenage love, life’s turbulences, unfulfillment, technology, human connection, grief and fighting fear and exploring the unknown. The album marks a shift toward the most striking evolution of the bands sound, from initially forming whilst at university together, to spending years refining their songwriting and finding a mature sonic identity that is unmistakably theirs. The album delivers sledgehammer choruses, sing-along vocal lines, lyrical wit, scathing sarcasm and infectious melodies from the opening note, to the very last.
On the creation of the album, vocalist and lyricist Oli Rainsford says, “‘So here it is. The debut album. It almost feels as though it’s always been. That this collection of songs have been rattling around in peoples heads for eternity but then we’re met with the reality that this is just the beginning. The title track from the debut album of the same name ‘I Know A Place’ is a reference to the conflict and the game of chess played by authoritarian figures throughout history time and time again. We live in turbulent times where people will too gladly pin their politics to the mast and let human connection fall by the wayside. We are only to blame for our failure to connect, falling into the abyssal trenches of division. Despite the commentary on the state of society, as a band we aim to allow the listener to find escapism from reality. An umbrella to the acid rain, where underneath sits two deck chairs and a cooler full of beers. This album hopes to bring back the love that we have so carelessly released our grip from.”
“And although the overall feeling of this album is one of love. ‘I Know a Place’ pays homage to the friendly stranger that brings you in for a cup of tea when you need a place to get in from the cold. Or the high school sweetheart that wants to sneak off from the dance to be alone together, somewhere where nobody goes. It’s every secret hideout with friends in the dying light of summer, and every bar where you talk and laugh deep into the night with the people you care most about. It’s the cure to the bleakest of days in which you can turn and say ‘I Know A Place’. It’s whatever and wherever you want it to be. We hope with this album that we can ignite the thing that makes us love music at its core. It doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel, it just has the ride that wheel down to its spokes and take everyone on a ride that they’ll never forget.”
About Krooked Tongue
Krooked Tongue burst onto the scene with the release of their critically acclaimed debut EP ‘No Vacancy Hotel’ in February of 2022, recorded with Josh Gallop (Phoxjaw, Mother Vulture) at Stage 2 Studios. The EP has since amassed over 250,000 streams and saw support from publications such as Ones To Watch, HardBeat Magazine and Distorted Sound.
Their second studio EP ‘Deathproof’, released May 2023, saw the start of the band’s evolution, there was a refreshed maturity to their songwriting and an evident progression in their sound. ‘Deathproof’ has been streamed over 350,000 times to date and was celebrated by Louder Than War Radio, Ones To Watch, Sirius XM, BBC Introducing and many others.
August 2024 saw the band supporting Kid Brunswick on his final ‘Dead Forever’ tour across the UK. They’ve also shared the stage with False Heads, Virgin Marys, Pulled Apart By Horses, The Soap Girls and Mother Vulture and have played slots at festivals such as Icebreaker, Dot to Dot, The Godney Gathering, Estonia’s Tallinn Music Week, Burn It Down and New York City’s New Colossus Festival.
With interest in the band quickly growing, Krooked Tongue recently signed a publishing deal with Wipeout Music, and have also joined TRUST Artists’ live roster and hope to continue to cement themselves as an emerging band to watch in the UK.
LINKS:
https://krookedtongue.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/Krookedtongue
https://www.instagram.com/krookedtongue