Glaswegian indie/rockers The Rooks have today announced the release of their highly-anticipated debut EP, Noise & Confusion!
The band have said of the release, “Noise & Confusion brings the energy of live – where we feel our music is experienced in its purest form with the strongest connection between us and the fans. It’s just us five on the record. Our songs are about finding the feeling, it’s a timeless sound. There’s a universal truth in these songs that’ll be here long after we are. Noise & Confusion is the first statement – we’re here and here to stay.”
Marking the start of a new alluring chapter for the rising stars, they have also unveiled their brand new single, the epic Where We Were Before. The new cinematic track hears The Rooks play to their versatile strengths, and proves that they are constantly evolving their style sonically, whilst still being authentically them. The single spans a rather unconventional 7 minutes, but it was paramount to the band that they didn’t edit it down and shorten it. Listen here.
Frontman Ross Gardiner has commented, “It was really important for us that we capture the feel of the live show for listeners who haven’t seen us yet. It’s a 7 minute song for a reason. We’ve crammed the energy we bring to a 1 hour long show into that one song.”
Where We Were Before arrives hot on the heels of the band’s appearance at Tenement Trail in their hometown of Glasgow, last weekend. The Rooks headlined a packed out Barrowlands 2, joining the likes of Chloe Slater and Pale Waves on the line up. Ahead of the festival, BBC Introducing gave previously released single, Get Up a spin and presenter Stephanie Cheape commented, “Reminds me of the first uprising of Gerry Cinnamon or The Snuts.”
The Rooks will play their biggest headline show yet, at Glasgow’s Art School on 20th December. The show is now almost sold out, but remaining tickets can be found here. The band have been busy this year quickly becoming ones to watch on the live scene, playing a slew of shows and gathering an ever-growing solid fanbase of rabid fans. More recently, they have supported Vistas in Newcastle and will again next month in Glasgow, headlined venues in Newcastle, Edinburgh and Dundee, and also joined the likes of Biffy Clyro, Fontaines D.C., Inhaler and more, at TRNSMT Festival in July. They played the BBC Introducing Stage, and were the only artist without a manager, agent or label, and earned this coveted spot on their own.
The four-piece hit the ground running at the start of the year, releasing their track Get Up which arrived just a day before the band’s biggest headline show to date! Taking place at Glasgow’s King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, it sold out in a matter of days. This is no mean feat for an independent band so early in their infancy.
With support slots for the likes of Blossoms and Dylan John Thomas on sold out UK tours already under their belt, The Rooks have also caught the attention of Scottish singer-song-writing legend Lewis Capaldi, and Stereophonics frontman, Kelly Jones.
Sharing a mutual love of bands such as The Strokes and Kings Of Leon, the Scottish stalwarts met at school. Ross initiated the group forming, asked guitarist Cameron McKie and drummer Coll McKinnon to join him to practice, in the glamorous setting of the school music cupboard. Bassist Kieran Luddy had a ticket for the band’s first show, but due to the pandemic it got rescheduled. Once the new date of the show came around, Kieran was part of The Rooks. They were the first of their peers to organise local gigs themselves, and continue to do so in unorthodox venues such as bowling clubs and town halls under the guise of a pseudonym. The Rooks play in these unsuspecting places, enticing an ever-growing fanbase.
ee The Rooks live:
23.10 – Supporting The Snuts – Boiler Shop, Newcastle
13.11 – Supporting Vistas – Galvanizers SWG3, Glasgow
14.11 – Supporting Keyside – Mash House, Edinburgh
15.11 – Live At Leeds Festival, Leeds
20.12 – Headline show – Art School, Glasgow
The Rooks are Ross Gardiner (lead vocals), Cameron McKie (guitarist) Matthew McFadyen (guitarist) Kieran Luddy (bassist) and Coll McKinnon (drummer)
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