Rob Cowen & The Dissidents

Epic stadium sized folk/rock straight out of this country's Heartlands. Debut single ‘Heartache’ gained plays last October on Radio 1 (Kissy Sell Out, Huw Stephens, Bethan Elfyn), Xfm, and BBC 6Music (Tom Robinson).

New single 'City Lights' has just been used as a Sky Sports 1 sync for closing credits for the Rangers vs Celtic football match on the 28th of Feb (2.5 million viewers) and goes to radio March. It’s already been confirmed as a ROTD for March with Q Mag and the band have secured a BBC Introducing session on the 14th of this month. Mixed by legendary producer Dave Bascombe (Depeche Mode, The Doves, The Verve, Jesse Malin/Bruce Springsteen) and mastered by Frank Arkwright (Arcade Fire, Killers, BRMC) the single is set for release on the 19th of April.

‘City lights’ is an impassioned and infectious tale of survival and social observation that mixes energetic hooks, killer riffs and emotional honesty: ‘Drinking all night on the side streets, we move like machines to the drumbeats, and you run through my mind like an athlete with your Mediterranean eyes.’ Small wonder Q Magazine compared Rob’s lyrics to John Betjeman and DJs across radio are hailing this band as one to watch.

The story of Rob Cowen & The Dissidents starts with singer/songwriter Rob who hails from a small town on the Yorkshire moors. Rob recorded a solo album that drew positive reviews from everyone from Q to BBC Radio 2, but only promo copies were ever produced. Spells studying film, working in a tannery and amateur boxing on Wednesday nights turned out to be a mine of inspiration and Rob headed to London in 2006, broke and bruised, but with a guitar case full of stories.

Relentless gigging in folk clubs drew devotees demanding records of the sagas he was carving out on stage, so enlisting the considerable skills of Charlie Westropp (guitars) to produce, they started documenting the tales with like-minded musicians.

The epic talents of John Stevens (bass), Danny Williams (synths) and Olly Samuels (drums) completed the line up and ROB COWEN & THE DISSIDENTS officially formed in January 2009. In the same way folk music was used to spread news through song, they write anthemic tunes that are peppered with catchy hooks and killer lines, but still hold a mirror to the world with a heartbreaking poetic accuracy. The band have earned clear comparisons with Arcade Fire, Elbow, Springsteen, Kings of Leon and Neil Young.