ROOK AND THE RAVENS

“In 2007, from the embers of three local Liverpool bands, rose Rook and The Ravens. Guitarists and vocalists Joe and younger brother James added their mutual best friend Dave on bass and poached drummer John from a local psychedelic rock band. Upon moving back home to Manchester later the same year, having already played Glastonbury and toured the UK as a four-piece, they recruited singer/songwriter Tom on piano and organ, creating a three-strong vocal section. Tom’s first gig with Rook and The Ravens was on the main stage at 2008’s Summer Sundae Weekender.”

Read more: http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2013/09/live4evers-new-tunes-guide-feat-crooked-tongues-and-more/#ixzz2fr8oGLZt - Live 4 Ever

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/people_and_places/music/newsid_8504000/8504218.stm - BBC

"Earlier tonight, the High Peak five piece, Rook and The Ravens took to the stage and performed an articulate, edgy, blistering, self-assured and diverse set. They are, without a doubt, an inspirational and exhilarating experience."
(Jim Sutherland) - BBC Manchester

"Earlier tonight, the High Peak five piece, Rook and The Ravens took to the stage and performed an articulate, edgy, blistering, self-assured and diverse set. They are, without a doubt, an inspirational and exhilarating experience."
(Jim Sutherland) - BBC Manchester

"Rook and The Ravens impress with a versatility reminiscent of The Byrds and Traffic."
(review of Wychwood Festival performance by The Independent)


"A little later in the day the tent plays host to talented Mancunian five piece Rook and the Ravens. This young Americana infused indie group are becoming regulars on the festival circuit thanks to their well crafted up-beat and remarkably versatile sound, aided and abetted by having three equally able vocalists sharing mic duties. Ranging from Coral-esque west-coast vibes to the best of indie-pop, hopefully these boys are the shape of things to come."
(review of Wychwood Festival performance by Victoria Sayce for www.gigwise.com)


"or new band Rook And The Ravens, of which I knew little about but the blurb said influences Neil Young, and The Travelling Band. So I opted to see them first, and ended up staying a surprisingly long time, as they play the kind of sound that captivates me, and do indeed show the hallmarks of both their names influences."
(review of Wychwood Festival performance by Scott Williams for www.efestivals.co.uk)


"Whilst Phil Spector may be taking a sabbatical from producing records for a bit, his “wall of sound” ethos lives on. Not so much as “everything plus the kitchen sink” type of drama, but the Rook and the Ravens do like a “big” sound, one that can fill every nook and cranny of a venue. On a warm spring evening like tonight, they provide sunshine pop ideal for the occasion. Then to prove they are more than a one dimensional unit, they drop into an almost C&W, bluesy even segment. Swapping vocalists dependant upon the style and feel of the number, it’s always controlled and passionate, never strained. Managing to avoid hitting each other with their instruments, they depart to an appreciative applause"
(Ged Camera, rmusic.co.uk) - The Independent, Gigwise, Efestivals, Rmusic

"Rook and The Ravens impress with a versatility reminiscent of The Byrds and Traffic."
(review of Wychwood Festival performance by The Independent)


"A little later in the day the tent plays host to talented Mancunian five piece Rook and the Ravens. This young Americana infused indie group are becoming regulars on the festival circuit thanks to their well crafted up-beat and remarkably versatile sound, aided and abetted by having three equally able vocalists sharing mic duties. Ranging from Coral-esque west-coast vibes to the best of indie-pop, hopefully these boys are the shape of things to come."
(review of Wychwood Festival performance by Victoria Sayce for www.gigwise.com)


"or new band Rook And The Ravens, of which I knew little about but the blurb said influences Neil Young, and The Travelling Band. So I opted to see them first, and ended up staying a surprisingly long time, as they play the kind of sound that captivates me, and do indeed show the hallmarks of both their names influences."
(review of Wychwood Festival performance by Scott Williams for www.efestivals.co.uk)


"Whilst Phil Spector may be taking a sabbatical from producing records for a bit, his “wall of sound” ethos lives on. Not so much as “everything plus the kitchen sink” type of drama, but the Rook and the Ravens do like a “big” sound, one that can fill every nook and cranny of a venue. On a warm spring evening like tonight, they provide sunshine pop ideal for the occasion. Then to prove they are more than a one dimensional unit, they drop into an almost C&W, bluesy even segment. Swapping vocalists dependant upon the style and feel of the number, it’s always controlled and passionate, never strained. Managing to avoid hitting each other with their instruments, they depart to an appreciative applause"
(Ged Camera, rmusic.co.uk) - The Independent, Gigwise, Efestivals, Rmusic

"Think massive rock ballads split by a country blade. This is a four-piece band comprised of at least two excellent vocalists: Joe and James Fay, harmoniously effective, either one is capable of lead. In fact, they all sing. The drummer: John B. Major (you gotta be kiddin’ me) and bass player, Dave Brodie, have good stage rapport. Two alliances are at work in this band, but they flock together with precision. I like your vertical bass playing, Brodie. Lyrics are intelligent, and as real as The Girl with a Chip on her Shoulder or Van Parts Ltd (included on a quality CD with 5 tracks). Hear Me is my favourite."
(Amanda DeAngeles)


