Full Disclosure:
The Reinforcements played on the Friday at Call Of The Wild 2023 and I hoped to chat with them whilst on site. Now strangely I kept missing the guys (maybe they knew I wanted to interview them😂) whilst my mate who drove me to and from the festival bumped into at least one of them regularly. The band who hails from Edinburgh, Scotland (my home town) I have seen a good number of times and I have reviewed them for CGCM a couple of times in gig reviews. I really wanted to get a chance to introduce them as people telling their story and giving readers here an insight into what makes them who they are. So as 3 of the bands who played the festival were all hitting Bannerman’s Bar in Edinburgh on the Monday night after the festival (the others being Kickin’ Valentina and Sweet Electric, interview to come) I managed to organize a catch-up on the night. I had the whole band minus bassist Christian Kimmet who was sorting things out for the other bands, sit with me in another venue just up the road where it was quieter and we could chat at length. Now those who were at the festival might be aware that rhythm guitarist Steven Wilson didn’t play on the day due to his day job but he joined us for the interview as he was playing on the Monday night in his usual position. I will sometimes put the name of the person talking and sometimes I will just put Reinforcements if I am not 100% sure who spoke. At times when several people answer I will put // between comments to show that several members made comments. So here is a transcript of what transpired over a beer (or 2) when the band talked with CGCM…
CGCM: Thanks for giving us some time so I can ask some questions on behalf of our readers. Can I start by asking you to give a little history about the band?
How They Came To Be:
Richy (lead vocals): Yeah, we originally started as Richy Neill And The Reinforcements because originally I was doing a solo project. We quickly grew arms and legs and we became a band so just became The Reinforcements. As it grew members became the lineup we currently have. We also had people like Raz (Raz White a music promoter) who said “Hey, you are really good, change the name and keep rocking the songs you are doing“. Also by that time, every single person was writing, it wasn’t just me anymore. With all of our different influences and styles that we like, it was a given, we had to change the name and become The Reinforcements. As it was every single one of us writing the songs by then, it was no longer a session band, it was and is a band and we know we were going forward with this.
CGCM: So when did it technically start?
Reinforcements: A long time // since 2018? // Richy: The band, the rebranding whatever that happened just after Covid. The name is really within the last year (at this point there is a general discussion about when it was exactly, the main point being it was recent!)
CGCM: I hear quite a lot of different influences personally so if I can ask the obvious as to what influences would you say you have? How different are you from each other for instance?
A Look At The Influences:
Reinforcements: Very! (loads of laughing at the one-word answer). // Tom (Parker drums): Shinedown is one I am very much drawn towards, also stuff like Black Stone Cherry, modern hard rock bands really. // The music originally when Richy was doing it was kind of indie pop almost. That was because a lot of it was acoustic, and then Dave (Taylor lead guitarist) is really into bands like Alter Bridge, there are loads of things brought into it really // Steve is into his pop-punk // Steve (takes over): I love bands like Blink 182 all the way to bands like Metallica, Death Cab For Cutie and things like that. Obviously Christian brings his influences like Guns ‘n’ Roses and loads of bands like that. Also especially with him being in bands, or at least touring with so many bands like Love Hate and Warrior Soul. It’s great you know. //
Ripping Things Apart:
Richy: The combination works out very well. None of us is precious, so when we come in with an idea we can rip it apart, put it back together, stitch it back and forward again, try it 100 ways until we get the result we want from the song. That is why we are really proud of this EP we are slowly dripping out. It is all of our influences, all of us writing it. That is why we are now called just by a band name because it is all of us 100%. For example the song “Empty Promises” which Tom wrote, he came in with this rhythm riff with some midi drums as such and we started working on it and it went in a really good direction as Dave changed the lead part and then Christian changed the bass line. We didn’t have the vocal idea at the time so I changed the melody around a little and ripped it up and put it back together. Every single new song that came in we rebuilt into what The Reinforcements sound is.
CGCM: So do you all write a bit separately and bring it into each other?
