The Rifles

London four piece The Rifles are currently in the middle of recording their debut album due out April May of 2006. They're working on the album with Ian Broudie of the Lightening Seeds who produced The Subways' album. Made up of Joel Stoker on vocals and guitar, guitarist Luke Crowther, bassist Robb Pyne and drummer Grant Marsh The Rifles formed back in January 2004 and their last single Local Boy narrowly missed the top twenty. We have a chat with the fedora wearing Luke who tells us their story.

How did you all meet?

Basically we met. It's a long story actually. Me and Joel and the bass player met at Redbridge college, then we met the drummer in a club called Candy box on Oxford Street. Me and Joel were writing songs together for quite a long time then we decided to form a band together. We just got on with each other and were into the same type of music. From there we just started writing in his bedroom and stuff.

What was it like at college for you?

It was just a piss up really! Any excuse to drink. There was a pub right opposite so we used to be in there all the time and end up missing loads of our lessons. We'd just come in to play music. We left after the first year, we were meant to be there for two.

What are your influences?

Our influences come from British music and bands like the Clash, the Jam, the Cure.

What is your approach to writing songs?

Joel will get a basic idea together, lyrically, and then we'll construct the songs, me and Joel will work the song out together and then take it to the boys in the band. And then other songs we'll be in the rehearsal room and we'll come out with an idea and we'll all form the song together.

Is it a good time for British music?

I think it is a good time for British music. There's so many bands, music's just got so much better in the last year.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Everything! We're doing our album so I went and bought all the new albums yesterday morning and I'm listening constantly.

There's not been that many bands that's been knocking me out really. There's not a lot that I think is really amazing, just bits and bobs. I think it's all in the right place and moving in the right direction. For me, there's a lot of these bands that there's a song here or there on the album that I'll like, but not all of it. I like a couple of Maximo Park songs and one or two Kaiser Chiefs, but not all of them.

What's the biggest obstacle you lot have had to face as a band?

I think playing live. Playing live is a strange thing for us because we're not really outgoing people, we're not jumping around. A lot of these bands it's like it's rare to go to a gig and not see someone jumping on their amp. For us that was quite difficult especially when we were looking for our record deal.

For more info check out www.therifles.co.uk

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