REVEREND AND THE MAKERS UNVEIL POIGNANT NEW SINGLE ‘A LETTER TO MY 21 YEAR OLD SELF’

Reverend and the Makers have unveiled new single ‘A Letter To My 21 Year Old Self’. The song is the final single before their forthcoming studio album ‘Heatwave In The Cold North’, out 28th April 2023 on Distiller Music. Listen here. Digital album available to pre order now here.

The latest track from Reverend And The Makers is their most personal and honest release to date. The song sees The Reverend Jon McClure take a poignant look back over the past two decades, as one of the music industry’s great survivors cites regrets, mistakes and a defiant slice of introspection. With an unbroken run of 6 Top 20 albums to date, the band’s seventh offering looks likely to follow suit and could even find itself placed in the top 10, which would be the first of theirs to do so since their debut 16 years ago. The accompanying official music video, also out today, shows a compilation of footage from the band’s early days on tour, all shot around the time of Jon’s 21st year.

A Letter To My 21 Year Old Self sees the Sheffield stalwarts blend anthemic melodies, R’n’B, and Classic Soul with an endearing lyrical vulnerability to create a real final statement of intent before next month’s album release. Speaking on the track, Rev said “A Letter to My 21 year old Self” is most of my pals favourite song from the new record, it’s also the most personal one I’ve ever written.

Put simply I’ve made a hell of a lot of mistakes during my time as a musician. Said and done loadsa dumb things. I guess this is me trying to tell myself not to do all of those things but also saying not to be hard on myself or to turn my frustrations in on myself. If I knew then what I know now, I’d have taken over the world. But doesn’t everyone say that?”

Ahead of the release, Jon has launched a campaign for fans to send in a letter that they’ve written to their own 21 Year Old Selves, to be sent in via this link, or by submitting them on socials using #21yearoldself. He’s been asking some locals in the area to collate these letters and they will be displayed at the newly reopened Fagans Pub in Sheffield on Thursday (23rd). They will form part of a pop-up exhibition/ mass therapy session that will give locals the chance to come along and meet Jon, get an exclusive listen to the album & have a pint. After the event, they will be uploaded to this account on Instagram.

His friends and supporters have already got involved with the likes of Brian Eno, Mel C, Jeremy Corbyn, Carl Barat, Joey Barton, Helen Chamberlain, Steve Lamacq, Richard Hawley + more writing letters for the exhibition. With many commenting on how cathartic they had found the experience.

This latest single announcement comes hot on the tail of the success of the band’s recent single ‘Heatwave In The Cold North’. A hazy, sun drenched Barry White-inspired soul bop, the opening single from forthcoming album of the same name has become their biggest hit in over a decade, having been added to Radio 2’s B list and being named their Record of the Week. The track became a Top 10 UK airplay chart fixture as the summer came to a close. This was followed by the softly spangled psychedelic soul of ‘High’, an ode to Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfrield and long hazy afternoons. As well as typically catchy ear-worm ‘Problems’.

Never resting on their laurels and constantly striving to challenge perceptions of the band, Reverend and the Makers have become one of the enduring and great survivors of the British music scene. With a career spanning two decades Jon McClure and his collective of musicians burst onto the scene with their Top 5 charting debut album, ‘The State of Things’. The album spawned the UK top 10 single “Heavyweight Champion of the World”. The five albums since have seen the band move through several incarnations, sounds and line ups and experience all the highs, and most of the lows, that the music industry has to offer. Each album has reached the Top 20 of the UK album charts, an impressive unbroken run of six albums. These albums have seen them cut across a creative spectrum, ranging from collective efforts to the frontman’s singular visions. Instead, The Makers is more a sobriquet, a statement of intent, a commitment and a guiding principle that has seen McClure consistently strive to build, innovate and grow musically and artistically. The Reverend’s story is one of the great survival stories of the music industry as charisma, talent, defiance and sheer willpower sees the band start a new chapter reenergized and raring to go. With a point to prove, with ‘Heatwave In The Cold North’, Reverend And The Makers set about the task in hand armed to the teeth with an arsenal of their biggest, best and most accessible and ambitious songs to date.

‘Heatwave In The Cold North’ Tracklist