- Glasswerk

"Rook and the Ravens are working with the basic ingredients of brilliance and on that basis, it's only a matter of time before they reach the dizzy heights of mass notoriety and unanimous acceptance." - High Voltage

Manchester band Rook and the Ravens stopped by the ASCAP LA offices on their recent American tour, and brightened our afternoons with their sweet, sweet harmonies. Here's "Make Ends Meet," a track from their debut album Sixteen Holes in Sixteen Souls.

http://www.ascap.com/video/watch?video=ABC59E35-391C-4036-BD48-8BA50D4D39D2 - ASCAP

Rook and the Ravens: The most impressive new band you've never heard of

By Bill Forman

Rook and the Ravens like to think of themselves as the world's "least known supergroup," a claim to fame — or lack thereof — that wears thin pretty quickly. Odds are there's at least one supergroup out there that's flown completely beneath the radar.

"True," sighs keyboardist Tom Cartledge, who shares vocals with guitarists James and Joe Fay, each of whom has fronted bands that went nowhere. "I guess that's the competitive nature of trying to be the world's least famous supergroup. It's a tough game to play."

It's also a game the five young Brits seem destined to lose. The BBC gave Rook and the Ravens an "Artist of the Week" write-up that declared them "articulate, edgy, blistering and self-assured," while the Irish Daily Mirror celebrated the fact that "yet another staggeringly great band" has emerged from the city of Manchester.

Recent tracks like "The Judge" and "Little Rib," which were produced by Andy MacPherson of Doves and Teenage Fanclub fame, make it clear the band can live up to the hype.

They're also unique: Cartledge and the Fay brothers are fond of trading off lead vocals within the same song, and their three-part harmonies are on par with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Newer songs rival Bends-era Radiohead and rock harder than early Queen. What other band can do all that and still sound at least as contemporary as Alt-J and Fleet Foxes?

Actually, the mere fact that Rook and the Ravens have three lead vocalists automatically make them 50 percent better than Supertramp.

"I think that's statistically correct, yes," responds a bemused Cartledge. "I guess it does make us unique in a way, because we rarely see bands on the road who have three leads and can do three-part harmonies."

Pressed further, Cartledge admits that he's never seen another band do that.

"I think the only time you hear three lead vocalists in a song is with boy bands. But it's kind of important to stress that's we're not like the Backstreet Boys. We're equally good-looking, but we don't sound like them."

Internal theft
While L.A. lifestyle magazine High Voltage insists it's just a matter of time before Rook and the Ravens "reach the dizzy heights of mass notoriety and unanimous acceptance," the rest of America has yet to sign on.

The band is currently in the middle of its first U.S. tour, which will include a stop in Denver this Saturday to play the exceedingly intimate Lion's Lair, which holds just over a hundred people. After two weeks on the road, the five musicians have had just one day off.

"We're doing some serious traveling and we've drunk many types of beer and whiskey along the way," Cartledge says, "but we're somehow still going."

The band has already logged endless miles touring the U.K., during which their musical inclinations have become increasingly incestuous.

"Over time, everyone started stealing songwriting ideas from each other," says Cartledge, while noting that their personal lives no longer inspire lyrics like "The wheels will keep turning / But you'll be beneath them."

"One of the hard things is that, when you're actually OK again, it's like, 'Oh, do I have to write a happy song now?'"

Fool's mate
These days, the band's sound and vision are a crafty mix of classic and modernist elements, right down to what appears to be a '60s Vox organ that's enthusiastically punished in videos and onstage.

"Right, we've successfully fooled you with that one," says Cartledge of what turns out to be a Nord Electro 3 in disguise. "Our whole backline is cream-colored — all our amps, the guitars, the drum kit, everything — and then I turned up with this big red obscene thing, which didn't really complete the look. So our bass player actually built the keyboard housing, and we take it everywhere with us now."

While the look may be vintage, the music has moved well beyond that of their 2009 debut album, Sixteen Holes in Sixteen Souls.

"I'd only just joined the band at that point, and these guys had a collection of songs with a quite poppy Americana kind of sound," says Cartledge. "I think that now we play a very harmony-driven, sort of balls-out, rock. But we're also obviously all fond of Crosby, Stills and Nash, and we're massive fans of the Killers and Radiohead. It's just kind of, I don't know, bringing a more modern rock aspect to those harmonies. And that's what we've done since Day One, really."

While the group has since released an EP, they've yet to finish a second album.

"It's not that we've neglected it," insists Cartledge. "We've been extremely busy over the last five years recording, recording, recording."

It's just that there've been setbacks along the way. "At one point, we went through a phase where we wanted to have a concept album. We decided to sack it off, but some of those songs we still play now."

So what was the concept behind what might have become the world's least-known rock opera?

"Well, that was the thing," says Cartledge. "I think the problem with the concept album was that it really didn't have a concept."

— bill@csindy.com - Colorado Springs Independent