The Kettle Zone have a clear mission and “Little By Little” delivers on it without hesitation. The Edinburgh power-pop project, built around the songwriting of vocalist, guitarist, and keyboard player Allan Knox, follows up their hooky debut “Every Other Summer’s Day” with another up-tempo, guitar-driven single that sits squarely in the tradition of XTC, Squeeze, and Jellyfish. If that reference cluster means anything to you, your ears are already perked up.
“Little By Little” features Derek Smith on bass, Andrew Scott on drums, and additional guitars from Jack Davenport, who mixed and mastered the track at The Owl Shed Studios in Edinburgh. The production is clean and punchy, giving Knox’s songwriting the room it needs to land. This is a band that understands the power-pop formula, tight arrangements, strong melodies, and hooks that stick without overstaying their welcome, and applies it with genuine craft.
2 singles in and The Kettle Zone are establishing a consistent identity fast. The debut “Every Other Summer’s Day,” recorded with drummer Richie Werner and mixed at Edinburgh’s B & B Studios, introduced the project with the same up-tempo energy that carries through “Little By Little.” Knox is clearly prolific and focused, with more singles promised in the near future. For fans of guitar-driven melodic pop with real songwriting chops behind it, The Kettle Zone are worth adding to your radar right now.