Reef

Reef

Glastonbury rockers REEF have released their new double A-side single ‘Wolfman’ / ‘Right On’, with both tracks taken from their eagerly anticipated new album Shoot Me Your Ace, which will be released on April 15th.

The two songs illustrate both sides of the acclaimed British band. ‘Wolfman’ is a huge groove laden track, as heavy as it is funky. Gary Stringer’s raw vocals lead the charge alongside screaming guitar lines and a rhythm section more solid than a slab of granite. It’s set to explode across live stages later this spring.

“When I see sweat dripping from a ceiling, speakers bouncing, crowds moving, that’s when I know that what we do is relevant no matter what else is going on around us,” says Gary. “Without that big heartbeat and that primal urge, the rest of it doesn’t mean anything. The one job a band has to do is excite people, and we know we excite people.”

Meanwhile ‘Right On’ is a beautiful and uplifting anthem, a burst of pure positivity written by Jack Bessant. “It’s about being the best person you can be, doing the right things, making the right decisions,” says the bassist. “You’ve got to be right on for yourself, for your friends, for the planet, for rock’n’roll.”

The double A-side single follows the release of the album’s debut single and title track ‘Shoot Me Your Ace’, which is a no-holds-barred, uptempo rock’n’rollacoaster that premiered on Chris Evans’ breakfast show on Virgin Radio. Watch the death defying-video shot inside a motorcycle wall of death above

The album was produced by former Duran Duran/ Power Station guitarist Andy Taylor whose playing on the record joins Gary Stringer on vocals, Jack Bessant on bass, Jesse Wood (son of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood) on guitars, and Luke Bessant, (ex-Bryan Ferry / KT Tunstall / Joe Strummer) on drums. Collectively they are remarkable array of talents who together can justly lay claim to being a national rock’n’roll treasure.

And Shoot Me Your Ace showcases their power in one of the most thrilling rock albums of recent years. From the title track’s swaggering opening salvo all the way through to album closer ‘Strangelove’, Shoot Me Your Ace is a thrilling blast of unadulterated rock’n’roll joy.

Producer Andy Taylor says, “I’ve been looking to make a record like this for a long time. I can’t love it enough. The chances you get in life to do something as great as this album don’t come along very often, so when they do you just grab them.”

“The universe has put all the pieces into place for us,” continues Bessant. “This line-up, these four guys, along with Andy’s extra guitar and production, is just one big ball of energy that we managed to bottle. It feels like the start of a new chapter for us – Reef Mk II.”

This cosmic alchemy has resulted in a record that doesn’t just match such classic Reef albums as 1995 breakout debut Replenish or 1997’s transcendent Glow but exceeds them.
After two years of uncertainty, despondency and gloom, it feels like an outpouring of positivity. As Gary Stringer puts it: “It’s the sound the world needs right now.”

Shoot Me Your Ace will be released on a variety of formats including CD, black vinyl, coloured vinyl, cassette and digital. Pre-order the album, along with brand new Shoot Me Your Ace merchandise here:

REEF – Shoot Me Your Ace Tour
April 2022
7th Newcastle University
8th Glasgow QMU
9th Manchester – O2 Ritz
14th Exeter – Phoenix
15th Cardiff – Tramshed
16th London – O2 Forum Kentish Town
21st Leeds – University Stylus
22nd Bristol – O2 Academy
23rd Birmingham – O2 Institute
28th Brighton – Chalk
29th – Southampton – Engine Rooms
30th – Norwich – UEA

To pre-order the album or to buy ticket for the band’s forthcoming tour go to reeftheband.com

Jack Bessant: Surf, Sounds, Solace

Jack Bessant: Surf, Sounds, Solace

“This is my journey and it’s as raw as any other persons,” says singer-songwriter Jack Bessant reflecting on his latest solo project Brother Thunder EP.

For the Reef bassist, life-long surfer and solo-artist, this most recent body of work – which also includes the album Lucky Mountain (August 2020) – is the culmination of a road long travelled. There’s a certain symmetry to his journey. Jack grew up on the West Country strawberry farm where he is now raising his own young family, back to the landscape of his childhood, reconnecting to his community. “It’s been about finding my path,” explains Jack, “to just stand in front of a mic with a guitar and harmonica and share songs from the soul that have meaning and emotion and heart.”

These latest releases have been something of a catharsis, confronting an intensely personal subject that has been buried deep. “I had to deal with my brother committing suicide,” he explains. “It was heavy, it was horrific. I’ve managed to deal with it now through my music. I didn’t want to have to talk about it at the time, I didn’t want to have to say it out loud, but it’s important, we have to be able to be raw with each other… It’s been a dark horse on me and hopefully through my music I’m able to help other people, not just with coming to terms with something like that, but the realness of all our lives.” 

