Kids Can't Fly

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Kids Can’t Fly were a British pop-punk band from Southampton, formed in May 2006. Their music mixed fast punk guitars with horn sections, giving them a ska-punk sound. The core members over the years included Robin Black (vocals and guitar), Tom Dowd (bass), Dan Parkinson (guitar), Dave Matthews (sax), Scott Wilson (drums) and Chris Booroff (trumpet). The band had several lineup changes, but Black and Matthews stayed involved most of the time.

They released four EPs and four singles. The Take Off EP came out in 2006, followed by No Joy for the Jealous (2007), Strength in Numbers (2010) and Northern Horizons (2012). Their singles included Everyone (2010), a double A-side of She Called Shotgun and Heartstrong (2010), Esmeralda (2011) and Stick To Your Guns (2012). Northern Horizons was recorded at Monnow Valley Studio and produced by Romesh Dodangoda.

Early in their career they did a UK headline tour and sold out their releases. They also performed with Zebrahead at Sonisphere Festival in 2008 and even contributed their horn section to Zebrahead’s single Hell Yeah! Their first single, Everyone, premiered on Kerrang! Radio in 2010, and its video did well online, topping Scuzz TV’s Most Requested chart for a week. The band’s third EP, Strength in Numbers, arrived in 2010, with the double A-side single and more fan support.

In 2011 there were big lineup changes. Comley and Wilson left, and new members joined, including Tom Dowd on bass and Chris Booroff on trumpet, with Wilson returning in 2012. They released Northern Horizons in June 2012 and toured the UK to promote it, with These City Lights often supporting them. They played at several festivals and released a video for Stick To Your Guns in 2012.

Kids Can’t Fly described themselves as “basically a pop-punk band with a horn section,” known for ska and reggae influences. Their music used brass alongside guitars, with playful, sometimes cheeky lyrics about relationships and everyday life. Their influences included Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Four Year Strong and Fall Out Boy. Robin Black’s singing has been compared to Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, and the band’s horn sound earned some critics nicknames like “English Fall Out Boy.” They hoped to release a debut album in 2013, but the group played its final shows in 2014.