Meet The Rills, an indie trio from a small town…

The Rills from left Mason Cassar, Mitch Spencer and Callum Warner- Webb

Whether you’ve seen them at Reading or Leeds fest, heard them on BBC Radio One or scrolled past them on your TikTok ‘for you page’ this small town band are onto some pretty big things which I discuss with frontman Mitch on my podcast.

Made up of Mitch Spencer singer and guitarist, Mason Cassar on drums and Callum Warner-Webb on bass guitar the Rills have broken the borders of secured living by captivating audiences with energetic live performances, engaging with fans on TikTok and releasing indie anthems that anyone with a dream and a drive can resonate with.

The Rills

Small towns are self explanatory, it’s easy to go places in them but its a challenge to get anywhere which is why few years after meeting in a skatepark, Mitch Spencer and Callum Warner-Webb set off to Sheffield to work on their music, where they eventually met Mason Cassar and morphed into the trio we now know as the Rills.

Pyro by The Rills

Since releasing their debut single Pyro in 2017, the band have gone on to release three more singles, their latest being Skint Eastwood a character ,that frontman Mitch has, described as “a Lincoln loner. A BMX bandit who lurks on the streets, with just their rucksack on their back and loose change in their pockets”

The leather on a cowboy is much like the metal on a knight beneath both guises ,we are vulnerable. This hard exterior mixed with what we hide, the”cowboy cliche has been used to describe the lost boys and girls of our generation” explains Mitch. Those that get left behind due to the narrow pathways used to navigate Suburban life.

Skint Eastwood by the Rills released October 27 2021

James Joyce’s poem Ulysses serves as a great influence over the mind of Mitch, inspiring him to wrote songs from different perspectives, exploring the psyche of characters you’d find in a small town. The songs are almost as though you have walked in to your local pub and listened to all of the distinctive voices that define small town life, yet you realize they actually have something important to say, they become interesting proving that no matter where you come from it is what you make of your experience that defines the success of your journey.

And what an experience the band are having, from a supporting tour with Bloxx to their own UK headline tour in December the Rills are further proving that small towns can lead to success if you just work for it, and maybe move to a larger town.

Buy tickets for their tour here before they get any bigger so you can brag about it when they do.

Meet Madam Misfit, ‘Queen of Chaphop’

Madam Misfit by Sophie Lavender

We’ve all had moments of insecurities. Bullies roaming the playground, picking on us for having spots, or not being fast enough or even for things as trivial as hair colour.For years this torment and taunting may have effected your self esteem which is sadly natural yet with age comes wisdom and we can use our insecurites as armour, embracing them for what they really are; part of our unique character and really nothing to be insecure about.

Madam Misfit writes songs that challenge us to celebrate our identity. Set on ‘painting a smile’ on her audiences faces her live shows are always postive, finds out what makes her gigs such an experience in my podcast episode. Her songs ‘True You’ and ‘Red haired Misfit’ both acknowledge the difficulties of being judged as different but also the power that difference can hold.

Red Haired Misfit by Madam Misfit

Her new song Don’t Girl is an anthem to independence and showcases the extent of her talent, this track is bold and upbeat making any listener feel powerful. The atitude of it echoes back to an earlier track called ‘Step aside boys’ an arguably satirical piece about steampunk/chap hop being a male dominated genre which is why Madam Misfit calls herself the ‘Queen of Chap Hop’. Find out who the track is addressed to in my podcast episode with her.

Don’t Girl Madam Misfit
Madam Misfit by Kerry Fenton

It is clear that Madam Misfit is an advocate for postive change as she uses her platform to uplift her listeners to embrace their differences but she also encourages them tomake a difference,especially when it comes to the enviroment which is seen in her single ‘The Wombling song’ which samples an important message by Sir David Attenborough.

Although steam punk music was popularised in 2003, the genre knods back to the revolutionism and romanticism of the Victorian era, as a time of politcal reform, classic literature and a very memorable Queen it is only fitting that Madam Misfit broke through into this genre and earned herself the throne of it.

My podcast episode with Madam Misfit

If you enjoy music such as this, then please head to my instagram to discover similar sounds, listen to upcoming artists and support my blog posts.

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This is the cheeky part where I try to mooch from you. All the work I do is currently voluntary and each blog piece/podcast episode takes a lot of time. I love this blog and will continue to do it for free as much as I can. I am currently saving up for a camera to take my own photos.