Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
Fast-rising Scottish rock band Kelowna will release their debut album, Superstar, everywhere on Friday, 28th August. Ahead of this, the band have released their enticing new single and video, Insanity. Connect with the band below:
What are the origins of the band? How long have you been playing together?
Five strangers, really. Our singer Davy, had been jamming his songs and wanted to see where it could go. A few conversations later, and the band was born and hit the ground running. Just kind of naturally seemed to work well together.
What should people expect when they check out the band? How would you describe Kelowna?
We call it RocknRoll for the Soul. Energetic melodic rock with a soulful vocal. A few nods to classic 70s and 80s rock, but very much brought up to date. If you like an anthem with a singalong chorus and some great hooks, you’ll enjoy our stuff.
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band, and how was it?!
We’ve all been around the block, so there was more excitement than nerves. We wanted to make sure we did the songs justice and delivered a great show.
What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?
So we’ve just finished recording our debut album, Superstar. And we think it’s a belter. The single “Insanity” has just been released, and there’ll be another one released before the album release in August. It’s a really good mix of songs and stories – strong ballads amongst some driving rock anthems.
Regarding a similar audience, which band do you feel that you would be best suited to open for?
Ah man. So many. Big fan of Scottish rockers Gun and Deep Purple would be a dream come true, if you’re listening, Ian, Roger, and the guys! Failing that, maybe Greta Van Fleet or The Black Keys would be pretty cool.
Excluding yourself, which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
Really liked Creeping Jean when I saw them. Silveroller, also excellent.
What frustrates you about the music business?
Just the battle to get your music heard, really. Working out where your audience hangs out digitally, then trying to find your voice in those places. We’re relatively young as a band, but we’ve had a steep learning curve in terms of how to make yourselves heard. The big streaming platforms have a very tight grip on the revenues and exposure, so it’s critical to find alternative routes to your audience that can help you grow without costing the earth. And of course, every other new band on the block is doing the same.
What are your first musical memories? And what lightbulb moment made you say “I want to do that”?
Growing up, my Dad was an architect. He used to work from home in the evening, and I grew up listening to his music from upstairs and fell in love right there. Eagles, Creedence, Gerry Rafferty, Supertramp. Learned to drum at school and played all sorts, from big band to classical.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
I assume you mean excluding Take That, The Circus? It was Cardinal Black in Glasgow doing their stripped-back set.
What current social issues are you particularly passionate about?
Probably the environment hits the hardest. Used to think it couldn’t speak for itself, but it’s starting to. And there’s so much we could fix if the rich and powerful didn’t set the agenda.
What album do you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
The first Muppets album is a classic, but Iron Maiden’s Powerslave gets spun fairly regularly.
Everybody is a fan of something. Who or what are you a fan of?
Travel. So much world still to see. And music brings people together wherever you go. We’d love to do that with Kelowna, so we’ll see where the future takes us.
What new music have you enjoyed so far this year?
Great to have the Black Crowes back. Alter Bridge kicked ass too. We have such a wide range of influences across the band, it’s really difficult to pinpoint just a few. There’s a Scottish band called Kelowna who have an incredible album coming out in August. Definitely check that out.
What does the rest of 2026 hold for Kelowna?
We started working with our management and promotion partners just a few months back, so we’re really focused on bringing the album to as large an audience as we possibly can. Obviously, live performance plays a large part in that, so we’re just starting to plan that out now, including an album launch show in Glasgow. We have some festival appearances already in the calendar.
How active are you on social media, and where can people connect with you?
We’ve seen good growth on Facebook, and Instagram is starting to grow now as well. We’re still learning what works across the different platforms – doesn’t always come naturally. We’ve had some fun with videos too alongside our recent releases – we’d love to see you on there though, guys, so drop by and give us a listen/watch.
