Singer, songwriter and producer Kevin Mark Trail (born 1st October 1980) is the definition of homegrown British talent. His rich vocals, heart-achingly honest lyrics and chameleon-like versatility has gained him a fan base worldwide. It’s also earned him the honor of working in collaboration with many modern-day musical greats. In a solo and vocalist career spanning more than two decades, he’s worked with the likes of Estelle, MJ Cole, Basement Jaxx, Hot Chip, and supported Massive Attack, N.E.R.D, Beverley Knight, Angie Stone and lent has vocals to records featuring Emeli Sandé,Gregory Porter and Jamie Cullum to name but a few. Trail is also a long-standing member of the band The Streets, the musical brainchild of iconic British rapper Mike Skinner.
Of Caribbean descent, Trail was born in North-west London to Jamaican parents and was heavily influenced by reggae, jazz and soul from a young age. Following a collaboration with the hugely respected producer Nitin Sawhney, Time Out Magazine likened Trail’s voice to soul legend Donny Hathaway. In his teens, Trail’s influences expanded to American R&B and hip-hop, before embedding himself in the British rap, hip-hop, dance and garage scene. He was first signed to EMI records, releasing his debut album ‘Just Living’ to critical acclaim. He later signed with Warner Records NZ releasing soul electronica album ‘The Knight’ and has worked on a number of independent releases. Trail is currently working on a diverse and highly-anticipated body of work, with new music expected to land in early 2023.
Trail shot to fame in the early noughties as a singer for iconic British band The Streets. His soulful vocals featured on the band’s ground-breaking, debut album ‘Original Pirate Material’, which exploded onto the UK garage scene in 2002. The now Double-Platinum selling album is attributed to transforming garage music by bringing it to the masses, and is considered one of the most important and influential albums for British music. As a member of The Streets, Trail has toured worldwide and has been a mainstay on line-ups at major festivals like Glastonbury, Roskilde, V Festival, Park Life and Boomtown.
As a solo artist and supporting vocalist, Trail has performed around the globe, gracing renowned stages like Wembley Stadium, the Sydney Opera House, The Albert Hall, O2 Academy Brixton, Royal Festival Hall, and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. He formed part of the Outlook Orchestra that celebrated DJ David ‘Ram Jam’ Rodigan’s 40 years in reggae, and shared the stage with reggae royalty UB40, Protoje, Maxi Priest, Freddie McGregor and Julian Marley.
From garage to gospel, Trail has a unique talent for navigating a wide range of genres, which has led to numerous collaborations diversifying both his sound, and skills as a producer. Between 2010 and 2015 Trail lived and worked in New Zealand, partnering with award-winning electronic collective Sola Rosa and jazz icon Nathan Haines. Whilst there, Trail discovered a close affinity to the island and Māori culture. As a result, he went on to co-write and produce a number of tracks in “te reo Māori”, the native language of New Zealand with award-winning collective Tātou tātou e collective (Kog Records).
In the UK, Trail continues to nurture a long-term relationship with Birmingham’s five-piece acapella quintet Black Voices, who’s ever-growing repertoire includes traditional and spiritual African music, Caribbean and English folk songs, jazz, gospel, pop, reggae and fusion.
Community and education have always been at the heart of Trail’s story. Alongside song writing, performing and producing, he has spent more than 15 years working in education. From formal teaching roles in music and performance, to running practical workshops in the UK and abroad, Trail is a passionate advocate for music as a way of supporting and inspiring young people. He is currently working in partnership with a social enterprise in Bristol, whilst working on new material.
