After the Top 20 success of their debut album, The Royston Club are pushing into bold new territory with the announcement of their second full-length record, Songs For The Spine, due out 8th August. Alongside the album reveal comes the emotionally charged new single Glued To The Bed, premiered by Huw Stephens on BBC 6 Music, and news of their biggest UK headline tour to date—culminating in a major London show at the O2 Forum Kentish Town.
From Wrexham’s grassroots scene to the national stage, The Royston Club have built a loyal fanbase with an energy that’s impossible to ignore. Their debut record earned them a #16 spot on the Official UK Albums Chart, but with Songs For The Spine, the four-piece—Tom Faithfull (vocals/guitar), Ben Matthias (guitar), Dave Tute (bass), and Sam Jones (drums)—are ready to prove they’re more than just a breakout act.
Produced by Rich Turvey (Blossoms, Rachel Chinouriri), Songs For The Spine finds the band stretching beyond the indie bangers of their debut. There’s still the same propulsive rhythm and melodic immediacy, but the album also delves into deeper emotional waters, marrying personal storytelling with widescreen, universal themes. “All of these songs are about people and places we love,” says guitarist Ben Matthias. “These people and these places are the things that keep you standing through whatever happens.” It’s an album that connects everyday life—relationships, hometown nostalgia, and even speeding fines in Wrexham—with the kind of indie-rock anthems that are made to be screamed in unison.
Leading the charge is Glued To The Bed, a gritty yet bittersweet track that perfectly bridges the sonic gap between the four-piece’s debut and their more expansive new direction. Kicking off with an instantly hooky guitar riff, the track builds on pounding drums and a heartfelt vocal that lays bare the emotional wreckage left by a relationship. “I wanted to write about the cynicism towards love that heartbreak can bring,” Matthias explains. “It’s about the push and pull between needing to forget and wanting to hold on. Looking back, I think I wrote it as a kind of defence mechanism, dismissing love while also pleading not to get hurt again.”
It’s the kind of track that will hit hard for fans old and new alike, offering both catharsis and community in three-and-a-half minutes of melodic defiance.
Already this year, The Royston Club have been tearing up stages across the UK—from a high-energy set at Liverpool Sound City, a sold-out underplay at London’s Omeara, to a part in Wrexham FC’s promotion celebrations. They’ve also secured festival and support slots with major acts including Bloc Party, The Lathums, and Travis, before setting out on their most ambitious headline tour to date this October.
Upcoming UK Tour Dates:
MAY
24th – Neighbourhood Weekender
25th – Tunes in the Castle Festival
JULY
10th – Manchester, Castlefield Bowl (with Bloc Party)
11th – TRNSMT Festival
12th – Leeds, Millennium Square (with The Lathums)
19th – Llandudno, Venue Cymru Arena (with Travis)
25th – Latitude Festival
27th – Tramlines
AUGUST
2nd – Kendal Calling
15th – Hardwick Calling
22nd – Reading Festival
23rd – Leeds Festival
As The Lights Go Down, The K’s Got A Feeling At The Roundhouse
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