Jon McClure From Reverend And The Makers

This month we have a chat with the great Jon McClure of Reverend And The Makers about hiatus and changes with the band, their debut album, their love for social media platforms and his Gods of the music world.

Since their debut album ‘State Of Things’ and massive hit ‘Champion Of The World’ in 2007, the band have continually provided their indie fans with addictive lyrics and ‘proper bangers’ as McClure likes to call them.

Don’t be surprised to find The Reverend playing out their hits in a car park around town, or maybe supporting massive acts such as The Chilli Peppers this summer.

Good morning Jon, so where are you in the world right now? How are you?

Hello how are you? Yeah I’m in Sheffield right now lay in bed! It’s only 9am, where are you?

Well crazily, I’m just down the road in Chesterfield, I have just returned from Australia. It’s so good to chat to you mate. Did you watch the footy last night?

(Laughing) How mad is that, we’re probably going though some far and wide call center when you’re like ten minutes from my house. We proper enjoyed the footy love, yeah, I’ve said that if we get past the quarters, we’re playing with the Chilli Peppers at the weekend in Sunderland; I’m booking a flight straight out the next day.

Of course we will make it through! Your third studio album has just been released and there has been a huge buzz in the air about it, why did you opt for such a simple name? Are you all massive fans of Twitter?

Yeah, it’s out now. Two reasons, number one, I wanted it to sound like it was made now and not in 1970 or somet. Secondly, I don’t know if you have heard Radio One recently, if you put it on after we have finished the interview, it is dreadful. It is very difficult for anyone who makes decent tunes to get heard. Twitter is your vehicle to being heard. You don’t need radio, press, it’s just you and them. That’s modern power. It’s about staying up to date and allowing people to access what are you doing. The days when someone on the radio allowed you to exist are gone, this is a genuine route for alternative bands that aren’t just mainstream to have a proper following. It’s right now. The radio just seems to be nonsense.

Did growing up in and around Sheffield affect the style of the music the band explores?

Yeah I definitely think so. We have the balance with synthesizers, which obviously is the home of British electronic music. Also the sense of sarcasm that Sheffield bands seem to explore, bands like Alex and The Monkeys and Jarvis with Pulp, it’s a mixture of those two things. There’s definitely something in the water.

Many band members have come and gone from the band, how come the band has still stayed strong and been so successful?

When they get rubbish I just send them off to a hard labour camp and get someone else! Ha-ha, nah, it’s not a rolling cast of whom I’m hanging out with. But it’s great at the moment as we have a member of Milburn playing with us, who was around at the same time as us and the Monkeys, everyone loves them. The band are having a laugh and loving it at the moment. It’s a good vibe man. Top.

You’ve been on huge tours and supported massive acts such as Oasis, is there anyone you would love to collaborate with or support on another tour?

We have toured with Oasis and Noel, he is the daddy – he is the don – the Godfather. It would be great to do stuff with him.

How did you come to meet and produce with Carl Barat on (my favourite track name) ‘Acid House Wife’?

I’ve known Carl for a few years now, just from hanging out in London. He came down to the studio to have a jam and that. We have just stayed really good mates ever since and we thought we should write a song together. He’s such a good lad, he has just been in a Parisian opera, obviously Libertines are one of the greatest bands to ever come out of Britain. He’s a legend. It was an honour.

Do you have a favourite tune to play of your own? And of someone else’s? Where is your favourite place to play? Back in good old Sheffield?

I love performing ‘Bassline’ off the new album. Just because it is such a monster. It’s always such a good feeling when you’re making new music that always gets a top response from everyone when it’s played. I am quite digging the new Richard Hawley album; ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’- ‘Leave Your Body Behind You’- check it out it is his best track.

Do you have a favourite place to perform?

Well I love to play little quirky gigs like the acoustic after sessions. Mad places that people don’t know about like grabbing my guitar and heading to a car park.
Name one band that will always be the Gods to you lot…
Yeah man, probably Stone Roses- definitely when you’re Northern- I don’t think anyone will ever steal their light. ‘Fools Gold’, I was probably a kid when that came out and will pass down the generations.

After the massive success of your first single ‘Heavy Weight Champion Of The World’ in the top ten, did you feel the massive pressure to provide another banger? As you lot like to call it?

Yeah, people wanted us to make another ‘Heavy Weight’, but I just do want I want to do. I like to do mad stuff and in some ways we did a few stupid things but such is life. We just love what we do and hope everyone else does.

What’s going to be the best thing that could happen to you lot this year? It seems you’ve had a good 7-year stint so far!

This album has been reviewed better than the others, when we play with Noel, people give the new stuff a sound reception and it feels good you know. I’m feeling mega positive about this year and it’s a great feeling! If you look at the chart and the highest entry, the only thing that is anything like us is Coldplay, playing amongst your Justin Bieber and Cheryl Cole, the music world has gone slightly mad. But we are loving this year.

You’ve got an amazing summer coming up for 2012… you’re even playing Y Not Festival just up the road from my hometown and then onto T In The Park and Strummer Of Love, how did you come about to support Red Hot Chilli Peppers?

We love Y Not, it’s beautiful and we are definitely going to go there and camp for the full weekend. I have been to Africa a few times now, places such as Nigeria and Ethiopia and I found myself on the roof of a van- talking to Flea (Chilli Peppers bass player) and I thought I’m here, sat on top of a van, I’m from Sheffield and I may as well play him a few tunes. He liked them and I think Knebworth, is one of the biggest gigs you can play in Britain so it definitely paid off and 2012 is going to be a banger!

By Frankie Salt