Rook and The Ravens

Rook and The Ravens

Rook and The Ravens form in Manchester, England, in 2007 and play alternative rock with pop sensibilities, alongside indie rock and rock influences. Their sound draws on artists such as Radiohead, Teenage Fanclub and The Smiths, as well as Crosby, Stills and Nash, Tom Petty and Neil Young. The band build their identity around lyrical complexity and harmony-led power pop delivery.

Early releases and live profile

Within their first year together, the band play numerous festivals, including Glastonbury. Their debut collection of songs, Sixteen Holes in Sixteen Souls, appears in 2009 and quickly sells out. After this, the group take a steadier pace as they continue developing new material.

The single Alpha follows and receives critical attention, with airplay on Tom Robinson’s BBC 6 Music show in the UK and Dave Fanning’s RTE 2 show in Ireland. In 2011, the band release The Judge EP, a three-track recording made with Andy Macpherson, who also works with Teenage Fanclub and Doves.

Touring and recordings

Rook and The Ravens tour extensively across the UK and Ireland and also travel twice to the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Their live reputation leads to a first tour of the United States, after which they continue to seek more performances across the UK, Europe and the USA.

During their US run, they film a live session at the ASCAP offices in downtown Los Angeles, record a three-song live video at Silver Point Studios in Nashville, and issue a limited-edition live album titled Rook and The Ravens Live in Chicago. A live favourite, Little Rib, appears in early 2013 and helps open the way for the band’s Stateside activity.

Later work

By the time of their 2014 activity, the band are working on a follow-up to their first album. Recording is largely complete, and the material draws together newer songs with tracks from sessions recorded over the previous five years at Revolution Studios 2 in Cheshire and at Elevator Studios in Liverpool.