August 7th, 2011

The Rifles are England’s best kept secret. Why this band aren’t filling arenas and shifting shitloads of records is anyone’s guess. Yet fans of the Rifles may just like it that way – an albeit low key affair whereby they can keep them close to their chest and not give them away to the casual ear that picks up a Nickelback CD on the back of hearing one of their God awful song’s in the supermarket.

They formed in 2004 and joined a long list of bands that cited Oasis as an inspiration. Singer Joel Stoker and guitarist Lucas Crowther met at east London’s Redbridge College where they bonded over a mutual appreciation for Oasis. Lucas met drummer Grant Marsh in Candybox – a now defunct club night which in its prime was undoubtedly the best night out for lovers of quality indie music. There have been a couple of changes in the Rifles line up since their last album, 2009’s The Great Escape. Grant Marsh and Rob Pyne left and were swiftly replaced by Lee Burgess and Kenton Shin, with Dean Mumford joining them on the keys for live performances. So, with a new album in the can and a fresh line up, have they still got it?