Best of SXSW: The Kissaway Trail

The Kissaway Trail come from Odense, Denmark: this fact excuses them from what is a terrible name for a band. Their music, on the other hand, is much more appreciable. The Kissaway Trail are five young kids who write big, swirling rock songs; lead single 'Smother + Evil = Hurt' evokes the majesty of The Polyphonic Spree, without sounding derivative. Like the 'Spree, and many other new acts, standard instrumentation doesn't cut it anymore. For extra texture, The Kissaway Trail use a lot of strings, banjo and mandolins in their tracks, and it is exceedingly effective: first time I listened to their single, I was blown away. Grab it below.

The Kissaway Trail: Smother + Evil = Hurt

Their self-titled debut release is out now on Etch 'n' Sketch.