Reverend And The Makers

Fusing indie rock melody and attitude with dance rhythm, Reverend & the Makers were formed in 2005 by vocalist and songwriter Jon McClure. The Sheffield act’s rousing debut single, “Heavyweight Champion of the World” breached the U.K. Top Ten in 2007, simultaneously kicking off a run of four indie chart number ones that each became alt rock radio playlist staples in their home country. During the next ten years — from 2007′s The State of Things to 2017′s The Death of a King — they sent six albums in a row into the U.K. Top 20. Following a six-year hiatus, 2023 saw their seventh album, the R&B-inspired Heatwave in the Cold North. McClure was born in 1981 and raised alongside his brother in the Sheffield suburb of Grenoside. During his teens he idolized the stars of Brit-pop — like Liam Gallagher, Damon Albarn, and Jarvis Cocker — who inspired him to get involved in making music. He was a member of the short-lived bands Judan Suki and 1984, garnering a reputation in Sheffield as both a songwriter and a poet. At the age of 25, as a fixture on the city’s music scene, he was something of a mentor to Alex Turner, who would become an overnight sensation as the leader of Arctic Monkeys (Turner mentions McClure’s 1984 in his song “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” and McClure’s brother Chris is featured smoking on the iconic cover of their debut album). When Arctic Monkeys began developing massive buzz on the basis of internet circulation of their demos, McClure was offered six-figure deals by record companies to put together a band that sounded just like them; however, even though he was out of work, he opted to follow his own muse and instead formed Reverend & the Makers. Core members from the outset were bassist Ed Cosens — a childhood friend and fellow ex-student of Notre Dame High School — and keyboardist, Laura Manuel. Also part of this initial lineup were guitarist Tom Jarvis, synth player Joe Moskow, drummer Rich Westley and Stuart Doughty on percussion. They made their live debut in 2005, and in the spring of 2006 Arctic Monkeys took McClure and his band on the road as their opening act. In time, Reverend & the Makers developed a loyal following and sold out 1,000-capacity clubs in their Sheffield hometown; Mark Jones saw the band and was strongly impressed, promptly signing them to his Wall of Sound label. Their first single, “Heavyweight Champion of the World,” appeared in May 2007, and featured an appearance by one of McClure’s lyrical inspirations, John Cooper Clarke, on its B-side, “The Last Resort.” A second single, “He Said He Loved Me,” followed, with the group’s first album, The State of Things, appearing in September 2007. During 2008, rumors were rife that the band had split, McClure confirming and then later dismissing these claims. There were, however, a number of subsequent lineup changes. Westley left to form his own band Strange & Partners, and so Doughty took his place behind the drum kit. In January 2009, guitarist Tom Jarvis also left, and was replaced by McClure’s good friend and ex-Milburn guitarist Tom Rowley, who had written a couple of songs on The State of Things. With a renewed lineup and a refreshed outlook, the band bagged a support slot on Oasis’ sold-out summer tour in 2009 and debuted “Silence is Talking.” Their second album, A French Kiss in the Chaos — which featured Jarvis’s guitar work throughout — focused primarily on politically charged subjects and highlighted many unspoken issues, including the conflict in Iraq, consumerism, and global warming. Often outspoken and brash, McClure wasn’t afraid to confront the difficult subjects that formed the heart of the record. In August 2009, Manuel married McClure in Italy, taking his name, after they became a couple during sessions for the album. Next, Reverend & the Makers went on hiatus, returning in 2011 with a revamped lineup — involving ex-Arctic Monkeys bassist Andy Nicholson for a short while — before settling on the core trio of McClure, McClure and Cosens. In August they posted a YouTube video entitled “Riot” in response to the chaotic scenes of public disorder that took place across England that summer. January 2012, saw former Milburn bass player Joe Carnall join their ranks before drummer Ryan Jenkinson became the group’s next addition. Produced by Jason Cox and Jason Dring (Gorillaz) and Youth (the Verve, U2), their third album @Reverend_Makers was issued that June. It proved a return to the band’s electronic-inspired indie rock, typified by the dancefloor-focused synth melodies of the single “Bassline” and the frantic guitars of the rasping “Noisy Neighbor.” In 2014, the band issued their fourth studio album, ThirtyTwo which featured a guest spot from local house producer, Steve Edwards. Next, they decamped to Geejam Studios in Jamaica with Dave Sanderson and began to record their fifth long-player, Mirrors. With additional production from Youth and Alan Smyth, the group finished the album back in Sheffield. Released in October 2015, it received praise from the press as well as from musicians such as Noel Gallagher and Carl Barât. 2016 saw Reverend & the Makers once again traveling abroad to record a follow-up with Sanderson, this time to Thailand and its Karma Sound Studios. The resulting set, The Death of a King, appeared in mid-2017 and gave the band their highest charting U.K. album since The State of Things. 2019 saw the group look back at their career with the greatest hits collection The Best of Reverend & the Makers. Featuring tracks from their previous studio albums, it also included two brand-new songs — “Elastic Fantastic”, featuring a one-off return for Westley, and “Te Quiero Pero” — recorded especially for the release. McClure spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic producing and writing music for other artists. He also immersed himself in listening to classic R&B from the likes of Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield, as well as more contemporary sounds from the Odd Future crew. 2022 saw him travel through 12 countries — from the U.K. to Zambia — documenting on film the music culture of many different places. August of that year brought “Heatwave in the Cold North,” a laid-back, R&B-flavored Reverend & the Makers comeback single which enjoyed regular primetime national airplay from BBC Radio 2. “High” & “Problems” followed — in December and January, respectively — before Heatwave in the Cold North, their seventh LP, was issued in early 2023. ~ Mark Deming & James Wilkinson