Enter Shikari are a British rock band formed in St Albans in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drummer Rob Rolfe. In 2003, guitarist Rory Clewlow joined the band to complete its current line-up, and it adopted its current name. In 2006, they performed to a growing fanbase at Download Festival as well as a sold-out concert at the London Astoria. Their debut studio album, Take to the Skies, was released in 2007 and reached number 4 in the Official UK Album Chart, and has since been certified gold in the UK. Their second, Common Dreads, was released in 2009 and debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 16;[2] while their third, A Flash Flood of Colour, was released in 2012 and debuted on the chart at number 4. Both have since been certified silver in the UK. The band spent a considerable amount of time supporting the latter release through the A Flash Flood of Colour World Tour, before beginning work on a fourth studio album, The Mindsweep, which was released in 2015. Their fifth studio album The Spark was released in 2017. Their sixth album Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible was released in April 2020. Their seventh and latest album, A Kiss for the Whole World, was released on 21 April 2023 which gave them their first-ever No. 1 album.[3]
Enter Shikari have their own record label, Ambush Reality. However, they have also signed distribution deals with several major labels to help with worldwide distribution. Their eccentric musical style combines influences from rock music genres with those from various electronic music genres.
History
Beginnings (1999–2006)
In 1999 a band named Hybryd formed, consisting of Rou Reynolds on guitar and vocals, Chris Batten on bass guitar, and Rob Rolfe on drums. They released an EP called Commit No Nuisance, which featured the tracks "Perfect Pygmalion", "Look Inside", "Torch Song", "Honesty Box" and "Fake". In 2003, with the addition of guitarist Rory Clewlow, Hybryd became Enter Shikari. The band was named after Shikari, a boat belonging to Reynolds' uncle. In a 2011 interview, Rolfe explained that: "Shikari is a Hindi word for hunter."[4] After the band's line-up and name change, Reynolds focused his musical efforts on vocals and electronics instead of guitar.[5]
During 2003 and 2004, the band released three demo EPs (Nodding Acquaintance, Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour and Sorry You're Not a Winner) that were available from their gigs and their website, featuring original versions of some songs that were eventually re-recorded for their debut album, Take to the Skies. They would frequently make appearances at their local music venue, The Pioneer Club, where they would play alongside other local bands.[6][7] They had another demo EP planned for release in 2005 (no such EP materialised, although recordings surfaced online). For this the first versions of "Return To Energiser" and "Labyrinth" were recorded. Early versions of "OK Time for Plan B" and "We Can Breathe in Space" were also recorded around this time but it's unclear if these were destined for the EP. It was at this time that Kerrang! Radio's Alex Baker picked up on the band, and as he didn't have a physical release to play, he streamed "OK Time For Plan B" off the band's Myspace page, straight onto the airwaves.
In August 2006 they released a video of the single "Mothership" which became the single of the week on the iTunes Store. Their first physical single featured re-recorded versions of "Sorry You're Not a Winner/OK Time for Plan B", which had previously been featured on one of the demo EPs. It was released on 30 October 2006. It was limited to 1000 copies of each format and sold out within the first week of release. In mid January 2007, Enter Shikari's first single, "Mothership", entered the UK singles chart for one week at number 151, on Downloads only (despite its physical formats not being eligible for charts [at the band's request]). This was followed a week later by "Sorry You're Not a Winner/OK Time for Plan B", which charted at number 182 on the singles chart (despite its physical formats being ineligible for charts [at the band's request]) and number 146 in the Download Chart. In addition "Sorry You're Not a Winner/OK Time for Plan B" featured on the EA Sports video game titles NHL 08 and Madden 08. Enter Shikari secured a spot on the Gibson/Myspace stage at 2006's Download Festival.
They also had interviews with popular music press such as Kerrang! and Rock Sound. On 4 November 2006, they became only the second unsigned band to ever sell out London Astoria (the first being The Darkness).
They also made the NME's "New Noise 2007", a list of the bands it considers most likely to achieve success in the coming year (previous years lists have included the likes of Arcade Fire, Hot Chip and Bloc Party).
The next single released was "Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour", on 5 March 2007. This was the band's second single to be released from their forthcoming debut album. It contained a re-recorded version of the song "Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour". It reached 27 in the Official UK chart.