Recorded on the farm, Brother Thunder EP is far from a dark body of work. It resonates with rich emotion, from rousing basslines and driving guitar, to the soaring highs of soulful harmonies and mournful melancholy of folk rock harp. Jack’s aim is simple, “The EP has given me a certain energy, it’s a release in the real sense of the word. I hope people get something positive out of it, a feeling of ease, a sense of freedom.” 

The title track is a foot stomping tribute. “I was lying in bed and heard the most vibrant, dangerous thunder clap echo around Cheddar Gorge. I revelled at nature’s great energy and ability to perform feats of wonder at any given time. It made me think about my late brother and smile, surrendering to the fact that sometimes things are just out of your control,” explains Jack. “Channelling my energy into music, skateboarding and surfing – helped me get through something… that’s kinda the message of the song.”

The second track Never Give Up is an ode to creativity. The video was the brainchild of photographer Tim Gutt and multi-disciplinary creative Shona Heath – famed for producing surrealist, playful and fantastical creations for the most exciting fashion houses and photographers over the last two decades. “I instantly felt a connection with the lyrics,” explains Shona. “It’s light and happy but it goes really deep into the soul. We knew we wanted to do something fun and un-fancy to do justice to the honesty that reverberates through this song.”

“It was all very lo-fi DIY,” says Tim. “Jack came to lend a hand to his alter-ego, giving him all his harmonica and guitar skills. We were a small group of friends tugging and pulling ‘Jacks’s’ ropes, the tune the intuitive guiding force for our collective nerve system. ”

Jack’s greater journey has taken in some of the highest altitudes a musician can strive for – from stadium tours to industry awards and platinum selling albums. As a band Reef started out close to the ocean, with weekly gigs by the beach and salt crusted hair – and it here he still feels most at home. It’s where he’s drawn to when he needs to recalibrate. “I love going camping and surfing, taking just a guitar and a harmonica,” he explains. “I have a lovely family, want to travel a bit, do some gigs here and there and live a little. This is the journey that I’m on and you don’t always want it to be the same, you want to flow.”

Brother Thunder EP is out now with High Head Industries:

Jack Bessant is a solo singer-songwriter and the bassist in platinum selling English rock band Reef, formed in 1993. The current Reef line up includes original member and long time friend Gary Stringer and guitarist Jesse Wood who joined the band in 2014.

Jack wrote his first song for Reef in 1993, ‘Choose to Live’, about the death of his brother.

Suicide is the single biggest killer of men aged under 45 the UK* thecalmzone.net

Inna di Caribbean – Martinique (Episode 2)

Inna di caribbean (in the caribbean) – Directed by free surfer / film maker Arthur Bourbon – is a surf movie documenting the winter peregrinations of Arthur through the lesser Antilles Islands. Arthur was born in Guadeloupe (French West indies), he left France mainland last winter to explore this pristine blue archipelago, meet local people and caribbean surf communities, trying to reconnect with his childhood roots. This short movie is an ode to travel. Arthur started his trip from his native island, passing through Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia, to reach his final destination Barbados.

On the rhythm of local music, you will discover the waves and the surfers of this amazing place called the caribbean.

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“I travelled for a month with my friend Simon Valdivia (cameraman), taking ferrys to go from an island to another. On our path we had the chance to meet some amazing human being and to find some really good surf. Even if every islands of the caribbean are different, they all have that same strong and interesting culture. People are so laidback and welcoming, everybody was really happy to see us and share a piece of his island. It’s a project i’ve been working on for a long time now, and i’m really glad now to be able to show a bit of the surf culture in the caribbean.” Arthur 

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JPT – Portugal

With nearly 1800 kilometers of coastline, the sights, sounds and colors of Portugal’s diverse coastline, stunning scenery and rich culture can bring out the #justpassingthrough spirit in anyone. From Lisbon to Ericeira, Peniche and Berlengas, Reef Ambassadors Evan Geiselman and Mitch Crews reap the benefits in #justpassingthrough Portugal: Episode 6.

Carve Boardshorts Guide 2016

Boardshort Guide
Oneill-Shorts

Summer’s nearly here, that time when we can swap jeans and hopefully, if we’re really lucky, neoprene for a lightweight alternative. Boardshorts tick everyone’s box, they’re great for hanging out in and you never know if may even be warm enough to wear them in the sea this summer. This season brings a huge range of retro inspired designs combined with cutting edge technology. So  jump in and discover what’s on offer!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RANGE

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