Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Kit Sebastian and more feature on new Los Bitchos album, Los Bitchos & Friends Vol 1

Now established as a trio, Los Bitchos are entering a new chapter as they expand their instrumental sound to include vocal collaborators. "Holding Cell" sees the band joined by Kenny-Smith, following previous single "Hang Up (Pt 2)" which featured Sinkane and Adrian Quesada.

"Now it's the third one, how do we bring something new and interesting to our listeners?" bassist Josefine Jonsson says of Los Bitchos & Friends Vol 1. The band's solution was approaching voice as another texture rather than traditional lyricism. "It's derived from a very Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins vibe, where she's like: I don't even mind what I'm singing, it's how I'm singing it and that's what matters," says guitarist Serra Petale.

Consisting of Petale, Jonsson and South London-born drummer Nic Crawshaw, Los Bitchos have released two albums – 2022's Let The Festivities Begin! and 2024's Talkie Talkie – blending Cumbia, rock, pop, Latin American rhythms and Turkish psychedelia. They've toured with King Gizzard and Mac DeMarco, and performed from Coachella to Glastonbury.

Across the album's nine tracks, the collaborators reflect the band's global energy, with additional appearances from Chicha Libre, Simon Burke of The Meltdown, and Kit Sebastian.

“When you meld all of these things together, you get the most amazing creative and artistic results,” says Petale. “It's so cool to hear different influences that have really meant something to you in your life – whether you're in the depths of a Swedish winter, or in a British summer, or you're in Australia sweating your ass off. Once you share that with people and bring that to life, it's really amazing. You get something really new and it pushes you as an artist. That's awesome.”

Los Bitchos & Friends Vol 1 artwork