The Method

“SO Ace! Absolutely cracking.. That record is properly brilliant, not one bad track.”
- Lauren Laverne, BBC 6Music

"Cardiff quintet The Method have dosed their recording with Happy Feet pills, bringing ska-styled horn trappings to bear on slashing guitars, a catchy chorus, and throaty vocals from Richie Hayes. Guaranteed to work up a sweat just listening to it. The flip opens with a stalking surf guitar riff and Richie’s Julian Cope meets Billy Idol snarl before wailing horns and a pounding backbeat threaten to knock the needle off the turntable. Heavy stuff with a bit of a punky garage pedigree. A new single is due shortly and if it’s as exciting as this, the album should be a killer. More proof that Cardiff is an exciting place for music these days."



- Jeff Penczak, Shindig! Magazine

“A mix of northern soul, 60’s funk and mod. They're fantastic!” - Matt Johnson, ITV

We first found The Rhythm Method playing Glo Bar on a rainy winter Wednesday. It was pretty obvious then – they had confidence, were as a tight as a nun’s asshole, and were rocking out a psych-funk hotdog. But whereas most bands in this old town seem content to write their songs, rock the gig and then wait by the phone; these guys have been busy little bees attempting to gain recognition.

They’re signed to See Monkey Do Monkey. This small but well organised Cardiff label have tirelessly pushed the band and overseen the release of two EPs giving the push towards appearances with The Anomalies, airplay on Q Radio, and reaching the finals of the People’s Music Awards.

On the hottest day of the year so far, we met with lead singer Richie Hayes in the Mochyn Du beer garden to see what makes the crazy man tick…

You’ve been spotted playing two keyboards at once? How did you come by this extraordinary skill? I've got two hands! I was fortunate enough to be born a fully formed human (laughs). I suppose I started playing keys when I was about 16 for a year but then stopped for a long time, never got into it, and then ages later joined a band as a keyboard player.



There’s an underlying sense of anger behind your songs? Do you think you’re a grumpy bastard? Yes. Yes I do! No, that’s not right. I can be grumpy. But that’s just because I have a very clear definition of what I want and I voice my opinions. So I can come across as grumpy but I don’t mean anything by it!



You were a hard-working Musician back in Dublin. Who was it you played with? I played in a band called Kingsativa mainly. Just a kind of reggae-ska-dub-dancey-mongrel kind of band. Just dancing about, smoking dope, playing keys. We toured all over Ireland. We went to Poland, Croatia, Holland, Germany, UK. We got about a bit, released two albums. Ourselves. All funded by our gigs, pouring our profits back into the band.



How does Cardiff compare to Dublin? There’s a lot more avenues for live music in Dublin. I’m not saying that there’s any less talent in Cardiff. There’s definitely not. It’s just, it’s cliquey over there but I think it’s more so over here. And Cardiff is a very twee, indie sort of town and anything else doesn’t get the push it deserves.



What for you is the biggest obstacle in Cardiff then? The lack of venues is an awful shame. Because there’s a wealth of talent here, there’s people like Johnny Alchemist who I love and only one or two people give him gigs because he doesn’t fit in. But he plays amazing music. And he believes it. He means it when he tells it.



What kind of music is Cardiff tailoring itself to, would you say? It’s twee, shouty indie with kids who wear skinny jeans and yelp like seals (imitates seal).



So how’s the See Monkey Do Monkey situation? Are you looking to get onto a bigger label? Is there a cunning plan? Not so much for me but for the label. It’d be good. It’d be like Two Tone. Chrysalis came along and bought Two Tone, signed the label. And Jerry Dammers was still in charge of Two Tone but he worked independently from them. So that’s not something we’d turn our noses up at but I’m not holding my breath. And in this climate anyway, the only people who are really suffering are the major labels anyway.



Yeah. The way in which music is distributed and listened to has changed so much these last ten years. Have you changed your approach at all? Not really. Since I first started what I’ve always done is just record the tunes and handed out the CDs for free. People should get the music for free. And if they like it they’ll go to gigs. I mean it’s easy for Metallica to go pissing and moaning about it because they’re sat on their asses in a mansion in California and not actually going out and working for it. They’re seeing a dip in their income by not playing live and people still enjoying their stuff. And you know, especially with a band like Metallica who people love. Who’ll pay any amount of money to see them. The proof is in the pudding. You can hear a great album and go and see them live, but be really disappointed because they can’t pull it off.



