Bio Full Biography »

Kotch have been in existence since 1981, although only drummer Steven Lee and his guitarist uncle Pablo Stewart have remained constant. First called Psalms, the band offered straightforward roots reggae at a time when dancehall was starting to become popular. Their first single, ‘In The Hills’, produced by themselves and Third World’s Willie Stewart, flopped, but it was followed by the better-received ‘Ska-ba’, produced by Ibo Cooper, also from Third World. By that time, in 1982, their lead singer, Parry Hinds, had been replaced by the distinctive, soulful baritone of Rueben ‘Norman’ Espuet and the line-up settled to Espuet, Lee, Pablo Stewart, Ian Heard (saxophone), Al Wilson (trombone), Earl Thorpe (bass) and Herbie Harris (keyboards). Four singles arrived in 1983, the last two, ‘Head Over Heels’ and ‘Jean’, charting in Jamaica. Their first album, Sticks And Stones, was also issued that year. Steven Lee’s other job, at his father’s Sonic Sounds record distribution company in Kingston...