It was announced in January 2012 that the band had completed work for the third album, scheduled for a release later that year. The band also revealed that they will be supporting Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds on their UK Arena tour in spring. [13] Details on the album are sketchy, but McClure has stated it will be produced by Jason Cox and James Dring ( Gorillaz) and Youth ( The Verve, U2) and will move away from the political-minded nature of the band's second album. [13] The band also announced they had signed to Cooking Vinyl Records. McClure also stated that ex- Milburn and current The Book Club frontman Joe Carnall was to join the band, as well as ex- thisGirl drummer Ryan Jenkinson. He has also been in the media recently speaking out about the UK's involvement in the Iraq War, requesting that fellow musicians, particularly the Arctic Monkeys, his contemporaries from Sheffield, focus on real issues and to "not write songs about girls at bus stops any more like me and Monkeys used to do, let's start talking about what's happening man as otherwise you know where we gonna go, we're going down the toilet aren't we?". [10]

Spotting a young fan, no older than 10 in the crowd, Jon - a father-of-two - told him ‘it’s going to get rowdy in here’, inviting the little lad and his parents to sit side-of-stage for the rest of the night. McClure was in the media spotlight for his personal views in July 2009, after an interview in which he commented on Jade Goody's death earlier in the year; "it's sad she died and it's good more girls are getting smear tests but let's not forget she was a talentless racist". [9] I just want to get the album out there and get people hearing it. Normally if I’ve done an album… phew, gone. I was talking to Richard Hawley about this, you get this period of mourning when you’ve made an album. Normally for me, it’s like I’ve had a sh*t: it’s gone down the toilet, see ya later! I don’t sit around listening to Reverend and t’Makers, I’m not a wanker, do you know what I mean? But this one, thisone I have been a bit of a wanker! In the house listening to it and buzzing on it a bit.The band supported Oasis, along with Kasabian and The Enemy for their sold out summer tour in 2009. The band released their follow up to 2007's The State of Things, with A French Kiss in the Chaos. The album was released in June and the opening single, " Silence Is Talking" was featured during the band's three night run at Wembley Stadium. The band released a second single, " No Soap (in a Dirty War)" in October. You’ve made albums in the likes of Jamaica and Thailand before, but tell us about the scene and setting of Heatwave In The Cold North.

In June 2008, drummer Richy Westley left the group to form his own band Strange and Partners. In August 2008 frontman Jon McClure said he would quit music after their next album, [5] although a month later he changed his mind. [6] The inconsistency of McClure's actions has led many critics in the music press to report negatively towards the move. [ citation needed] Welsh band Future of the Left joked of their delight at the band's split at live shows on their tour at the time, as can be heard on their live album Last Night I Saved Her from Vampires. [7] McClure has a new project, Mongrel, with a single "Hit from the Morning Sun" due to be released in February 2009. [8] A French Kiss in the Chaos (2009–2010) [ edit ] On 9 October 2015 the band released their fifth studio album, their third on the Cooking Vinyl record label. Even writing about dumb things, you know what I mean? Stuff that feels so obvious that I couldn’t write a song about that. So smoking weed and shagging are my favourite things to do. Do you know what I mean? I read an interview with Killer Mike from Run The Jewells and he was like, “if I’m honest with ya, I just really fancy my wife, I think she’s reyt fit and I love smoking weed and hanging out with my kids”. That’s really relatable, I feel like that too! I think when it comes from a really heartfelt place, that’s what I like doing, that’s my vibe. I can’t just say “Love you baby”, it’s gotta be specific in some way. I’ve often quite overlooked those basic things. The band released their sixth album on 22 September 2017, which debuted at Number 11 on the UK Albums Chart, their best performing album since their 2007 debut. The Reverend’s story is one of the great survival tales of the British music scene as charisma, talent, defiance and sheer willpower sees the band start a new chapter, reenergized and raring to go. Reverend and The Makers at Manchester Academy - February 16, 2023 (Image: Bethan Shufflebotham)

