Kaiser Chiefs

Since their formation, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew "Whitey" White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick "Peanut" Baines and since 2013 drummer Vijay Mistry, who replaced founding drummer Nick Hodgson following his departure from the band in late 2012.

Their singles "Ruby", "I Predict a Riot", "Everyday I Love You Less and Less", "Never Miss a Beat" and "Oh My God" had sold a combined total of 1.1 million up to August 2012.

[10] After leaving school, Rix and Baines left for university in 1996 whereas Hodgson remained in the Leeds area, meeting both Andrew White and Ricky Wilson.

However, after Beggars Banquet closed the Mantra label, Parva were dropped and without any direction after the release of an album (22) and three singles ("Heavy", "Good Bad Right Wrong" and "Hessles").

According to manager James Sandom in an interview with HitQuarters, as a dropped band they had become damaged goods, "No one would touch them because they had a history.

"[11] The band decided that they would aim for a longer-term record deal and started afresh with new songs and a new name: Kaiser Chiefs.

[12] Manager James Sandom was tipped off about the band by Drowned in Sound founder Sean Adams, who persuaded him to go and see them live.

[11] The group's debut album Employment was released in March 2005, being primarily inspired by new wave and punk rock music of the late 1970s and 1980s.

[7] The album was well received by music critics, described as "thrilling from beginning to end" and "quintessentially British, without pretension and most importantly, a whole lot of fun".

In December 2007, Kaiser Chiefs played two sold-out shows at Earl's Court in London[28] to a capacity crowd of 30,000.

[30] The band also released a DVD of their live performance at Elland Road from 24 May where they played to a sold out capacity crowd of 40,000 people.

[31] The DVD contains the full set from the home of Leeds United as well as highlights from the Kaiser Chiefs performance for the 2007 BBC Electric Proms.

Kaiser Chiefs set out on a UK tour in October 2008 with Castle Donington band Late of the Pier and The Hair.

Other dates included Manchester Academy, Southampton Guildhall, Reading Rivermead, Glasgow Barrowlands, Leicester De Montfort Hall and London Forum.

[citation needed] Kaiser Chiefs headed out on a UK Arena tour between February and March 2009, kicking off in Nottingham and ending in London.

They then opened for Green Day from 27 July to 7 August 2009, and the final shows before their 2-year hiatus were performed at Reading and Leeds Festival 2009.

The album was recorded over a period of eighteen months at various locations including drummer Nick Hodgson's self-built east-London studio.

[33] The album's producers included Tony Visconti, Ethan Johns and Owen Morris, in addition to Nick Hodgson himself.

Many celebrities including, Radio One DJ Chris Moyles, The Guardian Newspaper, and frontman Ricky Wilson, created their own version of the album, donating the £1 reimbursement for each copy sold to the Alzheimer's Society.

[40] On 7 February 2013 it was announced that Vijay Mistry from the band Club Smith would be joining the Kaiser Chiefs as their new drummer.

The band's UK tour included 13 shows, beginning at Carlisle Sands Centre on 11 February and ending at London's O2 Academy Brixton on 1 March.

The run of shows also includes gigs in Glasgow, Dunfermline, Manchester, Bridlington, Newcastle, Preston, Cheltenham, Wolverhampton, Southampton, Margate and Cambridge.

[44] The album was produced by Ben H. Allen III (who has previously worked with Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective, and Deerhunter), and recorded at The Maze Studio in Atlanta.

[45][46] It was mixed by Michael Brauer (My Morning Jacket, Coldplay) at Electric Lady Studios in New York City in November 2013.

It was co-written and produced by Brian Higgins, whose production company Xenomania has worked with the likes of Girls Aloud and Pet Shop Boys.

The band signed with their original label Polydor Records for their seventh studio album, Duck, which released on 26 July 2019.

Later a DVD entitled Enjoyment, which documented concerts from the first album era was released, this showed members of the band hypothetically interviewed when 'jaded rock stars'.

In October 2014, Kaiser Chiefs played at The New Adelphi Club in Hull, East Yorkshire as headline act for the venue's 30th anniversary celebration.

[60] A film capturing Kaiser Chiefs performance was made, which was shown at the Adelphi in January 2015 as part of Independent Music Venue Week.

Performing at Lollapalooza in 2005
The stage at Elland Road stadium on 24 May 2008.
Ricky Wilson in concert in Germany in 2013.