It’s that time again, when our man on the ground Desh Kapur Editor/Photographer All Music Magazine UK/Europe spotlights a bands or artists he thinks are going to have a big 2021 ; bands and artists we think you should check out to stay ahead of the curve
The Reytons are an indie rock & roll band from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, bustling with working man grit and no bullshit ideals. heavy fast-paced, delivered with self believe and passion.
The Reytons have quickly risen from hometown heroes to a regionally renowned indie-rock outfit, from selling out all of their hometown shows to date (with their latest being a whopping 2,100 capacity at O2 Academy), closely followed by a sellout UK tour boasting 3000+ tickets nationwide. Their live success doesn’t stop there, with the band performing a host of high-end UK festivals, ranging from Y-Not and Neighbourhood, to their most energetic appearance at Tramlines in front of thousands of revelling Sheffield fans.
FOR FANS OF THE ARTIC MONKEYS
So we decided it was time to have a little chat with the band, to see where they came from, what they have been up to and what their plans for the future are.
What is the story behind your name?
We had a few different ideas at the beginning, but none of them really stuck. Then, Jonny was driving down his road minding his own business before some kids ran out into the street. A quick slam of the brakes was followed by a loud ‘fucking reytons!’ out the window and a moment of realisation was had.
What first got you into music? Who inspired you to make music?
We’ve all got pretty different tastes in music and have different inspirations. Jonny has been into hip-hop and rap, whilst Joe listens to pretty much anything and likes creating drum and bass mixes. Lee is our dark horse as a MASSIVE Dolly Parton fan, but Jamie has more of a heavier rock and metal background. We like to think this all shows in our music, with the exception of maybe Dolly…
How did you all meet?
We all met on holiday in Benidorm. Jonny was working the circuit singing in bingo clubs and Joe was a waitress in a cocktail bar. As luck would have it, we all ended up in the same place… Lee walked in and ordered a vodka tonic and a slice of lime. Fate.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Social commentary and honest. We never set out to be an indie band, it just happened.
What is your creative process like?
It differs case by case. We’re very hands on with the creative side of things, so sometimes we’ll have an idea for a video and then a song fits. Sometimes it’s the other way around. Lockdown was pretty weird, writing from separate places but we made it work!
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
With our crowds and the way they go mental, it’d have to be somebody like Gerry Cinnamon and Liam Gallagher, what a gig that’d be
What is one message you would give to your fans?
A massive thank you to everyone who’s backed us so far, whether it’s by coming to a gig, streaming our music or pre-ordering the album.
What is the most useless talent you have?
We have a mate called Steve Foster who’s extremely talented, but he won’t do anything with it. Very frustrating!
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
We rarely shower together to be honest, but when we do, we can belt out a cracking rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
Probably begging for our jobs back. Honestly, we’ve not long since been able to start calling this our careers. Being able to leave our jobs has been a surreal experience as it’s something that we’ve all dreamt of for a long time.
Where have you performed? What are your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
Obviously, we love playing in Sheffield as it’s our home ground and being able to sell out the main room of the O2 Academy is something special (we’ve done it 3 times now, which is absolutely mind boggling!) Thinking about it, all venues are good in their own way and when we’re playing, there’s always going to be a good memory to take from any place. The upcoming tour kicks off on 24th September in Sheffield, the same day the album drops!
What is your favourite song to perform?
Each song has something different. It’s been great opening the festival sets with ‘Red Smoke’ – start as you mean to go on and begin the carnage. ‘Lowlife’ has a similar vibe to it but hearing the crowd chant the riff back to us is something special. Ultimately, ‘Kids Off The Estate’ has to be a favourite of ours as it’s the song that shows us for who we are as people and hearing the crowd sing the words back to us is always emotional.
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
There was once an incident involving a stolen taxi and a South Yorkshire police helicopter, but I’d rather not talk about it.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Live fast, die young… No, we’re a bit older now, so we’ve already lived the mistakes that you usually make as a band so we’re just trying hard not to make them again!
What’s next for you?
Our debut album ‘Kids Off The Estate’ is out on 24th September, plus the UK tour starts on the same day, so it’s going to be a hectic few months! We’re just hoping to get in the charts again after the success of the EP, so it’d be great to see that happen. We’ve got some European shows next year too, but after that, who knows?!
THE REYTONS GIG DATES
SEPTEMBER
24TH SHEFFIELD O2 ACADEMY
27TH LONDON UNDERGROUND
29TH STOKE SUGARMILL
30TH LEEDS UNI STYLUS
OCTOBER
1ST NEWCASTLE RIVERSIDE
5TH EDINBURGH CAVES
7TH GLASGOW WAREHOUSE
9TH NOTTINGHAM RESCUE ROOMS
12TH LEICESTER O2 ACADEMY
14TH LONDON POWERHAUS
15TH NORWICH WATERFRONT STUDIO
16TH BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE
19TH BRISTOL EXCHANGE
20TH BRIGHTON KOMEDIA STUDIO
21ST SOUTHAMPTON JOINERS
22ND NOTTINGHAM RESCUE ROOMS
24TH ABERDEEN TUNNELS
28TH MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2
29TH SHEFFIELD O2 ACADEMY
“KIDS OF THE ESTATE”
OUT NOW
FOLLOW THE REYTONS
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
