An indie band made up of University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduates is getting ready to release their new EP recorded at UWS Ayr Campus studios.
KB & The Raskals is a Scottish indie band known for their heartfelt songwriting, energetic performances, and forward-thinking approach to modern music. The band formed in 2023 at UWS and consists of lead singer Katelyn Baxter, bassist Dominic Rafferty, guitarist Robert Lithgow and percussionist Jamie McAtee.
Frontwomen Katelyn said: “We all met while staying in the halls of residence at UWS. Rab, Jamie and I studied on the BA Commercial Music degree before continuing onto the MA Music (Songwriting) course at UWS and our bassist, Dominic, studied BA Filmmaking & Screen Writing.
“Studying at UWS was a defining experience for us, both personally and creatively. It was where I truly found my people and felt comfortable being myself, without pressure to fit into anything else. The sense of belonging gave me the confidence to explore my creativity fully.
“At UWS, I was able to make music, work on albums, and take opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. The environment encouraged collaboration, experimentation, and growth, helping me develop not only as a musician but as a person. My time at UWS shaped my voice, my confidence, and my creative direction.”
2025 was a bumper year for the band who played the Whiteout Festival and were invited to play at Sir Chris Hoy’s Tour De 4 charity event at the Emirates Arena. The Tour de 4 initiative is all about raising awareness and changing perceptions about Stage 4 Cancer through cycling.
“It was by far our biggest gig yet,” said Katelyn. “We were genuinely delighted to be involved in such an incredible opportunity, and all in the name of charity.”
Now the band is getting ready to launch their new EP Prologue on the 23 February 2026 with tracks recorded, produced, mixed and mastered at the University’s facilities on Ayr campus. “We rehearsed every week in the studios at the university and so it made sense to record our upcoming EP in the university studios too!”
Their first track, Astral Projection, was released in December and will be followed up with their latest single Vinyl on 20 January on all major streaming platforms. Listen to Astral Projection below:
Find out more about the band here: https://linktr.ee/theraskals
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