Kai Craig

Born in Brighton, UK (b.2000), Kai Craig first picked up sticks at the age of 2 and began formally studying with his father at the age of 6. Kai’s musical inspiration was sparked by hearing recordings from his father’s record collection. His early exposure to a wide range of music, and the playing styles connected to them, enabled him to develop his initial understanding of music, and planted the seed from which his own playing approach grew.

At age 18, Kai moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music, from which he graduated in 2022 with First Class Honours. He is grateful to have been mentored by Gregory Hutchinson, one of his greatest influences on the drum set, since 2020. In the past, he also had the honour of studying with Kenny Washington, Tyshawn Sorey, Marcus Gilmore and Francesco Ciniglio and has enjoyed opportunities to work with the likes of Soweto Kinch, Raynald Colom, Géraud Portal, Francesco Cafiso, Romain Pilon, Kit Downes, Graeme Blevins, Nigel Price, Ivo Neame, Franck Amsallem, Stan Sulzmann, Giacamo Smith, Gareth Lockrane, Laurence Cottle and Anders Jormin. Whilst in London, Kai regularly performed at venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express Dean Street, The Vortex and The 606, with select performances at the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Southbank Centre.

Following his graduation, Kai lived in Paris, where he quickly became an integral part of the scene, performing regularly at all of the clubs and further afield throughout Europe. Kai is currently based in Brooklyn, New York, where he will be based for the foreseeable future. In January 2024, Kai recorded his debut album in Köln, Germany with Sean Payne, James Copus, Rainer Böhm and Géraud Portal (produced by Gregory Hutchinson), at Riverside Studios.