“You really get the feeling that Reuben have matured significantly with this release, the trademark sound is still there but the songs seem to have more depth to them. Not afraid to go off at a tangent at any given moment really keeps the momentum flowing and you could never accuse them of reverting to type.” Andy Latham on the Reuben album ‘In Nothing We Trust’.
Reuben have gone it alone with this album in the form of Hideous Records. Ahead of the release and during their spring tour we caught up with the boys in Manchester. Here’s them explaining what finally tipped them over the edge to form their own label, rather than sign with somebody else.
John: “We spent so long waiting around for people to get back to us and in the end we just thought "what's the point?". We've got great new stuff and we've got enough money saved up in the account to do it.”
Guy: “We could have sat around forever waiting for a record deal you know? We could have got signed straight away but that's not necessarily the best way to go. We're always so involved with every process there is in being in a band and making a record that we might as well do it ourselves! Why have a middleman when we pretty much do it all ourselves anyway? When we were with Xtra Mile we wanted to be as involved as possible so we're happy to do it ourselves.”
John: “Music's evolving now, record companies are getting like 'sign a band really quickly, don't make any money, drop them!' What's the point getting involved in that?”
The album made it into our pick of releases from 2007, read a review here.
Guy: “There's more depth to it than previous material, it's not that we had more time in the studio we just did more.”
Jamie: “It's the least time we had to make a record but it's the most we've packed in. We really did establish a rapport with Sheldon but because we hadn't really worked with him before I think we spent a lot of time acclimatising but with these guys we went straight in, so that sped things up a bit.”
John: It's good that we've had a different sounding record each time, producers are obviously a part of that. To have a Sheldon record that sounds expensive is wicked but then to have a record that has a lot more depth, I really like.”
The first of a few Reuben live reviews from 2007 came in February, where the band set out to announce their intentions for the coming year, ahead of the album’s release in the summer. Reviewer Andy Latham wrote: “We keep saying it but they deserve bigger and better and there are a few hundred here tonight that will be determined to help them get there. There's no doubt that when they return (to Manchester) in September it will be to another sold out crowd.” Full review here.
Next up was Download, where they graced the main stage, a great jump since it was only the third stage twelve months ago.
“They get a good turn out considering it's still early and they're the second band on but there are problems right from the outset. The sound is terrible, way too bass heavy and it spoils what should have been a triumphant moment for the band.” Andy Latham
Much more impressive however was their headline set in the Rock Sound Cave at
Guilfest in July.
They pull in the biggest crowd of the weekend for that stage, and along with a fan pleasing collection of tracks new and old, the band have an extra trick up their sleeve.
“Having bumped into him earlier in the day we knew this was coming but for many of the crowd it's a complete surprise when Frank Turner takes to the stage to sing the middle section of 'Deadly Lethal Ninja Assassin'. The delighted punters go wild as the ex-Million Dead frontman gets into it and appears to enjoy the opportunity to deliver some hardcore style vocals again.” Andy Latham
Looking at the year as a whole, you can’t help but wonder what, if any, damage the problems they had at Download have done for the public perception of Reuben. Playing a blinder at Guilfest is one thing, but Download is where the bigger crowds, and more importantly most of the press are. Reuben have a loyal following that is of a healthy size, and although we’re listing them as one of our bands of 2007 on the strength of the album and a consistently high standard on stage, it was sound that let them down at Donington, not effort, what the next step for Reuben is will be very interesting to see.
Get the rest of our band of the day list here.