Chris Turpin
Singer-songwriter Chris Turpin launched his musical career as the frontman of genre-bending quartet, Kill It Kid. The self-titled debut album of the band was released in 2008 to universal acclaim in the British music press. Written entirely by Chris, the album blended delta blues and roots to striking effect, producing blistering, unapologetic rock ’n’ roll one moment and a smoky film-noir ambience the next.
Discovered by producer John Parish (PJ Harvey, The Eels), the speed and strength of Kill It Kid’s rise was remarkable. Signed by record label One Little Independent after only a handful of performances, the band toured with the likes of Willie Nelson and Brandi Carlile as well as shared showcase stages with Kings of Leon and John Prine. These performances were met with repeated glowing reviews from critics and lauded by fans at international festivals, including Montreux Jazz, Reeperbahn, Big Mountain and SXSW.
In 2011, Kill It Kid released their second album ‘Feet Fall Heavy’, produced in London by Brian Eno collaborator Leo Abrahams. The record included a range of mammoth tunes such as “Run”, “Wild and Wasted Waters” and “Pray On Me”, which have resonated with music supervisors worldwide. Amongst the most significant synchronisations for these tracks were the use of “Run” in the 2013 Samsung commercial Charge directed by Romain Gavras and the placement of the Adhelm remix of “Pray On Me” in the trailer for multiple award-nominated film All The Money In The World in 2017.
Kill It Kid released one further album, “You Owe Nothing”, on Sire Records, before permanently dissolving in 2015.
The power of the music underpinning Chris’ songs is unquestionable but he also displays a rare ability to scribe lyrics that, through the use of a magnificent range of language and imagery, fully draw his audience into the scenes and stories that he creates. His talents have attracted many admirers and led to collaborations with Billy Livsey, Tim Gordine and Ricky Ross amongst others.
Chris’ current artist project is Ida Mae, a duo consisting of him and his wife (and former Kill It Kid band-mate), Stephanie Ward.