The Kut were founded in 2010 in London by Princess Maha, who took her cue from the grunge and alt-rock of the '90s with the influence of acts like L7 and Hole apparent in their music. Although ostensibly an alter ego for Maha, the band were very much a trio when they played live, with Diana Bartman on drums and Stella Vie on bass and backing vocals. The Kut released their first EP, Make Up, in 2014, and that year they also bagged a winning spot on the MTV Brand New Unsigned Poll. Just a year later, they returned with the Rock Paper Scissors extended play. Alongside their recorded work, the Kut toured extensively, making appearances at Download, Camden Rocks, and Rebellion Festival. In 2017, the band put out a self-titled EP and appeared in Kerrang! Magazine's Breakout Stars of 2017 list. Work then began on their debut long player after a crowd-funding campaign, and they signed to Cargo. Valley of Thorns was produced by James Loughrey (White Zombie, My Vitriol) and was released in 2018. ~ Bekki Bemrose