Based in London, Abigail Snail formed in 2023 as a freewheeling collaboration between vocalist and guitarist Stef Kett and master sticksman Will Glaser on drums and percussion. Channelling improvisation, fearless experimentation and spontaneous live interplay into adventurous, vital free-rock song, Abigail Snail released their critically acclaimed debut album Rad Berms in 2026, featuring special guest reeds from James Allsopp.
“I love rock’n’roll’s unique spirit of celebrating flair over proficiency, idiosyncrasies being paraded as ‘fuck yeahs’, flaws often being glorious” says Stef Kett – a spirit borne out in Abigail Snail’s deep and sympathetic partnership, where Kett bends guitar shapes to mesmeric, prismatic intent, deep feels cast from all angles, his torch-like vocals a counterpoint to Glaser’s summoning of elaborate storms of drums and percussion.
The band’s virtuosic and telepathic sonic adventures hiss with the heat of their improvisatory approach – raw and rapturous – recalling the avant-garde guitar stylings of Hans Reichel and Marc Ribot via Rory Gallagher, the joyous heartbreak of ’60s soul, the incandescent groove of James Brown and Clyde Stubblefield, the experimental folk of Richard Dawson and Bill Callahan, and the tumult of late-’60s free jazz. Tender yet simultaneously wild, Abigail Snail shoot to the outer limits and, in their messthetics, drill to the very core essence of creative rock – pushing the needle into the red, tunnelling new wormholes, hoarse and impassioned.
Woozy and wavering guitars, feline in their agility, combine with drums in concussive tear-ups from which everyone and everything emerges magically intact. Song structure and free improvisation meld on the spot, with a synergy between the (dis)assembly of the music and the deliberate delivery of the songs, as they explain:
“We are committed to presenting experimental music in accessible ways – new or unusual sounds don’t need to be highbrow. Abrasive or extended techniques can groove, while rock and groove music needn’t be confined to formulas. Our music explores the intersection of songs, groove and experimental production, creating something alive, varied and fearless.”
Abigail Snail are a tinderbox – big-hearted, tender and generous, life-affirming, grooving, full-throttle avantrock: exploratory and out-there, yet grabbing audiences by the heart and demanding to be heard.