Sheffield has always boasted a rich musical heritage, with groundbreaking acts such as Pulp, The Arctic Monkeys and The Human League launching their careers within the industrial backdrop. Fast forward, and a wave of promising new bands are prospering within the local scene. Acts such as Blessa are making waves, but our editorial eye is drawn to Castleton’s Drenge. Formed of brothers Eoin and Rory Loveless, they carry a brand of “loud, not particularly slick rock music” to the airwaves, via the steel city.
Their latest single ‘Bloodsports’ has garnered a heap of recognition, with the lyrical exploration of “having a fat tongue, and being unimpressed with not being able to exercise or move your tongue as fast as you’d want it to,” explains singer Eoghan Loveless, speaking during the band’s stop at Brighton on their tour with Deap Vally. He explains a sound that snarls atop a driving rock riff and thrash metal style breakdown, “I’ve got a really shit amp at home that has lots of things that you can do on it. You can make your guitar sound like an acoustic guitar or you can make it sound like a death metal guitar, and everything in between. So we kind of just improvised and came up with stuff in my room.”
“The White Stripes and Nirvana are the most obvious points of reference” when it comes to describing the band’s sound. Although elements of the duo’s recording style mimic a musical style from the dawning of Punk, while gems from the duo’s Soundcloud page draw reminders of The Misfits and The Cramps, at their most raucous. Showcasing tracks such as ‘I Wanna Break You In Half,’ purveying a rip-roaring drum beat from Rory and ‘Dogmeat’ that sounds just as ravaging as its title.
And when the subject of the brothers’ age materialises it becomes clear that Eoin’s thoughts on the matter aren’t as welcoming as you’d perhaps expect: “I think people think that we’re younger than we are. But we thank our grandparents for giving us their thick skin. I always thought that bands were young, as it is.” Although the duo’s combined age is less than that of The Jackson 5 at the height of their fame. Nonetheless whatever they’re doing, they must be doing something exceedingly veracious: with an album that’s already completed and set for a release through Infectious Music, Drenge may just become the most exhilarating band of brothers to arise since The Cribs.
Words by Jonathan Hatchman
Where: Castleton
What: Boisterous Bedroom Rock
Get 3 Songs: ‘Dogmeat’, ‘I Wanna Break You In Half’, ‘Bloodsports’
Unique Fact: As children, the boys received piano lessons from a deaf music teacher.