From giving reflective life lessons to his 21 year-old self like “To tell ya not let such fears / Dominate any o’ ya bestest years” to the more candid advice “Take care that your friends and peers / Don’t get near with the bags of gear…”, ‘A Letter To My 21 Year Old Self’ is poignant, introspective and highly personal. Lines like ‘Maybe be kinder to yourself and know your worth’ will resonate with everyone – I know it does for me. I played two songs last summer at a couple of fezzies, ‘Heatwave’ and then the next single, ‘Problems’, that’s coming out at the end of this month. I’ve been doing this for twenty years now and I’ve never had that reaction – people singing it straight away and messaging me, “When’s that ‘Problems’ song coming out?” To get that reaction is such a buzz, it really is. Manchester's own Lottery Winners also got a shout out from the band, too, commending their 'working class music' and citing them as one of his favourite bands. He added: "I used to think I wanted to be a cool b***ard, and then I thought I wanna be Paul Heaton, or Madness, or Slade, or the Lottery Winners - people's music!" Reverend and The Makers at Manchester Academy - February 16, 2023 (Image: Bethan Shufflebotham) In the summer of 2009 they have supported Oasis on the largest stadium tour in the UK and Ireland. On 1 September 2009, they performed a secret free gig at Tate Modern, London. [21] They were introduced by Sara Cox and supported by Stornoway. [22] The gig was to celebrate the launch of new climate change campaign—"10:10". [23] In November 2009, the band supported Kasabian on their nationwide tour. For the past 2 years, the band have played New Year's Eve shows at KOKO in Camden, London.

It was almost a sign of the times though wasn’t it, all that late-noughties indie rivalry. These days it’s cooler to be kind.A lot of ageing, northern male indie starts to do that same melody… Everyone, fellas from the north especially, they’ve all got their own melodic thing. When you’re getting older and you’ve been doing it a long time, you hear a new record and you think, “oh you do that on every song you ever do!” I wanted to break that. I dunno, what’s the point in making less good versions of stuff you’ve already done, you know? In terms of recording, we did it in a studio in Bath. And then we did some more in London with this guy Dimitri Tikovoï, who’s a French producer. Some of his musicians played on it too, like these twins from Paris called Val and Clem. Then there was my mate Tom Rowley, a long-term collaborator who was in Milburn originally but he plays with Arctic Monkeys now. Jamie Reynolds from The Klaxons, he did quite a bit of stuff. So we had a good cast of people, you know?

Reverend Soundsystem is a side project made up of Jon (The Reverend) McClure, Marcus 'Matic Mouth' Smith, Laura McClure and Jimmy Welsh (Ocelot). In 2008, Reverend and The Makers set a date for their first release and undertook a UK tour, including several festivals over the summer period including Glastonbury Festival, Carling Weekend, T in the Park and T4 on the Beach as well as supporting the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Hampden Park, Glasgow. In January 2008, Reverend and The Makers toured Australia. [4] With sing-along rousing lyrics, dazzling percussion and sun-drenched guitars, this is anthemic and optimistic and McClure’s tone is warm and gorgeous. It feels nostalgic, but still at the same time fresh and contemporary. Now, a band would typically release an album before heading on tour, but the Yorkshireman and his musicians aren’t the conventional types. Not to mention the fact that, in an impressive unbroken run, each of their albums have reached the Top 20 in the UK album charts.The commander asked and Rev’s Army’ dutifully obliged. It’s impossible not to when they’re bringing out ‘banger after banger’. The Manchester gig forms part of the Sheffield band’s first live tour in four years. Formed in 2005, Jon McClure and his collective of musicians burst onto the scene with their top five charting debut album, The State of Things. Lies is a series of short films based on stories/poems written by Jon McClure. The films are part of the local independent film production Kestrel Filmworks with sponsorship from Boxfresh. Lies is a tongue in cheek look at lies told to Jon and his brother Chris throughout their childhood. In total there are six films.