The Royston Club have propelled themselves into indie-rock’s top flight, after the Welsh four-piece saw their debut album, “Shaking Hips And Crashing Cars” zoom into the top 20 to peak at # 16 on the UK Official Album Chart, an accomplishment followed up with by an array of big moments….
Such as: selling-out London’s KOKO venue, smashing three summer sets at Glastonbury, and headlining the biggest show ever held in their hometown of Wrexham. They’ve even won the admiration in the shape of movie star and football club co-owner Ryan Reynolds.
Now The Royston Club lay the groundwork for a momentous new era in their rise as they continue to work on their eagerly anticipated second album. Today [8th August 2024] sees the band drop the first new music since their debut album came out in June 2023, as they share the excellent new single, “The Patch Where Nothing Grows”. Guitarist and main songwriter Ben Matthias says, “This song is meant, at its core, as a cry to the person I was falling in love with at the time. It’s about that point in love when you want to spend every minute of your days and nights with that person, but ultimately can’t be sure where the relationship is going.
“I try to come to terms with that in the chorus, admitting ‘I’ll fall gently in this grove, in the patch where nothing grows’ if the love isn’t ‘necessary’. It’s an honest account of my viewpoint at the time and hopefully one many can relate to.” The track was produced by Rich Turvey (Blossoms, Courteeners) and was recorded at Kempston Street Studio in Liverpool.
Tom Faithfull, Ben Matthias and Dave Tute are old school friends who formed The Royston Club with the addition of drummer Sam Jones. Early rambunctious shows within Wrexham and the surrounding area established a devoted local following, and their initial self-released demos and singles soon started taking their local following into an international fanbase. That interest was heightened with an array of festivals, support shows (including Blossoms, Jamie Webster and The Academic) and headline tour which became bigger with every run.
After signing to Run On Records (home to The Coral, and an imprint of Modern Sky), The Royston Club soon achieved their first chart moment when “Coasting” (backed with fan favourite “Mrs Narcissistic”) reached the Top 10 on the Official Vinyl Singles Chart. From there, they continued upwards, leading to the success of “Shaking Hips And Crashing Cars” last year.
The Royston Club marked a year since the album’s release by sharing an in-depth “making of” documentary which can be seen above. Responding to fan demand, the band recently announced a limited edition clear vinyl format of “Shaking Hips And Crashing Cars”. The new format is available to pre-order here, ahead of its release on August 30th: https://theroystonclub.tmstor.es/
