THIS REBEL share new track “Cheap Thought.” They will release the self-titled debut album on 8th March on Jump The Cut Records via Townsend Music / Absolute Label Services.
Inspired by a love of Murder Ballads and free noise, armed with a Space Echo, Eventide H910 and a story to tell, This Rebel is a chemically-propelled, loose-lipped collective with Phil Etheridge (The Twang) and Jon ‘Simmo’ Simcox (Liam Gallagher, The Kills, FKA Twigs, Bring Me The Horizon) at the helm. Cheap Thought follows previous singles “Heartstopper” and “Same Every Time.”
Sometimes, no good comes from the truth, “sometimes, you’re just better off not knowing,” Etheridge says, discussing the theme of “Cheap Thought.” “It was one of the first This Rebel songs to be fully finished, and it became a tastemaker for the rest of the record.” Simmo adds, “ it was the first time Phil heard the Eventide H910 going nuts, stretching the fabric of space and time, it definitely inspired the sound of the early demos.”
Watch the video for ‘Cheap Thought’ – BELOW:
Forged in the depths of what is known in the UK as The Black Country (England’s Midlands), This Rebel’s story began in 2008 when Jon ‘Simmo’ Simcox met The Twang frontman Phil Etheridge while touring as the Birmingham indie rock band’s monitor engineer, which led to a close friendship and burgeoning creative relationship. Simmo went on to produce multiple Twang albums while working as an accomplished monitor engineer for the likes of Liam Gallagher, The Kills, FKA Twigs and, most recently, Bring Me The Horizon. “I always found it so easy to work with Simmo,” says Phil, “I knew it was only a matter of time before we got a collection of songs together ourselves.”
Etheridge and Simcox’s writing partnership coalesced into a clear vision during the turbulent months of Spring 2020. “It’d been a strange few years for everyone,” Phil explains. “During that time when we were all stuck indoors worrying about how we might kill our gran by giving her the shopping, it was a massive relief to have Simmo sending me some music to write to.” For the locked-down pair, writing music became a pastime to while away the hours and a foundation to keep their mental health in check. “When the world was stuck indoors, we found ourselves with more time: time to get inspired,” Jon agrees, “writing helped keep us sane during the mad times and the bunch of songs we went on to write during those months began to take shape as a cohesive full-length record…”
“The first track we finished was ‘Duvet Helmet’ and from there on I knew we had something worth pursuing,” continues Phil. “The whole process felt like it used to when I first started writing: a no-pressure situation.” To flesh out their growing concept of a cinematic cocktail of soulful, blues-tinged indie rock, the pair recruited longtime friend Jonny Scott (Chvrches) and vocalist Cat Matigue (Tom Grennan) to create This Rebel’s first self-titled record.
Describing the previous single, “Same Every Time”, the duo say it is a “sonic howl of Indie, garage and Americana fusion about the bewildering journey through youthful independence and first love.” Etheridge adds, “Simmo’s house is a welcoming place where much good talk happens. It always feels like he’s had a tidy up and put the garden lights on specially. Same Every Time was a track Sim gave me as I was about to leave after being round his sharing a few wines and putting the world to rights. I remember him saying, “I’ve got this idea. You probably won’t be feeling it but see if anything comes.” He texted me the track and I wrote most of the lyrics that night on my short walk home. I’ve said it before but especially that night I felt so lucky to have a friend willing to let me ramble over something he’s spent hours making. About a week later we went into our studio in Brum and I told him I’d got a few lines for that track he’d given me. Within an hour or two the song was done and we both sat there with silly grins on our faces and the feeling that anything’s possible. Two days later we did the same thing again with Heartstopper and that’s when This Rebel became a thing.”
On the subject of what is next for the collective, Etheridge says, “Wherever it goes and whatever happens we’re both super proud of it; it’s documented the last few years of our lives so it’s a beautiful thing.” He smiles. “I feel I’ve found my voice again and made the type of songs I’ve always wanted to make.”
TRACKLISTING
Heartstopper
Duvet Helmet
Cheap Thought
A King Without A Throne
Milk Tooth
It’s The Same Every Time
If I Wrote You A Letter
Kisses
Wallflowers
It’s Easy If You Try
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