Be Like Water

Be Like Water are a six-piece original art-rock band from Wiltshire, creating powerful, cinematic music built around rhythmic and lyrical piano, dynamic, expressive drumming and the soaring, soulful voice of Lee Knott. Bass, guitar and saxophone bring depth, colour and atmosphere to a sound alive with rhythmic and polyrhythmic movement, crossing rock, progressive music, blues, jazz and classical influences, with an unmistakable thread of theatre running through it.

At the piano, Adriana Saliu moves between driving rhythm, melody and more lyrical, expansive passages, in constant conversation with Gavin Loynes’ distinctive drumming. Rob Hibberd on bass gives the music its depth and foundation, while Shaun Barry’s guitar and Alex Ryan’s saxophone appear as colours within the arrangements rather than simply following conventional rock-band roles. Above it all, Lee’s passionate, deeply expressive vocal gives the songs their human centre.

The band’s current work is Stealing Horses, an eleven-song concept album about a group of musicians travelling through a strange post-apocalyptic world in which music has been banned. It is a story of love, truth, self-discovery and the stubborn pursuit of a dream when everything around you says to stop. Two songs from the album, On Fire and It Ain’t Over, have already been released, with the remaining album currently being recorded.

But Stealing Horses has grown beyond an album. Photography, artwork, film, theatrical ideas and live performance are becoming part of the same evolving world, blurring the boundary between the fictional journey of its characters and the real journey of the band making it.

Live, Be Like Water can move from intimate and atmospheric to visceral and enormous. The songs are allowed to breathe, shift and erupt, while the visual world of Stealing Horses unfolds around the music.

Be Like Water are Lee Knott — vocals; Adriana Saliu — piano; Gavin Loynes — drums; Rob Hibberd — bass; Shaun Barry — guitar; and Alex Ryan — saxophone.