Jon McClure’s band of indie pirates Reverend & The Makers are due to return with their second album ‘A French Kiss In The Chaos’.
Always outspoken, Jon McClure stunned his fans last year by announcing in an interview that he was finished with the music industry. A long time hero in his hometown of Sheffield, the announcement brought an end to one of the most dramatic rise in fortune ClashMusic have borne witness to.
A mentor to the young Alex Turner, Jon McClure formed Reverend & The Makers in 2005 and quickly began making waves. Signing to Wall Of Sound the band released their single ‘Heavyweight Champion Of The World’ in 2007, sweeping into the Top Ten.
Debut album ‘The State Of Things’ was a huge success, entering the upper echelons of the chart and spawning more hit singles.
Yet all this was brought to a shuddering halt when drummer Ruchy Westley left the group last summer. Jon McClure then promised to split the band, stating that he was ready to quit the music scene for good.
However since then McClure has rarely been more involved with music, launching the group Mongrel and preparing to curate his own festival named Tramlines.
Most recently, Jon McClure played a house gig as part of the Instigate Debate program. An attempt to engage young people with politics, McClure took part in a discussion with a Labour MP before performing some classic tracks in front of a handful of lucky fans.
Inconsistent, then, but also talented, Reverend & The Makers are one of the most talked about groups in the UK.
New album ‘A French Kiss In The Chaos’ is another blast at modern Britain. Little has been heard of the new material, but forthcoming single ‘Silence Is Talking’ is a combative return. Riding a euphoric wave, the song could well become the soundtrack to your summer with its singalong chorus set to reverberate around festival campsites near you.
Musically, the forthcoming album blends Reverend & The Makers heavyweight grooves with 60s psychedelia. Retaining their distinctive sound yet eager to experiment, recording was handled by none other than Jagz Kooner – the man who produced Primal Scream’s epic ‘XTRMNTR’ album.
Reverend & The Makers are set to make their live return this summer, after being added to the upcoming Oasis tour at the personal request of the Manchester legends. McClure’s indie tearaways will star at some of the nation’s biggest venues, including Scotland’s Murrayfield Stadium as well as three nights at the hallowed turf of Wembley.
Reverend & The Makers are due to release their new album ‘A French Kiss In The Chaos’ on July 27th.