The band released a compilation album titled The Zone just after the debut album, this contained various demo tracks and previously released singles.
The band's debut album, Take to the Skies, was released on 19 March 2007 and on 25 March it reached number 4 in the UK Official Album Charts. It contained re-recordings of many of the songs that had featured on the demo EPs and singles that were released prior to the release of the album.
Enter Shikari had performed over 500 times by 2007 and played on the Gibson/MySpace stage at 2006's Download Festival. On 14 May 2007, Enter Shikari started their first North America tour. This was followed by three more North American tours.
On 13 May 2008, the band released the first in a series of videos called "Enter Shikari: In the 'Low". The videos, posted on the band's YouTube page, showcased the band as they recorded their new single, "We Can Breathe In Space, They Just Don't Want Us To Escape", and demoed new material. One of the new songs set to feature on the album was "Step Up", which was first performed at Milton Keynes Pitz on 28 June 2008, the warm up show to Projekt Revolution the following day.
Enter Shikari live at Heaven in London in 2009. From left to right: Clewlow, Rolfe, Reynolds and Batten.
It was confirmed by NME that Enter Shikari had finished working on their second album, Common Dreads, in March 2009 and announced that they would tour the UK and Europe during 2009. They also made available a free download of a new song, "Antwerpen", from their website.[10] On 15 April 2009 "Juggernauts" was played on Radio 1 as Zane Lowe's "Hottest Track in the World" and was released as a single on 1 June 2009 with "All Eyes on the Saint" as its B side. The band also had help from musician Danny Sneddon who helped with the recording of "Juggernauts".[11] On 1 May Kerrang featured their track-by-track of the album. Metal Hammer were the first to review the album online with a track-by-track.[12]
Common Dreads was released through Ambush Reality on 15 June 2009 and debuted at No. 16 on the UK top 40 album chart. The second single to be released from Common Dreads was "No Sleep Tonight".[13] The 7-inch vinyl, CD single and MP3 download was released on 17 August 2009. A slightly modified version of the song "Wall" was released as a radio single, and a video for the song "Zzzonked", made of clips of a live show played at Norwich UEA, was also released.
A 2-disc version of Common Dreads was released in January 2010.[14] Frontman Rou Reynolds announced that "we've got a different artist for each single from Hospital Records to do drum "n" bass remixes so we'll be releasing that as a 12". Then we're doing the same thing with (dubstep label) True Tiger who've done a dubstep remix of each single." However it was later said in a Radio 1 interview that in fact they were only having their main singles remixed.
The single "Thumper"[15] was released on 19 January 2010, on BBC Radio One, as well as the new single "Tribalism", which was first played on Radio 1 on 16 February 2010. These songs come off the new B-sides and remixes album Tribalism, which was released on 22 February 2010.
Throughout February–March 2010, Enter Shikari joined the Australian summer festival Soundwave along with other bands such as A Day to Remember and Architects, playing shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The band then continued to tour Japan with A Day to Remember and Escape the Fate and in April–May 2010, they served as a support act, along with August Burns Red and Silverstein on A Day to Remember's Toursick.
On 14 June 2010, Enter Shikari announced that they had returned to the studio to do a "one off new track" called "Destabilise" which was released as a download on 26 October 2010, and a limited edition coloured 7-inch vinyl on 29 November 2010.
In mid-2011, the band released another one-off single called "Quelle Surprise" before releasing the first single, "Sssnakepit" and "Gandhi Mate, Gandhi" in September and December, respectively, off their third album.
The band released A Flash Flood of Colour on 16 January 2012, and played three album release shows in London, Kingston upon Thames, and Leeds.
At the end of the first week of the album being released, the album reached number four in the U.K charts.
In Summer 2012's Kerrang! Awards, the band scooped "Best Live Band" for the second time, along with Rou Reynolds winning 'Hero of the Year.' They were also nominated for best album, but lost out to Mastodon.[22]
In November 2012 the band announced the launch of their own beer "Sssnakepit", a 5% lager brewed in conjunction with Signature Brew, which was launched in Manchester and sold on the "A Flash Flood of Christmas" tour at venues across the UK.[23]
In April 2013, the band released a non-album single named "The Paddington Frisk", later announcing that it was part of a then unnamed three track EP due for release later that year (Rat Race EP). On 5 June 2013, the band announced via their official Twitter that they were recording a video for the new single "Radiate", which was first played by Zane Lowe on his Radio 1 show on 10 June. The song was his Single of the Week.[25] 5 months later, "Rat Race" was released, the three tracks were then amalgamated into the Rat Race EP, along with a trance remix of "Radiate" created by Reynolds' side project – Shikari Sound System.
