Kensington

Kensington are a Dutch band whose melodic and often anthemic songs helped them become one of the Netherlands' most popular rock acts in the 2010s. Together since the mid-2000s, they built their fan base incrementally before vaulting to mainstream success in 2014 with their chart-topping third album Rivals. Once they reached the top, they stayed there for the rest of the decade, sending each of their subsequent albums to number one and regularly selling out the country's biggest venues. After 2019's Time, Kensington shifted into retrospective mode, releasing both an unplugged live set and a 2022 Greatest Hits album while enduring the departure of their longtime frontman, Eloi Youssef. After several years away, they reintroduced themselves with 2025's "A Moment," which featured new singer Jason Dowd.Kensington formed in 2005 and within a few years coalesced into the stable lineup of Casper Starreveld (guitar, vocals), Eloi Youssef (vocals, guitar), Jan Haker (bass), and Niles Vandenberg (drums). Informed by new wave revivalists like Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs, the band recorded a series of small releases for various indie labels, including 2008's Youth EP. After this they began recording their debut album in Leeds with producer James Kenosha. Borders, released in the summer of 2010, entered the Dutch charts early the following year. Newly signed to Universal, Kensington began recording their second album, Vultures, producing it themselves along with Niels Zuiderhoek. Released in 2012, it effectively introduced them into the Dutch mainstream, reaching the Top Ten and earning them a clutch of awards from 3FM and MTV Europe. It was Kensington's third album, however, that proved to be their biggest breakthrough. Released in August 2014, Rivals debuted at number one and spent the rest of the year on the charts on its way to double-platinum certification, thanks to a pair of hit singles, "Streets" and "War." Along with additional MTV Europe and the 3FM awards, its success helped Kensington sell out their first two shows at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome stadium. Now one of the country's biggest rock bands, they hired American producer Michael Beinhorn (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden) to helm their fourth album, which they recorded at Ennio Morricone's studio in Rome. The chart-topping Control appeared in late 2016, and was another resounding success for the band, going triple platinum and yielding further hit singles like "Do I Ever" and "Sorry." This time they won the coveted Dutch Popprijs Award and graduated to Amsterdam's biggest stage, the Johan Cruyff Arena, which they promptly sold out. Recorded in Vancouver, Canada, Kensington's fifth album, 2019's Time, was their third straight number one and gave them their second Top Ten single in "Uncharted." It would also prove to be the last for singer/guitarist Youssef.Following an Unplugged [Live] set in 2021 and a chart-topping Greatest Hits album in 2022, Youssef decided to leave Kensington. The original lineup hosted a series of sold-out farewell concerts for him, selling out six nights at the Ziggo Dome. The next year, they were honored with the country's prestigious Edison Award in the pop oeuvre. A two year break followed, as Kensington moved into their next phase. The band introduced their new frontman, American singer Jason Dowd, on the 2025 single "A Moment."
© John Bush & Timothy Monger /TiVo

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