So are The Method purely a live band or an album band? Or is that definition just irrelevant to you? There is a distinction. And I think live music is what we do. It’s what we enjoy doing but I love recording as well. And there’s loads of little things you can add in to recordings to make them more interesting and nicer to listen to that you couldn’t ever do on stage. But what you need to keep is that energy. And on a CD it’s often quite missing it. There has to be a difference between the two. Some balance.



What would make Cardiff an easier enviroment for working bands? I mean look at the list of gigs we’ve got lined up. We’re playing in Manchester, Cheltenham, Germany…we’re meant to be playing in Holland. But we rarely play in Cardiff, you know. It’s just because it’s not here for us. I mean I - The Miniature Music Press

Those of you who have been to Glo Bar’s Electric Cwtch night on a Wednesday will know that this is a popular, well-run band session showcasing the best of South Wales’s new musical talent. Last week (27th Feb) saw a host of local favourites – Lou Noble, Fred Snow and Ruby Samba – plus relative newcomer Johnny Alchemist perform a mix of sultry acoustic folk, swinging trumpet-laden jazz, summery soul and earnest punkiness. Surprisingly, it worked.

Following this eclectic build-up came featured band The Rhythm Method. Having recently evolved from original duo, singer/songwriter/keyboardist Rich (who also plays keys for Cardiff electro-funk outfit Omega66) and bassist Kev, the band is now a fully-fledged four-piece with the addition of Rich’s Omega66 bandmates, Krik on guitar and Sanders on drums.

It’s something of a cliché to describe a band as being difficult to categorise into a particular genre, but this is definitely the case with The Rhythm Method and in fact is one of their strengths. With a confident and catchy sound fusing funk, rock, dance and electro, comparisons are thin on the ground – although Electric Cwtch’s sound engineer and resident funky dancer Toby offered "an electronic Deep Purple" as a suggestion.

Considering they have currently played more gigs than they’ve had rehearsals, the set was remarkably tight, with the members displaying an awareness of and respect for each others’ playing you’d expect to find in a band that have been together for years. Strong vocal and guitar melodies, solid bass grooves, irresistible beats and memorable synth lines all wrapped up in an upbeat likeability made this set compelling and the crowd’s howls for an encore spoke volumes – proving that The Rhythm Method are ones to watch out for in 2008. - Meg Campbell, South Wales Music Scene

The Rhythm Method are a five-piece band from Cardiff who have recenty recorded their debut EP, The Front. They have been together since late 2007, and their melting-pot of sounds such as drum and bass and funk have made them totally unique in their sound.

First track Sunshine Lazy is a great opener with electronica drums, dynamic vocals and a crunchy bass-funk feel to it that is, to say the least, impressive. It's such a mesh of genres but works so well together, the bridge builds up well to a psychedelic guitar solo. It's hard to imagine how they can bounce back with a song just as good, if not better.

Second song Bow Down Selector quickly banishes any such doubt and keeps the pressure up with it's addictive keyboard introduction. The drum and bass feel of the percussion and instruments gives this song a house vibe that I would imagine to be killer live, with soaring harmonies and catchy hooks.

Time's Not Waiting opens with a blast of almost vaudeville piano that fits in well with the funk/indie/electronicia feel of the EP. The huge beats with the the guitar effects builds the excitement for the title track, which is by far the highlight of this release. The spaciness of the intro riff that's played throughout gives the listener time to appreciate the lyrics of the song rather than the music. There's an electro-funk stripped down vibe to the verses in The Front; the vocals are interesting, so are the breaks. Showing themseves as being versatile, it's hard to give them one specific genre usually assigned to pigeon-hole bands, but this is the best part of The Rhythm Method.

As the EP comes to a close, final song The Crusaders is a 'love' song for George Bush, opening in signature style of distorted/synthy drums and space-age keyboards. It brings the EP to a close, but leaves the listener yearning for more.

The Rhythm Method are hosting a launch party for their EP and a label showcase on Thurs 30 Oct at 10 Feet Tall. This party will also mark the beginning of the band's full UK tour with Irish electronic hip hop band The Informatics. - The Sprout Magazine