The band headed out on an extensive tour of the UK and Ireland throughout April and May, purposefully playing in towns that don't usually get shows, as a thank you to those fans who usually have to travel to larger cities all the time to see bands. Support for the tour was Hacktivist. This tour was the first time the songs "The Paddington Frisk" was played, as well as "Juggernauts" b-side "All Eyes on the Saint" from 2009
In late 2012, bassist Chris Batten said that the band will begin working on their fourth studio album after their current touring has finished sometime in 2013. However, Batten also affirmed that the album would not be ready for release in that year.[26]
On 12 January 2016, a single called "Redshift" premiered on Annie Mac's show on BBC Radio 1.[34] Another new single called "Hoodwinker" premiered on Daniel P. Carter's show on BBC Radio 1 on 9 October 2016.[35][non-primary source needed]
On 25 August 2016, the band announced a live album for their February 2016 Alexandra Palace show.[36] It was initially due for release on 4 November 2016, however it was delayed until 18 November 2016 due to manufacturing issues.[37]
On 8 November 2016, Enter Shikari were announced as headliners for Slam Dunk Festival 2017.[38]
On 1 August 2017, Enter Shikari announced their new album The Spark with its lead single "Live Outside". The album was released on 22 September.[39]
To promote the album, the band toured UK, Europe, Japan, and North America on their The Spark World Tour.
On 15 February 2019, the band released a pair of limited edition live albums, Take to the Skies. Live in Moscow. May 2017 and Live at Alexandra Palace 2 both of which were recorded in 2017 on their Take to the Skies 10 Year Anniversary Tour and their The Spark World Tour.[40]
In 2018 the band embarked on an extensive tour of the UK, Europe, and Scandinavia, entitled "Stop the Clocks", during which they performed a new song of the same name.[41] The band released the song as a single on 12 August 2019 shortly before their performances at the 2019 Reading and Leeds Festivals where they played 5 different sets across the weekend.[42] Following this, the band resumed their Stop the Clocks tour with a twelve-date American leg, which singer Rou Reynolds said would "bring the whole "Spark-era" full circle."[43]
Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible (2020–2022)
In an interview with Kerrang while the band was in Australia for Good Things Festival, they revealed their next album will be the "most definitive Shikari record to date" and will feature something from every album.[44]
On 10 February 2020, a new single called "The Dreamer's Hotel", stylised as { The Dreamer's Hotel }, premiered on Annie Mac's show on BBC Radio 1.[45][non-primary source needed][non-primary source needed] The same day, they announced that their new album would be called Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible and would release on 17 April 2020.[46] An accompanying music video was released for The Dreamer's Hotel on 5 March 2020, almost a month after the initial release. The video features an unusual use of over-the-top rainbow effects, fitting with the rainbow motif of the album.[47] "The King" was the album's second single, released on 8 March 2020. Frontman Rou described this track as a "lesson in patience and forgiveness" to Kerrang as they have worked on this single song for such a long time.[48] "T.I.N.A." was the third single released on 22 March 2020. The title stands for "there is no alternative". Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible hit No. 2 on the UK album charts on 30 April 2020,[citation needed] 13 days after its release on 17 April. This was the band's fifth album to reach Top 10 and the third consecutive major album.
