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Yakul (2)

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James Berkeley formed the Brighton-based four-piece, Yakul, in 2016, playing a heady mix of neo-soul and jazz. Consisting of James (vocals, keys), Tom Caldwell-Nichols (bass), Sam Hughes (drums) and Leo Utton (guitar), the band has gained a considerable following worldwide and apart from regular slots at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and the Jazz Cafe in Camden, Yakul have played numerous festivals, including Java Jazz in Indonesia, south-east venues and three UK tours as well as gigs in Spain and Germany. Following several digital-only releases, their EP “Getting Late” and LP “Rise Indigo” were both released independently. Yakul have picked up a growing reputation on the live circuit, further cementing their status at the forefront of the international R&B, jazz and soul movement. Their debut album “Rise Indigo” racked up over 500 plays on UK radio, the band going on to tour the UK and sell out their headline debut at the esteemed Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, followed by yet more headline slots at the Brick Lane Jazz Festival and The Great Escape. “Getting Late”, the band’s debut EP, was released in 2019 and lead track “Blossoming” was voted #6 Track of the Year on Gilles Peterson’s prestigious Worldwide Awards 2020, while the band was nominated for Best Jazz Act of the Year at the Urban Music Awards that same year. Following the release of their album "Gravity Pulls You Home", in 2024, the band announced in the August of 2024 that that would be their final album as they were disbanding after eight years.