Kai Stephens
Encyclopedia
Kai Stephens is an English
musician
. He is the bass guitar
ist of indie rock
band Hard-Fi
. He attended Licensed Victuallers School in Slough and then Ascot
, Berkshire
.
His first band was called Twist, which was named after Indio, a character in a Spaghetti western
film. The band was made up of him and one of his friends. "I grew up in a band, so there were always friends floating around. I’d just got given a guitar, so then my brother decided he wanted to get a drum kit, and a mate over the road could play bass a little bit and we just rushed into forming a band."
One day, when Stephens was in a pawn shop, he decided to pick up a bass and learn to play it, to get the band moving as they could not find a bassist, " The first time I played it, I thought, “Yeah, I can get my hand round this.” It was a Fender Precision, an old beaten-up one. I bought it and haven’t looked back." Twist played a couple of gigs locally where a lot of friends came down to see them. They played to some busy audiences, "but we were rubbish" says Stephens.
When he used to play guitar, he liked to copy chords from bands such as Led Zeppelin
and Pink Floyd
who are two of his favourite artists along with The Clash
and hip-hop acts such as Run DMC and N.W.A.
His brother Ciaran is the lead guitarist of the band called Satellite State.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist of indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Hard-Fi
HARD-Fi
Hard-Fi are an English indie rock band formed in Staines, Surrey in 2003. The band's members are Richard Archer , Ross Phillips , Kai Stephens and Steve Kemp .They achieved chart success with their third single, "Hard to Beat" and then followed by other successful singles such as...
. He attended Licensed Victuallers School in Slough and then Ascot
Ascot, Berkshire
Ascot is a village within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
His first band was called Twist, which was named after Indio, a character in a Spaghetti western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
film. The band was made up of him and one of his friends. "I grew up in a band, so there were always friends floating around. I’d just got given a guitar, so then my brother decided he wanted to get a drum kit, and a mate over the road could play bass a little bit and we just rushed into forming a band."
One day, when Stephens was in a pawn shop, he decided to pick up a bass and learn to play it, to get the band moving as they could not find a bassist, " The first time I played it, I thought, “Yeah, I can get my hand round this.” It was a Fender Precision, an old beaten-up one. I bought it and haven’t looked back." Twist played a couple of gigs locally where a lot of friends came down to see them. They played to some busy audiences, "but we were rubbish" says Stephens.
When he used to play guitar, he liked to copy chords from bands such as Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
who are two of his favourite artists along with The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and hip-hop acts such as Run DMC and N.W.A.
His brother Ciaran is the lead guitarist of the band called Satellite State.