Formed in 2002 in Hampshire, England Karn8 (carnate) started out as heavy dirty rock, influenced at the time by bands such as Marilyn Manson, Alice in Chains and Queen Adreena. Their sound has somewhat evolved and mellowed over the years to incorporate a blues twist and capture the essence of bands such as Queens of the Stone Age and The Doors. The groups ever changing line up has now settled with the simplicity of a three piece, Leigh Mcsharry on drums, Bones on guitars and Kirst taking vocals and centre stage.
As song-writing partners since the mid 90s, Kirst started out as drummer and lead vocalist and Bones was predominantly on bass. Based in Aldershot they were never far away from the local music scene living around the corner from the iconic West End Centre and just a street away from fellow musicians Vex Red and front man Colin Doran from Hundred Reasons, they later went on to share rehearsal space with Reuben. The area was rough and infamous for drugs and crime, the house next door to them the location for several suspicious deaths over the course of a year. The whole experience was character building and they channelled a lot of these experiences into their early material. It was in 2002 that Kirst decided it was time to come out from behind the drums and take on the role of front woman. The pair recruited keyboardist Kinghorn and drummer Sammy Lee who was replaced by Leigh Mcsharry in 2004. Their struggle to find a suitable guitarist led Bones to move on to baritone guitar, which led to a unique sound and became a talking point at their live shows.
As Karn8 they rapidly built up a following on the local scene. They soon embarked on many small tours up and down the country supporting the likes of The Kings of Leon, Hope of the States and Seasons End. Their sexy and electric live shows won them great reviews and onstage antics occasionally caused a stir. They have recorded three EPs, one track of which has been used on the Moto GP Xbox game. Their whole back catalogue is currently available on iTunes.
Following the departure of Keyboardist Kinghorn in 2006 and the sad death of Kirsts mum from cancer in 2007, the band took some time out to reflect and record an Album. The new sound captures both the warmth of retro acts such as Jefferson Airplane to the edginess of modern day rock. Having recorded and mixed the whole project themselves they then enlisted the advice of legendary audiophile engineer Steve Hoffman whose remastering back catalogue includes Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash and The Doors. They pride themselves on hard work and have a hands on approach from writing and recording to designing their website and artwork, taking photos and even building sets and filming their own video. With a genuine love for what they do Karn8 are an unstoppable force but would be glad of a helping hand or two along the way.
