Rotary Ten

‘I spent most of the Glastonbury weekend in my tent, crouched in the foetus position being sick. I don’t know if it was food poisoning or just a stomach bug, but I missed all the bands I wanted to see and only managed to catch the Bootleg Beatles on Sunday night.” says Guitarist Steven. Not very rock and roll.
Steven is part of foursome, Rotary Ten, a band that have been collecting rave reviews from the music press and comparisons as varied as The Libertines to The Smiths. However, one thing rings true, that this indie band are armed with intelligent lyrics and ambition. The foursome has released two self-funded 7in singles by their own record label, Quick! Records, produced by the esteemed Alan Smyth. ‘Idols of Our Own Design’ has graced the playlist of Radio 1’s Steve Lamacq and second single, ‘We Travelled without Mentioning It’ has been played by Radio 6 daytime DJ, Gideon Coe.
I meet up with two of Rotary Ten, Steven and his older brother, James for a drink and a chat in the Washington pub. Other band members, drummer Rory and bassist Richard are back home in their native Lincoln. “We grew up in the same villages and so we’ve know each other since childhood,” James enlightens me. The band got together through a shared love of music, eighties bands like Pixies and The Smiths, as well as Post-Rock, New-Wave American bands such as Death Cab For Cuties and Explosions in the Sky. James and Steven grew up on a farm and came to Sheffield to study at University, managing to stay in touch with their band-mates. So are they a Sheffield or Lincoln based band?
“Sheffield. We rehearse back home in our barn but we record and play most of our gigs here. It’s Sheffield that has given us the opportunities we’ve had. I think culturally, Lincoln is twenty-five years behind a city like Sheffield. When we left, there was one gig venue and virtually no music scene. Now you’ve got some cool places and a growing industry. Bigger bands are even venturing to play there.’ Evidently so, as the band are playing Lincoln University soon, supporting British Sea Power.
I ask whether they see themselves as part of a Sheffield scene.
“I don’t think there is a specific scene, there tends to be certain cliques. We associate ourselves with bands because we’re friends or we’ve played together before. I live with two members of Letters and Colours and we’re good mates with Fury of the Head teachers.” Steven chips in “Sheffield bands seem to be divided by the native older crowd who’ve been around for a bit and tend to sing in colloquial accents. We’re the guys who’ve moved here but there is no hard feelings. But I do think we’ve gained respect by gigging, so we’ve paid our dues!”
In October last year, the band embarked on a ten date tour throughout the UK and picking up fans along the way. “The Lincoln dates are always well turned out by our supporters and all our old uni mates turned up in Sheffield too. We get excited playing places like London, but they tend to be the worst. People seem to be more reserved, like their not there for the music.”
However their music is gaining recognition and rightly so. ‘We Travelled Without Mention It’ is an excellent example of what these guys are capable of, maturity and heartfelt lyrics that are reminiscent of The Cure. Like Robert Smith, Steven’s voice is delicate and almost strains at the peak.

Currently Steven and James spend their days working in menial admin jobs, but they find nothing worse than the current trend of bands moaning about everyday life. ‘We hate bands that go on and on about how shit their jobs are. I mean, there not working! Their touring the world and playing to thousands of people every night,’
So your not fans of Hard-Fi then? ‘Definitely not. I bet there working in their record labels offices as we speak, getting more material for their new album!’ laughs Steven. The band hope to record an album in the near future and continue touring but fame and the celebrity world is not top of their list. ‘We’d like to be able not to work…or most work part-time,’ says Steven. Aren’t you just moaning about work like Hard-Fi now? James jumps in defensively, ‘er…but we don’t sing about it!’ Good Point.

Singles ‘Idols of Our Own Design’ and ‘We Travelled Without Mentioning It’ are available from Jacks Records.
www.myspace.com/rotaryten