Interview: Rituals

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

All of our parents just had mega music tastes, so we grew up on bangers! God knows what we would be doing but we at least know Lewis would be a chef.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Lewis likes to do a massive barbecue, Dom eats watermelon and goes canoeing, Dix loves his horror films and Ewan is into sports like football and mma. It doesn't really influence our creativity as such, but more gives us a break and refreshes our minds before writing.

How long has your band been around?

Ewan and Lewis started the band when they were 18, but only really started taking it seriously in 2020, so we feel we have truly been a band for the past 2 years.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We are based in Newcastle so we are always surrounded by mad folk which makes our music lethal.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

We were lucky in the fact that we never had to dwell on thinking of a name for the band, we had the name before we had any songs. To us Rituals just means a bunch of lads writing riffs and creating memories.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

The most memorable show we have ayes to date would be opening for Skindred in Newcastle. It was as a collective the most surreal experience of our lives, seeing so many people enjoying our music, singing along, it was something we'll never forget.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Students Union in Newcastle will always be up there, we also loved the Queens Hall in Nuneaton! Our dream will always be to play Brixton, that has always been top or the list for us!

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Bleed From Within, While She Sleeps and Architects, all the riffs in one go.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Make sure all your bandmates have the same collective goal, and get together in a room and play together, that's where a band really grows.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Be patient, think everything through, don't rush to any decisions and never don't ask questions!

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

The title track of our new EP "Show Me The Signs" as a band is a song we are all immensely proud of, and we all still get goosebumps everytime we listen to it.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Most requested has to be "Snakes Head" always got to make sure that is in the setlist! And favourite to play is probably "Oceans Subside" from the new EP, it had such a great feel and bounce to it, which translates really well in a live environment.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Our songwriting process normally begins with a demo, but what we did differently this time around was we all got in a room and jammed the songs and made arrangement changes there and then. For the previous release we had not played any of the songs together in a room before releasing them, and I think that difference comes across massively in the new EP. The songs have much more energy and flow between sections much better.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Self worth, making sure you are the best version of yourself you can be and getting rid of negative influences in your life to achieve this.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

We all have the same goal in mind, so any disagreements will never be too major, it's just about making sure we as people are all open and honest with each other.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We release our 2nd EP "Show Me The Signs" on the 2nd of September! We also have appearances at Dominion Festival, alongside the likes of Cradle Of Filth, Napalm Death and Blind Guardian, as well as RiseFest alongside Frank Carter! We will also be announcing some dates up and down the country so keep an eye out on our socials! https://linktr.ee/RitualsUK