Artists : Enter Shikari

Enter Shikari are a post-hardcore band from St. Albans, Hertfordshire. The band, which makes heavy use of synthesized sounds, evolved from an earlier band named Hybryd. ‘Shikari’ means ‘hunter’ in both Persian and Hindi and comes from the boat of a band member’s relative. Their first full-length album is named ‘Take to the Skies’ and was released in March 2007, containing many re-recordings from former EPs. Enter Shikari are currently signed to their independent record label ‘Ambush Reality’.

Enter Shikari consists of singer Roughton (Rou) Reynolds, guitarist Liam (Rory) Clewlow, bassist and backing vocalist Chris Batten and drummer Rob Rolfe. The four gained a large fan base because of their frequent performing all around the country, securing a spot on MySpace’s Download Stage in 2006 before having released their first full-length album. Between June 2003 and August 2004, the band released several EPs, which could be bought from their website or at their gigs. ‘Nodding Acquaintance EP’, ‘Sorry You’re Not a Winner EP’ and ‘Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour EP’ contained many songs which would later be re-recorded for their album ‘Take to the Skies’. The band became the second unsigned band ever to sell out London’s Astoria venue in November 2006, the first being The Darkness. Enter Shikari’s first single, Mothership, entered the British charts in January 2007, only to be followed a week later by ‘Sorry You’re Not a Winner/OK, Time for Plan B’. In March 2007, the band released ‘Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour’, three weeks before releasing ‘Take to the Skies’. The last single to be released from their album was ‘Jonny Sniper’, in June 2007. Enter Shikari played several large festivals both in Britain and in continental Europe, gaining more overseas attention. They also visited North-America and Asia on their semi-international ‘Wolf tour’.