The Royston Club – ‘Songs For The Spine’: A Vigorous Yet Vulnerable Step Into The Spotlight From The Welsh Indie Wonders.  

“But I’m still thinking of her / when I’m not thinking at all”. A tender and admissive lyric? Yes. My feelings on The Royston Club’s debut album Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars (2023)?… a stronger yes. The bright and boyish debut by the Welsh indie-rockers was charming, vibrant and seemingly one of the best kept secrets of the indie music scene at the time. Following the formulaic year and a half gestation period- The Royston Club have emerged an evolved beast. With their back’s burdened by the hardships of early adulthood and their hand’s calloused from love’s cynicisms (not to mention a hefty touring schedule too), the band take a matured and calculated leap forward into the spotlight with sophomore album Songs For The Spine (2025). 

The album opens with grizzly second single ‘Shivers’. Cascading cacophonies of guitars and grit, scurry, shift and swallow each other whole, sparring for control with lead singer Tom Faithful’s crisp roars throughout the entire track. Complete with a brooding beat and bassline to boot, ‘Shivers’ invites fans into the maturation of the band’s sound. In an interview with Boot Music, lead guitarist and songwriter Ben Matthias stated that the band deliberately aimed to “de-indie-fy” this new era and shed the classic naiveties of indie-rock for a moodier and more mercurial direction. 

Songs For The Spine (2025) relentlessly asks an important question; what to do with love once it turns bitter? Must we torture ourselves with the remnants to steal momentary glimpses of what once was- or do we unburden our heart and surrender to the black? 

Third single ‘Glued To The Bed’ arguably toils over this turmoil the best. The scintillating guitars rev up the DeLorean and transport your senses on a journey to good times gone by, whilst the lyrical hook yearns to escape the numbness of lost love. It is juxtaposition at its finest and is bound to resonate with many a listener. Adding charm to the direst of situations- isn’t that always the mark of a good band? 

Similarly, the following track ‘Cariad’ stops even the sternest in their tracks, with the title being a reference to the group’s Wrexham roots as a Welsh term of endearment. The ease with which Faithful gives life to Matthias’ words is frightening and through their combined efforts in mourning intimacy and touch, the listener is in for a sharp tug on the heartstrings. Keen-eared Leeds listeners will also note a reference to one of the cities night-life hotspots in the ballad; “I’m missing Call Lane and the cigarette stains / all the poetry I never read”. Shoutout Oporto for this one. 

I would wear ‘30/20’ like a jacket if I could. Honest and raw, the song attempts to answer questions about identity, exploration and homesickness which they fear they may already know: “Maybe it’s the catholic in me” / “I feel most at home when I’m trying to make sense of it all”. When push comes to shove, as many of our university student readers will know all too well, leaving home is turbulent and Matthias lets this pain brandish his skin and become part of his identity. These experiences, whilst harsh, have allowed the band to mature and grow into this new version of themselves. 

These heartfelt and meticulously crafted songs all highlight a young and honest songwriter reaching the peak of his powers and, in a genre that can be often plagued by simplistic writing and lackluster wit, it’s a valiant sign that the four-piece refuses to pander. 

With a keen eye on the future, The Royston Club maintain a finger on the pulse of what got them here. Whilst ‘The Ballad Of Glen Campbell’ and ‘Spinning’ are voyages into softer and more intricate territories, ‘Through The Cracks’ and ‘Crowbar’ have all the charm, cleverness and vigor of the band’s defining hits. Meanwhile, lead single and immediate fan favourite ‘The Patch Where Nothing Grows’ dials all the best bits the Welsh lads have to offer to eleven. 

Speaking of building on the band’s strengths, production for their sophomore album comes from the acclaimed Rich Turvey (Blossoms, Rachel Chinouriri, Courteeners). Turvey does an excellent job at coaxing out the gorgeous sound and passion the boys exhibit live. Whilst Matthias’ writing is palpably poignant, there is something truly special when the quartet are handed their weapons of choice and left to draw out sounds from the ether. Turvey has managed to stretch their sounds to new limits- rhythm sections from drummer Sam Jones and bassist Dave Tute are dynamic and possess an evolved complexity that compliments the flashiness of the lead sections and Faithful’s grand vocal performance to a tee. The result is a refined and well-postured 39-minute album that doesn’t give listeners a chance to consider pressing pause 

Songs For The Spine (2025) does, for me, exactly what a second album should. It never promises to reinvent the wheel nor split the atom- but takes what was oh so special about the band’s debut Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars (2023) and ups the ante, all the while not shying away from profound moments of sonic evolution. The production is both expansive yet fine-tuned, the songs are vulnerable and true, and The Royston Club are in pole position to be the next big thing. 

Words by Daniel Brown.