The Rebecca Riots – Private Lives Above the Surface
The Rebecca Riots are a young indie rock band out of North Wales. They officially became a band in the summer of 2017 and have already put out an excellent debut EP, “Private Lives Above the Surface”. Since the debut of the EP, The Rebecca Riots have been touring around the U.K. and plan to continue touring throughout the summer. The band has a similar indie rock style to that of bands like Catfish and the Bottlemen, Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. The Rebecca Riots will surely climb to the top if they continue to produce material like “Private Lives Above the Surface”!
The Rebecca Riots consist of Gethin Wyn Griffith (lead vocals & guitar), Charlie McMahon (lead guitar), Luke Jones (drums), and Mike Clarke (bass & backing vocals). In speaking with the band, “the band are all Welsh and live on a small island just off the coast of North Wales called Anglesey. We were initially a three piece called Loose Change, but when our lead guitarist joined we became The Rebecca Riots. The name was put forward by Geth, whose brother had thought about the idea before. Back in the old days, Welsh miners were being messed around by the government, so in retaliation, the miners dressed up as women in protest. This was dubbed The Rebecca Riots.” I am always fascinated to hear the story behind a band’s name and this one is great!
The Rebecca Riots boast a pink flamingo logo all over everything they are associated with. Just like the band’s name, the reason for the flamingos is also very interesting. “The pink flamingo is plastered all over everything we do. It’s a nod to the Caribbean heritage of bass player Mike. His great grandfather used to export flamingos on small rowing boats from the Caribbean islands to colonial France. As every journey was treacherous and the seas were rough and deadly, the grandfather was thought to have talked to the flamingos for comfort. We compare these conversations to the conversation we have through our music, where the receiver may not have a clue what you are saying, but they understand everything.” I love that originality that The Rebecca Riots encompasses. It’s refreshing to see a band that is willing to go beyond the norm to do what they love.
The Rebecca Riots released their debut EP, “Private Lives Above the Surface” in January of 2018. The four song EP is strong from start to finish. It is a fun and exciting EP filled with melodious choruses and irresistible instrumentals that will keep your body moving the whole time you listen! “Private Lives Above the Surface” starts off with Say My Name, my favorite song on the EP. This song is a powerful introduction on the EP because you are immediately exposed to the catchy vocals of Gethin Wyn Griffith. “Darling I love you, I want to have you for myself. Darling I need you, I think it depends on my health” is sang over the awesome instrumentals. This song is one that will keep you dancing and singing during any The Rebecca Riots performance! I especially like this song because you can hear the influence of some of the greatest indie rock bands!
The band slows the pace up a little bit with the next song, She’s Electric. This is a song that is going to become a favorite by fans. I can just picture the band selling out a venue and having every person in the place singing their hearts out to this song; “I’m falling for you, are you falling for me? Everything you do is electricity.” The final two songs of the EP are Nicotene and Kolcat. Nicotene is the song that will have every female fan loving the band. “And ohh kiss me like there’s no one else at home, might be by yourself but not alone. Your touch is my nicotine.”
“Private Lives Above the Surface” ends with Kolcat, the single that was released in promotion of the EP. I love that the band put this as the final song on the EP because it makes you want more! Kolcat is fast-paced and has amazing instrumentals. I especially enjoy the guitar chords on this song because the song presents two different types. The verses consist of upbeat, positive guitar chords but quickly change to darker, heavier chords on the chorus. Listeners will fall in love with the catchy vocals; “I gotta roll, gotta know, gotta go, gotta show, gotta take it take it down to the floor. We gotta see, gotta be, gotta rest and attest, baby I can’t take it, take it no more.”
The Rebecca Riots will be getting back in the studio in May to release their next single in June. They stated that their music will be “taking a slightly heavier and perhaps more mature tone but sticking to indie rock with catchy chorus roots.” They plan to record their second EP in August. “The second EP is currently in the writing process and we’re really trying to bring in more complex and distinguishable hooks to the next EP, taking more influence from Arctic Monkeys and Royal Blood.”
The Rebecca Riots have certainly made a name for themselves with this killer debut. When talking to the band, they had this to say; “Each live performance brings our show to the next level. By practicing and doing what we love in front of more and more people, we have become incredibly confident and bring a real stage presence to our gigs, which definitely reflects in the audience and really increases interaction and makes our nights way more memorable.” I am excited to watch the band continue to grow and make their way over to the US for a gig! Make sure to check out The Rebecca Riot’s debut EP on the blog’s Spotify playlist; After Hours Review!