The Differences In Studio And Live Song Wise:
Tom: It is normally just at rehearsal, say like Dave has a guitar idea he is working with… me and Dave are also in other bands where I play guitar on the side as well so I can give some ideas on what could be changed, then Christian will think of a bass line, or we play it on loop and it then gets a bit more technical. It is kind of improv, we get more ideas… // Richy: Onstage we like to, em, (pauses for a second), the songs have structures but especially when we get to the breakdowns and such, depending on what the audience is like and what show you are playing then those breakdowns can be extended, possibly put in crowd participation. For example, at Call Of The Wild, we were on early so you can’t do a half-hour breakdown. You strip that out, do the “well hows everyone doing” try to get them clapping along. Tom is one of the best drummers ever, he is SO focused, whenever I change back into the song he goes straight back into it and everybody knows where we are in the song.
CGCM: On one of the songs, I think it is “Wandering” there is in my view a bit of prog in there too. I found myself moving to it then suddenly I noticed I am out as you have changed the beat or something
Breaking Down The Latest Single:
Tom: It is very swing and then the breakdown goes into kind of straight 4/4 // Steven: That was something me and Dave came up with over lockdown and we took so long, sending demos around and when it was over we got down to work on it. It has that really clean guitar intro and as we worked on it the song came together quite purely… // Richy: That was one we changed the verses and chorus around, we were sitting thinking it was quite good then wondering what it might be like if we turned it all around. That’s what I mean by we take songs apart to hear things in every way to find what we want as the final result. // Steven: Dave and I did a demo and sent it to the boys going “what do you think?” We got plenty of feedback but when we could get together down at Richy‘s and I was keen to cut some vocals, or at least a vocal idea for the song. Richy just came straight up with that chorus, right off the bat. I was like wow. I told him what he had suggested had to be the chorus… Richy: I was like “alright” (everyone laughs). You had an original idea, I wasn’t keen on the melody but you had some really cool words that I really liked. We pushed it all back and forth // Steven: I have known Richy since I was about 15, we’ve been good friends (Richy quips “says who” to lots of laughter)… so we can push and shove each other until we get the right balance.
Not Being Precious:
Richy: (continues chat) It is good that we all take part in writing. Some bands have one writer, I suppose we kind of started like that, but as I said when we all started writing we had to become the band we now are. We can all take anything into our practice room, it might not work, it could go in a bin, or it could be recycled later in another song, but the fact is the writing element is brilliant for us as no one in the band is precious or getting upset or offended if we don’t all agree on something they might like. No one is crying “but I liked that riff” (he makes weeping noises causing laughs). // Steven: We have had so many ideas over the last year, sometimes we might agree to hold an idea that could be good in a different song or different setting. // Richy: There was a song we were working on the other day and I got Tom to play 2 or 3 different beats for the same song (everyone laughs) // Tom: (still laughing) It is just trials, it is what rehearsals are for // Richy: We are in rehearsals every week along often with gigs, we are with each other quite a lot of the time now.
CGCM: Now I am chatting with you the day after Call Of The Wild ended and I am wondering how you found the festival experience there. You had a couple of wee technical issues, which can happen anywhere, but you battled through and for me did a great job, the response was good. How was it for you?
Praise About Call Of The Wild:
Richy: I had the best time ever there, I was so surprised, em, (pauses to find his words), I think it is great credit to the festival runners because they treated every partner there with respect. Even in things like proper toilets, decent food stalls and reasonable prices at both the drink and food stalls. I mean I have gone to other bigger festivals, not naming any names but they can treat the audience a bit like cattle and you end up with folks upset, quite rightly so, I mean if you look at that movie about Woodstock then you can see the worst of that. Call Of The Wild treated everyone with respect, fans, performers and because of that every single person that was in the audience were amazing, so polite and nice. I didn’t see any litter lying about and folks were all in the best of spirits. We arrived on the Thursday night and the people we met and spoke with that night, every single one of them we saw down the front ready for us when we came onstage. //
“A Happy Family Feel”:
Tom: It had a very happy family feel about it. I think a lot of folks knew each other from other events as well. Seeing all the kids running around that was great to see. It was a happy place to be. // Richy: I don’t think I have ever been at a more supportive festival. That feeds back as when you get on the stage having been chatting with folks for hours beforehand the crowd fed off what you did and reacted great to things which made the atmosphere 10 times better for us, which of course we wanted to put it straight back out for them. It is a thank you as they charged us up. It is a circle with an audience, you give them something and they react by giving you it back. I really have to tip my hat to the audience at COTW as they were amazing and I really hope we get to go back.