On 16 April 2021, they released Moratorium (Broadcasts from the Interruption) without advance notice. It includes songs from their past two albums that have been reworked, re-imagined, recorded live or as acoustic renditions.[49]
On 24 November 2021 through 10 February 2022, Enter Shikari headed out for a brief European tour with a sold-out headline show at Alexandra Palace.[50] On 16 July 2022, the band released their film, Live at Vada, directed by Tom Pullen.[51]
On 17 November 2022, band released a new song named "Bull", recorded in collaboration with Cody Frost.[52] The official music video released the same day.[53]
A Kiss for the Whole World (2023–present)
Simultaneously with the release of the single, "(Pls) Set Me on Fire", the band's seventh album's title was revealed on 12 January 2023 as A Kiss for the Whole World. The album was released on 21 April 2023, and went straight in at Number 1 on the Official UK Album Charts - their first to do so.[54]
Enter Shikari's lyrics, written by frontman Rou Reynolds, are often politically charged. In a 2015 interview, Kerrang! Magazine wrote: "With Shikari a rare, political voice on the UK rock scene, Rou remains baffled by bands 'labelling themselves as punk that aren't speaking about anything of importance'. 'To us it's second nature,' he says. 'It's what this music is for. If you take out the social commentary, it's not punk, it's just noisy pop.'" At the same time, Reynolds "[doesn't] care if people don't read the lyrics" and only "appreciate Shikari as a noisy pop group". Although not all of the band's lyrics are political, "even when [Enter Shikari write] a love song, [Reynolds wants] to make sure [they] reclaim the love song from all the shit, vapid love songs on the charts." He also stated that the band's general message is that "if we base our lives around love and unity, then that's all that matters."[72]
Enter Shikari's lyrics have also centred around more personal themes throughout their career, such as lead singer Rou Reynolds' anxiety, depression, mental illness, self-pity and the loss of a loved one or idolised celebrity figure. Their album The Spark in particular delves more into personal issues within the band, with Reynolds stating in an interview with The Independent, regarding lyrical themes: "What I was trying to do with this album in marrying the personal and the political is to ensure that human vulnerability is laid bare, and to not be afraid to speak about emotions." He elaborates by stating that "I don't think I could have done it [writing more personal lyrics] before this record. So much happened over those two years [since the release of their previous album], globally and in my personal life, so before. I was kind of comfortable. I have a very finely attuned cringe muscle, I don't like writing about things that have been written about a thousand times. Some of it is maybe even a self-confidence thing, feeling as though I don't have much to offer in terms of art that helps other people. But seeing as 2015 was the year of hell for me, it wasn't just that I wanted to write a more personal record, I had to. There was no way of not doing it".[75]
Rou Reynolds has cited British pop music from the 20th century as being a major influence on his songwriting, particularly on their album The Spark, with The Beatles, The Damned, Joy Division and New Order being key influences on him.[75]
Ambush Reality
Ambush Reality is an independent record label owned by Enter Shikari. Although originally it was exclusively for the release of Enter Shikari's albums and songs, on 21 July 2014[77][non-primary source needed] the band announced via Facebook and Twitter they were releasing a song by Nottingham hardcore band Baby Godzilla (now known as Heck). Formed in July 2006, it is co-owned and run by the members of the band and their friends.[78] The band has decided that, to tour in the United States, they had to sign with a major record label in America.[79] On 28 August 2007, Ambush Reality said that Take to the Skies came out in North America in October 2007, with Ambush Reality joining Interscope Records imprint Tiny Evil. Ambush Reality signed a distribution deal with Warner Music to make the album Common Dreads and future releases more accessible outside the UK and also more widely advertised and promoted.[80] As of 8 December 2010 Enter Shikari / Ambush Reality have left distribution through Warner and will distribute throughout UK/Europe/Japan/Australia via PIAS Entertainment Group.
As of 21 June 2011, Enter Shikari's releases in North America are via independent record labelHopeless Records.[81]
Side projects
Reynolds has produced music as part of a side project with the name "Rout",[82][non-primary source needed][non-primary source needed] which he sometimes performs in small venues and before shows. He previously used the names "Shark & Blitz" and "Routron 5000".[83][non-primary source needed][non-primary source needed] The music develops on his penchant for electronics, resulting in a drum and bass/jungle/dubstep sound. Some songs feature samples of Rou and friends fooling around as well as iconic lines from movies or songs.[84]
His most recent EP, released for ActionAid, features samples from ActionAid's project work in Ghana.[85]
Rolfe also DJs under the moniker "Sgt. Rolfy", regularly playing slots at the band's aftershow parties. He plays a range of sounds, including trance, drum & bass, dubstep and even classical and parody tunes too.[86]
Clewlow released his first remix, simply as "Rory C", for Don Broco's track "Priorities", from their new record in 2012.[87]
Reynolds has also set up his own clothing company, Step Up Clothing.[88]
On 25 April 2013 the band announced a side project called Shikari Sound System, an alter-ego of the group. The band announced it on their Facebook page straight after they had been announced to play at Reading and Leeds Festival during the summer.[89] Frontman Rou assured fans on his Twitter page that it would be "The same 4 scallywags but playing a live dance set".[90] Shikari Sound System played their debut set at The Reading and Leeds festivals and were joined by members of hardcore band Hacktivist as well as Danny Price who now regularly hosts SSS DJ sets. Shikari Sound System were announced for Slam Dunk Festival on 24 February 2016[91] and have done regular slots in the UK and Europe.
