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

18th Nov 2021 — Leave a comment
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.

Remember Sukko? Well look at them now

12th Nov 2021 — 1 Comment

Bringing you Indie Bangers straight from their kitchen. (Read my inital interview with them here to understand that)

Sukko

A catch up with this band was needed after the announcement their new single “In My Head ” is out now so check it out

In My Head Sukko

From their album A Violent deep feel’ the melodic ,synth instrumental to this song evokes a soft feeling, a ray of sunlight through an open window or a stroll in the local park, feeling light, not bothering with a jacket and being out soley for the breeze is a complete contrast to the chorus which seems to be about the torment of being trapped inside your own head.

It’s tone quickly becomes quite haunting the familiar voice of Felix Jordan becomes that belonging to consequence, guilt. It demonstrates how capricious life is, how instantaneous change comes and how quickly you can go from being stable on the ground to lying on the floor.

The atmospheric instrumental is brought to us by Matt Thompson on the trumpet and keyboard, Ben Alexander on the foreboding drums, James Jordan and Eliot Clarke on guitar

Sukko

The band shared the inspiration for their song with me “The song is an exploration of many of the negatives felt by everyone from time to time, anxiety,stress and loneliness. The songs emotional essence also highlights the need for escapism,the need to find inner peace , to seperate one’s self from the world whilst understanding we must return to re andality face our issues, ask for help if need be”

Since our initial interview back in August the band have evolved in terms of improving their song writing and their live performances. Their music ”is constantly adapting, transcending from one style to another to fit certain mood or prescient topics. These attitudes are evident in both ‘Take Your Time’ and ‘In My Head’, the latter of which is more experimental in it’s approach to production with more synths and textures, it is quite an immersive experience”

Take Your Time By Sukko

This will be their sixth single as band since forming in 2018.

Meet The Mease, and discover an Indie Christmas.

11th Nov 2021 — Leave a comment
The Mease studio session

With the release of their EP See the light and the announcement of an eagerly awaited indie Christmas banger ‘Christmas time (What a time to be alive), 2021 has been a monumental year for The Mease.

Breaking into the Derby music scene with riffs that resonate with a fan of 90s britpop and early noughties tracks The Mease are an experienced indie band captivating audiences with their lyricism and their live performances.

Band members Tristan Cooper, singer-songwriter and rhythm guitars,Guy Smith on Lead Guitar (Both of whom I spoke to on the latest episode of the podcast), Adam Goulding on Bass and Keys and Jon Wright on Drums know how to keep their fan based entertained.

Carry Me Home by The Mease

Their debut track “Carry me home’ talks about what is arguably the best part of a night out, the journey back home, the scenes that you witness, the way the streetlights usually mundane and uninteresting now become a beacon illuminating your stroll back to safety. The lovers you meet, the friendships you make, it’s all about the life you find at the side of the bar.

Victory Road The Mease

This track sets the tone for the personal perspective of their music which can be heard in their melencholic Victory Road which was inspired by the tragic deaths of six children in a house fire close to band member Tristan Cooper home in Derby.

Their latest single, “Christmas time, (what a time to be alive)”, to be released on November 26th offers a listener the familiar comfort of a choir, scenes of friends around the pub table adorned in snow and appropriate sweaters. It is rare that we experience an indie Christmas tune other than Paul McCartney’s a wonderful Christmas time which loosely inspired this upcoming track.

The Mease studio session

So whether you’ll be wrapping you presents to fairytale of New York by the Pogues or sipping mulled wine (If you’re 18 or over) to Christmas wrapping by the waitresses The Meases new release serves a place on your Christmas party playlist. Add 26th November to your calendar and get ready to step into the season with a new song.

Sorry to unintentionally usher in the (Happy) new year already, but 2022 looks promising for the band, with gigs lined up that’ll see them performing throughout the midlands, more details to be released soon.

Hear more on my podcast