“With an awful lot of great music around, it’s easy to get carried away with superlatives, but with Onism, Koyo take us into favourite new (to most) / new favourite band territory”
“Yorkshire quartet’s third is a gutsy, freewheeling joy. 9/10”
““That sense of falling back on organically created riffs and hooks is palpable on Onism, and the effervescence with which they have broken out of their malaise is often a joy to behold””
Koyo Bloom, formerly known as KOYO, are a rock band incorporating elements of alternative, psychedelic and progressive rock. Alumni of Leeds Conservatoire, they became a key part of Leeds’ thriving music scene.
Based on their dynamic live performances, the band were selected to open the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals. They followed this with appearances at Rockaway Beach, Live at Leeds, Ramblin’ Man, Camden Rocks, Sheffield Tramlines, Bingley Weekender and Download Festival. They also recorded their Live At RAK live album.
Their self-titled debut album received widespread acclaim across the music press, featuring in end-of-year album lists from Classic Rock, PROG and Louder Than War magazines.
The band returned to the studio with producer Mike Horner (Hot Chip, Franz Ferdinand), resulting in the standalone single “Before” and their sophomore album, You Said It. The record continued to build momentum, receiving further press support and airplay from BBC Radio Leeds, BBC 6 Music, Amazing Radio, Radio X and Absolute Radio.
With touring restricted during the lockdowns, the band turned their focus towards their third album, Onism. To help complete the project, they launched a crowdfunding campaign, which was successfully selected by Kickstarter as a “Project We Love”, recognising the creativity and support behind the release. They followed this up with two of their most successful UK tours, featuring numerous sold-out shows, which the band were proud to say were put together completely DIY.
In 2025, Koyo Bloom confirmed their name change from their original band name and announced their fourth album, Distance, marking a new completely DIY, self-sufficient chapter in the band’s history.
In 2026, they released the album alongside the announcement of an indefinite hiatus, noting they “just can’t get in a room anymore” due to their lives going in different directions. Described by the band as “their most summery album yet” and by Louder Than War as a swan song that is as “unusually beautiful as it is beautifully unusual”, the record serves as a parting gift to fans and a celebration of a decade-long career full of high points.
The band will mark the end of this chapter with a final show on the road at Hot Box, Chelmsford — a venue chosen for its special place in the band’s history, from memorable performances and great sound to the long-standing support of promoter Martin Jeffries.
Koyo Bloom are Huw Robert Edwards (lead vocals, guitar), Jacob Price (sampling, synthesisers) and Tom Higham (drums).