In 2017, Rou Reynolds released a book named Dear Future Historians, a song-by-song lyrical analysis of the band's work including photos. By popular demand, the book was revisited and expanded in 2019 to include music released since its original publication, and received another strictly limited edition run.[92]
In August 2023, it was announced that Enter Shikari have entered into partnership with The Pioneer Club, the venue where they began performing, and Headliner Group, a music and tech media company, to form Headliner Spaces. Headliner Spaces was set up with the aim to reinstate The Pioneer Club as a touring-circuit grassroots venue and also to have a wider reach into the community.[95] They subsequently auctioned off pieces of Enter Shikari memorabilia such as Reynolds' Kaoss Pad, used most notably on 'Sorry You're Not a Winner' with proceeds going to The Pioneer Club Charity.[96] As part of the partnership, the band also donated £1 from every ticket sold for the 2024 promotional arena tour for their album, A Kiss for the Whole World, to UK-based grassroots venues affected by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nationwide cost-of-living crisis and gentrification.[97]
^Bell, Mitchell (14 January 2015). "Enter Shikari – The Mindsweep (Album Review)". Vulture Hound Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2015. Having finely tuned their set to become one of the best live British alternative-rock bands today, it began to feel like it was all or nothing for [Enter Shikari's] fourth release, The Mindsweep.
^Fermor-Worrell, Jack (16 June 2015). "Enter Shikari announce UK tour". Distorted Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015. ...electronic rock titans Enter Shikari have announced their biggest UK tour to date in support of their fourth album The Mindsweep.
^ abcde"Enter Shikari Announce Australian Tour". Kill Your Stereo. 17 June 2010. Archived from the original on 22 June 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2015. ...Britain's most explosive post-hardcore act Enter Shikari head to Australia for their first ever headline tour! Boasting a genre-smashing sound that melds punk, hardcore, electronica, dubstep, drum'n'bass and rock into the one frenzied package, Enter Shikari took their native UK by storm with their gold-selling debut, Take to the Skies.
^ ab"The Mindsweep Review". Ultimate Guitar Archive. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015. Though Enter Shikari were employing the same kind of hard dancesynth presets like any other electronicore act, their ace-in-the-hole back in their earlier years was taking the then-esoteric sound of dubstep and putting it into their music, making them innovators as much as oddballs of the hardcore scene.
^White, Valerie (6 January 2014). "Electronicore: A Genre Rising". Dancemusicnw.com. Retrieved 31 August 2015. One could say [Enter Shikari] somewhat started and transformed the electronicore scene, going strong since 2003. Seemingly ahead of their time, it wasn't until 2008 when the band really started to take off and gain a large fan base here in the US as well.
^ abcdMonger, James Christopher. "The Mindsweep – Enter Shikari". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 August 2015. [The Mindsweep is the] fourth studio long-player from the hard-hitting, shape-shifting English post-rockers with a penchant for dabbling in dubstep, trance, and drum and bass...
^ abCrane, Matt (8 May 2014). "5 Albums That Electrified Metalcore". Alternative Press. Retrieved 31 August 2015. [Enter Shikari] were the first to release a metalcore album [(Take to the Skies)] that could also pass as a respectable techno effort.
^O'Brien, Jon (17 January 2012). "A Flash Flood of Colour – Enter Shikari | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 February 2012. Produced by former Sikth guitarist Dan Weller, the album hardly sits still for one minute, lurching from demonic metal to industrial dubstep ("Arguing with Thermometers") from trippy electronica to blistering air guitar prog ("Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here") and from wobble-heavy drum'n'bass to rabble-rousing punk ("Sssnakepit") in an appropriately blatant disregard for convention.
