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Kilians, a German indie‑rock group formed in Dinslaken, North Rhine‑Westphalia, emerged in 2005 from an informal assembly of school‑aged musicians. The band, originally called The Rivets, recorded its first demo in autumn 2005 and soon released a self‑titled EP as The Kilians. The breakthrough came in 2006 when the single "Jealous Lover" entered the campus charts at third place, attracting the attention of manager Thees Uhlmann who booked the group as support for Tomte’s spring tour, selling 700 copies of the debut EP. In 2007 the group signed with Vertigo Berlin (Universal), dropped the article The from its name, and issued the EP Fight the Start on 17 April 2007; the following month the full‑length album Kill the Kilians was released on 7 September, peaking at number 75 on the German charts. The band received a nomination for Best Newcomer at the 1Live Krone awards, finishing second. Subsequent releases included They Are Calling Your Name (10 April 2009) and Lines You Should Not Cross (August 2012) on Grand Hotel van Cleef. Kilians toured extensively, supporting Björn Dixgård of Mando Diao, Babyshambles, and performing at SXSW in 2010. After a farewell tour in December 2013, the group disbanded; the label announced a 2017 reunion tour for the 10th anniversary of Kill the Kilians.
