These Wicked Rivers Talk “Rock & Roll Odyssey Tour”

Nov 15, 2025 | Interviews

Words by Glenn Sargeant

Feature Image Photo Credit: Rob Blackham/Blackham Images

Derby’s beloved sons, These Wicked Rivers, are currently on the “Rock & Roll Odyssey Tour” across the UK in November 2025. We sat down with the band members John Hartwell (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Arran Day (lead guitar):

What is your earliest musical memory?

(John) My personal earliest musical memory is being in the car while on holiday with my family, listening to and all singing along to a mix tape of Beatles songs.

You have released a live performance track of ‘Just To Be A Man’. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?

(Arran) – Just to be a Man is one of Rich (Wilson, keyboard player)’s songs and I think it highlights what he does best as a songwriter. Having spoken to him about the song I know it’s about feeling disconnected from life and the expectations that society puts on you, and the importance of being yourself.

Was it a difficult song to write?

(John) When Rich first bought this song to the band, we all absolutely loved it instantly, and spent a long time trying to do the song justice with all of our respective parts. It took a little longer to come together as a full band song than some others, but I think it was worth it.

Do you have a visualiser to accompany the single?

(Arran) – We were lucky enough to have a film crew present at our recent sold out hometown show at St Peter’s Church in Belper. We combined that footage with the live audio from the show as we really wanted to bottle that live energy and pure magic. Sometimes when the adrenaline is pumping you don’t quite get to take it all in in the moment, so we’re really glad we captured this moment on film as it was a very special show for us and our rivers family.

Where did you record the single and who produced it?

(John) The song was recorded live at St Peter’s Church in Belper by our live engineer, Dave Bennett and mixed by our good friend Dave Draper.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

(John) The show we recorded this at was a particular high point as it was the culmination of our Churches Tour and a sold out hometown show in front of our families, our longest-serving fans and plenty of new friends. To be able to share our music in such a special setting, literally a stone’s throw from the band HQ/rehearsal space, was a real “pinch me” moment for us.

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

Arran – We used our usual live setup (For those interested: Gretsch guitars, Blackstar amps, Dans Guitar Store Picks, Newtone strings, Shure wireless systems, Green Carrot Pedals, JSA FX, Alpher instruments, Ashdown amps, Nord keys, Primas custom drums, Code drum heads, London drumstick company sticks, Meinl cymbals), with a couple of ambient microphones to pick up the crowd noise for a more immersive, authentic “live” experience. Dave (our engineer) records every show like this and we just thought it would be nice to release this song with it being such a special show for us, and this track in particular being a fan-favourite.

Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

(Arran) – I think happiest is Evergreen off our debut record ‘Eden’, the song is about realising the beauty of being alive and taking every opportunity you can to experience it. We haven’t really got any angry songs – there’s enough anger in the world, we’re here to share the light! Our most reflective song is probably Lonely Road – this is performed just by John and Rich is quite an emotional point in the set.

Do you have any further music releases planned for 2025/2026?

(John) We are heading into the studio to record our third album towards the end of this year, so that will be released at some point in 2026. We are really pleased with how the tracks are sounding and we have a great team on board to produce it so we are beyond excited to bring this record to life.

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

(Arran) – I always hope that we’ve made people smile and escape for a moment into our little world and made them part of our family for the evening.

(John) I like to think we always make a connection with the crowd and leave the venue with new members of the rivers family.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

(Arran) – Myself and John both use Blackstar St James Amps with myself on the 6L6 model and John on the EL34. We both also use Gretsch guitars, my main model is a Players Edition Broadkaster JR and sounds immense. I use quite a high gain sound with boost pedals and the Filtertron pickups respond so well to it.

How do you look after your voices?

(John) Rich and I always try to make time for vocal warmups before every show and have recently incorporated a Pulmo-Train Voice into our routine which is proving very helpful. I also avoid spicy food on gig days!

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?

(John) The Ass Saw the Angel by Nick Cave, I think our brand of Americana-inspired rock would really fit the vibe of the story’s setting.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

(Arran) – I personally grew up in a village called Kegworth next to Castle Donington where Download is held every year. It’s where I first found my love of rivers and narrowboats (which I live on now!) and provided a lot of the inspiration around my songwriting. I’d describe it in 3 words as warm, spiritual and peaceful. The band ‘hub’ is the small country town of Belper, just outside of Derby. It’s a beautiful area on the edge of the Peak District with a real community and creative ethos, so we feel very at home there.

Do you have any live dates in the UK/Europe planned for 2025/2026?

(John) We have a headline tour of the UK in November. We’ll be back in the EU at some point in 2026 – stay tuned for news on that. We can’t wait to get back on the road!

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

(Arran) – I’m very inspired by late 60’s and 70’s rock bands such as Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Budgie. In terms of more modern bands – I love Marcus King – I think he’s a killer songwriter and player.

What makes These Wicked Rivers happy and what makes you unhappy?

(John) I think the thing that makes us most happy as a band is feeling the connection we have with our fans while we’re on stage, but to be honest we’re all generally pretty happy most of the time.