| Landscape: | yes |
| Origin: | Chelmsford, England |
| Label: | Scruff of the Neck Records |
| Years Active: | 2018–present |
Bilk are an English indie rock trio formed in Chelmsford, Essex,[1] consisting of Sol Abrahams on vocals and guitar, Luke Hare on bass, and Harry Gray on drums. After debuting in 2018 and going on to release a number of singles and EPs, the band released their self-titled debut album in 2023.
The concept was developed in 2015 by vocalist and guitarist Sol Abrahams, who spent two years working with different musicians. Abrahams took inspiration for the name from his father's job as a London cab driver.[2] Abrahams met Luke Hare through an early gig and invited him to join in 2017 when Bilk's initial bassist quit. They had another drummer before happening upon Harry Gray, forming the current trio.[3]
In an interview, Abrahams said of his string of former Bilk bandmates:[4]
Bilk officially debuted in 2018 with the singles "Give Up", "Spiked", "Next Weekend", and "Slob". That summer, they played at RiZe Festival.[5]
In 2019, Bilk self-released their debut EP titled Chipped Out. They had gigs at Bearded Theory and Reeperbahn Festival. The single "I Got Knocked Out the Same Night England Did", written during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, was released ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020.[6]
Bilk signed with Scruff of the Neck Records, through which they released their second EP Allow It in 2021.[7] That summer, they played at Louis Tomlinson's inaugural Away From Home Festival, founded to celebrate the return of live music.[8] The following year, they would reunite with Tomlinson as one of the opening acts on the UK leg of his self-titled world tour. They also embarked on their own tour in late 2021 and early 2022. In summer 2022, they played the Great Escape Festival and Reading and Leeds Festivals.[9] They released their third EP Just Don't Work For Me.[10]
In 2023, Bilk released their self-titled debut album, which was recorded on a farm outside Manchester.[11] They went on tour of the UK to celebrate the album's release. They also played SXSW, London Calling, 2000trees, Truck Festival, Tramlines Festival, Y Not Festival, and Reading and Leeds once again. This will be followed by more tour dates in late 2023.[12]
Bilk have cited the likes of The Jam, Arctic Monkeys, Jamie T, The Streets, the Sex Pistols, Nirvana, and John Cooper Clarke as the band's inspirations.[13] Green Day, Oasis, Slowthai, and Dizzee Rascal were also named as formative influences.[14] Abrahams described their second EP Allow It as combining 90s punk with old school hip-hop. Lyrically, Bilk delve into both personal stories and social commentary.[15] The track "Stand Up" from Bilk explicitly criticises the Conservative government.[2]