Interview: The Reytons

What happens when you mix together perfect amounts of copious unfiltered energy and raw artistic prowess? You find yourself obsessed with an electrifying four-piece from Yorkshire. The Reytons, since the release of their debut record Kids Off The Estate last year, the quartet have cemented themselves as one of the fastest rising newcomers on the indie scene, with no signs of slowing down.

With a string of festival dates under their belt for this Summer, including TRNSMT and Kendal Calling, we had the pleasure of chatting with Jamie about upcoming music and what it means to be a Reyton.

The Indiepedent: Hey Jamie! How are you doing?

Jamie: Hey, I’m good thanks, still coming down from NBHD!

The Indiepedent: For any of our readers who are somehow unfamiliar with The Reytons, can you sum up your sound in three words?

Jamie: Energy, Chaos, Carnage.

The Indiepedent: Take us back to the beginning! What’s the story of The Reytons?

Jamie: We all started by playing in different bands and that, but with completely different styles. Jonny started out as a Hip Hop artist, Joe busked with his acoustic guitar, Lee had been in a few bands and did open mic nights and I played drums in a Nu-Metal band. We’re all completely different when it comes to influences and I think it shows in our tracks. But yeah, starting out was just a let’s see what comes natural, no expectations or trying to force a style or anything.

The Indiepedent: Your music features a lot of social commentaries – do you think it’s important for musicians to broach these issues?

Jamie: I think it’s down to who’s writing the material, it’s an important thing to us. We like to be talking about things that mean something to us, whether it be something important in our lives or something we’ve experienced along the way. I don’t think there’s a track of ours that can’t be pinpointed to something we’ve witnessed or gone through.

The Indiepedent: Your debut album Kids Off The Estate was released last year – a standout track for me has to be ‘Low Life’ – what’s the story behind it?

Jamie: ‘Low Life’ is a favourite of mine to play live too. The story is literal to the words, it’s about that guy that’s always out on the p*ss and doesn’t care about much else. We can all picture someone at some point in our lives like that though can’t we?

The Indiepedent: In the title track, the lyrics go “And they called them Reytons”, what does the word ‘Reyton’ or being a ‘Reyton’ mean to you?

Jamie: Reyton is Yorkshire slang for a ‘right one’ – so essentially if someone’s a bit of a scally or a bit daft, they’d be called a ‘reyton’.

The Indiepedent: Since Kids Off The Estate was released, have you guys been working on any new music? What can you tell us!

Jamie: We’re currently working on some new material. We’ve got some decent demos flying about between us and they’re quite exciting, so you’ll have to watch this space…

The Indiepedent: You’re going on tour in November – is there a city you’re particularly excited to play?

Jamie: There’s some pretty good venues coming up on this tour. I’ve gotta say though, I’m really looking forward to playing the Barras in Glasgow. Since we first visited Scotland, that one has always been a dream and I can’t wait to walk out onto that stage – the Glasgow faithful know how to bring the levels up too.

The Indiepedent: Your gigs are known for getting quite rowdy (at NBHD I ended up with a concussion and my mate lost his phone!), how does it feels seeing an excited crowd of fans moshing and singing your songs back at you?

Jamie: We accept no liability for lost property or physical damage! Our live shows are all about the energy and we vibe from the crowds. It’s one of the reasons we didn’t do any live streams through lockdown really, without our fans there to join in, it just doesn’t feel right.

The Indiepedent: You’re set to play TRNSMT this summer – there any acts on the lineup you’re particularly excited to be listed alongside?

Jamie: It’s a class lineup to be fair, but some standouts for me are Sam Fender, The Snuts and DMA’s. Jimmy Eat World are playing Saturday too I think, so would love to go back to my roots and catch their set.

The Indiepedent: What does the rest of 2022 look like for The Reytons?

Jamie: Busy! Our summer is full of festivals, so that’s all go, but there’s no respite in our camp. Between our headline tour in autumn and working on album 2, it’s an exciting time to be a Reyton!

Interview conducted by Lana Williams

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