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Biography
Prior to the earliest incarnation of K’s Choice, siblings Gert and Sarah Bettens formed the amateur band the Basement Pigs. Occasional performances led to Sarah being discovered and she enjoyed a period of solo success under the name Sarah Beth. Starting with her contribution of the Hank Williams song “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” to the film “Vrouwen Willen Trouwen”, the singer subsequently recorded a duet with Frankie Miller entitled “Why Don’t You Try Me” for the movie “Ad Fundum”. As a result, Sarah inked her first recording deal and formed a band with her brother Gert entitled The Choice.
The first fruit of this sibling partnership was the debut full-length “The Great Subconscious Club” released in 1994. The album marked the arrival of guitarist Jan Van Sichem Jr., drummer Bart van Der Zeeuw, and bassist Erik Verheyden, and was led by the singles “Me Happy” and “Breakfast”. The Choice, as they were still called, supported the record with a tour of Germany and subsequently the U.S. with alt-rockers the Indigo Girls. Upon hearing a band in the U.S. shared the name The Choice, the group became K’s Choice and released their sophomore album “Paradise in Me” in 1995. Led by the hugely popular single “Not an Addict”, the record sold remarkably well and introduced the band’s post-grunge influenced sound to an international audience. The release earned favourable reviews from the musical press and was promoted with a tour in support of Alanis Morissette.
K’s Choice’s third album, 1998’s “Cocoon Crash” featured new permanent bassist Eric Grossman and producer Gil Norton of Pixies and Feeder fame. The record went platinum in both Belgium and the Netherlands aided by the singles “Believe”, “Everything for Free”, and “If You’re Not Scared". Following a performance on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in 1999 drummer Koen Liekens replaced Bart van der Zeeuw for the recording of the full-length “Almost Happy”. Issued in September 2000 in Europe and 2002 in the U.S., the poignant, folk-influenced release spawned the singles “Almost Happy”, “Busy”, and “Another Year”.
Live reviews
They may have hailed from Belgium - Antwerp, to be specific - in the mid-nineties, but it was a decidedly American sound that helped propel K’s Choice to a worldwide fanbase back in that decade; their noisy brand of alternative rock was one that took most of its cues from their American contemporaries, and was enough to help them to produce four records that would make them a huge success in their homeland, as well as across much of Western Europe, as well as cult favourites in both the UK and the U.S. They initially split in 2003, when it began to become clear that their sound had perhaps not adapted as smoothly to the changing trends as they might have hoped, but the band got back together in 2009, and has produced two albums since; 2010’s Echo Mountain and 2011’s Little Echoes, with the latter a delicate re-imagining of the heavier former.
They’ve toured across Europe in both configurations since, and a recent jaunt across the U.S. saw frontwoman Sarah Bettens play a slew of the solo material that she worked on in the intervening years as well as Echo Mountain material, classic K’s Choice cuts and even the odd cover - The Black Keys’ ‘Lonely Boy’ was one such staple. Expect them to expand their scope for their next tour, with the UK a long overdue stop for the Belgians.
Joeg_67
It was Magical. What a wonderfull evening at the Roma. Most of the songs were from the program Liefde voor Muziek. It sounds very special, it felt like you were living in a dream. Only positive vibes after the concert.
joery-hermans
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