CGCM: Just if I may ask a couple of questions to close, firstly you have been releasing songs one at a time online and I wonder why you have decided to do that?
How To Deal With The Modern Way Of Music:
Steven: So we have just been releasing singles, one was at New Year, the second in March and the next one is out this Friday (“Wandering” which is available online now). The reason is, em, let’s face it people’s attention spans these days, well let’s say we released a 6 song EP, how much of it is going to be listened to? How many times will folks listen to the whole thing? So we decided to bleed these 6 songs out individually and hopefully, as people get to know the songs when we release them all together in a physical thing folks might want to have it and listen to it all again. I mean the 2 out so far have had over 20,000 listens to each on Spotify so… //
The Ups And Downs Of Spotify:
Richy: The thing is, we are a smaller band and we are trying to get our name out there and as Steve rightly said it is hard to get the modern generation’s attention for so long. Spotify has a small monthly sum where folks can skip, skip skip through songs for free. If you can’t get people to listen to a song how are you going to get them to buy an album? That means our current plan is to release songs 1 by 1 which will be the songs on the EP we eventually release. We are still talking about what we will do but we have thought we might do a limited run of signed CDs which we could release before the last couple of songs come out. That would be for those who have enjoyed what they have heard so far. We are a small band with a little bit of a label representation but we don’t have the pull of bigger bands so this is simply the best way to get our music out there. We want people to listen to us. Spotify has returns which are pennies but it does mean that we are out on a wider bracket so that we can hopefully get to more people.
CGCM: So what are your plans going forward? Obviously, new songs being released but what about gigs or tours?
Sorting Edinburgh Gigs Not Only For Them:
Richy: We do have a bunch of bookings coming up. There are things we cannot or are not yet allowed to announce. We arrange our own shows as well, I mean if we got offered support for an amazing band then obviously we want to be a part of that. We like though to run our own shows to try and give all the bands and audiences the exact same treatment that we just received at Call Of The Wild. We know we are in control, you know with being an Edinburgh gig it could all go wrong (everyone laughing). So whenever we put a band on we provide a full backline for them, we tell those travelling here not to worry, if there is anything they need or can’t carry we can provide. We tell bands to travel as light as they can and not to waste money as we will try to even get accomodation sorted out. We have a really good networking thing with a lot of smaller bands. I mean it is harder for a smaller band to get to that next level so we try to help and work together with others.
Having An Advantage Now:
We also now have our own little recording studio so every new bit of material now is easier to demo. We can sit down as a band and hear a song properly which speeds up the writing process for us. We plan to do some of our older songs again, back them up and do some releases of those. We will continue working on new stuff which some of it is mindblowing but that won’t come out until it is fully ready. There is no rush, we can take our time and send it to our label when we want instead of panicking “deadline, deadline, deadline” (laughs). It is good as there is nothing worse than releasing a song that just wasn’t ready which we are not about.
Concluding Thoughts:
At this point, we got ourselves ready to head back to Bannerman’s to watch the other bands. A huge thank you to the guys for their time and on behalf of CGCM I wish them all the very best going forward and recommend that should the band play a gig near you as a reader then please get along and support a hard-working band with great songs and lovely attitude. Personally, I think it is great that bands like The Reinforcements support each other and really care about the rock and metal scene at this time. Thanks again the guys.
Purchase Their Music At Amazon HERE!
Official Website // Official Facebook
COTW OFFICIAL WEBSITE / FACEBOOK
The CGCM Rock Radio Call Of The Wild 2023 Coverage: LINK
Check out my other reviews and interviews here. Tom
