Rogue Awakening Talk New Single, Video And More

Brit newcomers ROGUE AWAKENING have thrown down the gauntlet with their ultra-enticing new single and video, Bloodflow, out now. We spoke to the band about the single, video and more:

Who is in Rogue Awakening, what do they play and how did you meet?

We have Kimberley on lead vocals, Ollie on lead guitar, Nick on bass and backing vocals, Tom on rhythm guitar and backing vocals and Jordan on drums. as to how we met we were a weird product of lockdown! Kimberley and Tom used to live on the same street and it was that dark time when you could talk to people but only at a distance. They started chatting and Kimberley asked Tom what he was doing to stay sane and he said he was getting back into guitar and she said she used to sing in a band and then announced they should start a band! So it all started very low key and just messing around but as we gathered members we released that we were onto something good. We then found Ollie online and he brought Nick with him as they’ve been friends since school. Then our old drummer Kyle had to step away from the band and Jordan is Kimberley’s nephew and she persuaded him to come and jam with us and it just worked!

When did you begin songwriting?
We started out very low key, mainly doing covers and acoustic stuff. Kimberley was really keen to write our own stuff so she started pushing the drive to write. But it’s still taken a good few years to find the sound that we want and Jordan’s drumming has massively helped with that.

What is your earliest musical memory?
Oooh hard to say! We all have really differing musical tastes from Cannibal Corpse to Fleetwood Mac but it means that we create this really interesting fusion when we write together. Personally (TC speaking!) I remember going on long drives sat in the back with Queen tapes playing constantly so was destined to be a fan from a young age!

Your new single ‘Bloodflow’ is out now. was the story/inspiration behind the track?

Bloodflow is an observation on individuals who tend to ‘people please’ at the detriment of their own happiness and boundaries. The song and the theme came together effortlessly, and it was a great experience recording and fine tuning the song together in the studio. We usually try to not be too direct with our lyrics as we want people to listen and decide for themselves what they think the song is about.

In addition, the single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

So we originally planned to do a live music video and had our friends Emma and James (who did our video for Feed Me Fire). Sadly there was a family emergency just before so we couldn’t shoot the video. As we didn’t have much time we decided on an AI video. It looks epic and really reflects the dark undertones of the song. There’s lots of ‘Alice’ the redheaded women who is our band logo/mascot and she is up to all kinds of cool witchy/vampiric stuff so go check it out!

Where did you record the single and who produced it?

We recorded the single with Casey at Air Raid Studios who also produced it. We’ve worked with him before on The Hunter so we felt really comfortable that he understands our sound. He’s also great at making suggestions with the record and how we recorded it and we are super happy with the final track.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
There is a part of the song where there is a kind of siren wail noise which was actually Kimberley forgetting the lyrics and screeching in frustration! Casey really liked it so keep the recording and then added distortion to it and now we can’t imagine the song without it.

We also have a little Easter egg hidden in the song, you’ll have to listen to it very carefully to work out what it is!

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
We are all about putting on a whole all encompassing performance on stage. We want the audience to feel fully immersed and engaged by what we are doing and coming on a journey with us. We always throw a lot of energy out and want the audience to reflect that back at us. So we always want to leave people exhausted but shouting for more!

Who created/designed the single artwork?
So we used an illustrator on Instagram called Nomads Crpyt. I’ve always loved the dark gothic designs he’s done and when I saw the one we used I knew we had to have it! He also adjusted her to have red hair that is a big part of the band image and it looks great! We love it so much it will be on the new merch we are currently producing!

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?
Yes we all have our favourites and go tos! Ollie Nick and TC all use Valeton modelling amps as they sound great and are a lot easier than lugging massive amps around! TC is a big fan of Hayley Benton guitars but Ollie’s a Jackson guy.
Jordan is a huge fan of Zildiian cymbals which sound amazing but are very pricey so we’d love it if they’d give him a discount!

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
We are from Horsham which we’d describe as: Friendly, small, cosy, fun and happy. It’s a great town but has been hit hard post COVID with no dedicated music venues there. We are hoping that plans for one of them to reopen soon will come to fruition!

How do you look after your voices?
Kimberley is very good at warming up before a show and trying to not talk too much before going on stage, which is hard as she loves to chat! She has been lucky enough to have a few singing lessons with Blaze Bayley who has really helped her with her projection and power of her voice.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?
Oooh good question! Well we are big fans of Fourth Wing (super dangerous dragon riding academy if you haven’t read it) so we’d love to do a dark and epic soundtrack to an aerial dragon battle!

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations

There are so many! All of us have quite different tastes in music all the way from Kate Bush to Cannibal Corpse! But I think this means we get a really interesting mix of ideas and influences in our music. We all take an active part in the creative process which is great as there isn’t a huge pressure on one individual and also means there is a variation to our songs depending on who came up with the original idea. We are massive fans of Spiritbox and Jinjer and hope we can replicate even a little bit of their amazing sound and success.

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2024/2025?
We have lots planned for early next year with shows that we are running ourselves in Brighton and London. We are also very excited to announce some festival slots but sadly have to keep them secret for a bit longer!

Do you have any further music releases planned for 2024/2025?
We already have one of our older songs Little Death recorded and ready to go so we look to release that in Feb/March 25. We are also back in the studio in Jan recording some brand new songs so expect them out later in 2025.

What makes Rogue Awakening happy and what makes you unhappy?

We generally are a happy band (we think?!) but the biggest buzz we get is when people see us live and drink in and absorb the energy we put it. We love chatting to fans after our shows and hearing that love for our music is the best. As for what makes us unhappy, I guess it’s struggling to do everything that you need to do to be a successful band these days! It takes so much from social media, to sorting merchandise, booking gigs it can be kind of overwhelming on top of our day jobs but it’s great when you play a sick show and we are reminded why we do it all.