“The biggest fear for us is how quickly music is changing, how much the way we consume music has changed. Streaming is such a big part of people’s lives that it is a necessary evil for artists these days, but I really hope we can compensate people fairly for their art before music becomes devalued so much that it doesn’t mean anything. That would be such a shame.”

Revenant: Black Dogs and Sad Men

Rising UK rockers Revenant are thrilled to announce their highly anticipated new 5-track EP ‘Black Dogs and Sad Men’ for release October 10 on CD and all good digital platforms. The EP is also combined with their acclaimed previous release ‘Best Medicine’ in a strictly limited edition to 100 copies coloured vinyl run bearing the moniker ‘Black Dogs and Best Medicine’, available for pre-order now direct from the band. All of the tracks were self-produced by the band, recorded at Studio 91 in Berkshire with mastering handled by Dave Draper (The Wildhearts, Terrorvision, Dodgy). Formed in 2023, the 4-piece from Newbury/Basingstoke consisting of Sam Lay (vocals, guitar), Matt Hudson (guitar), Robin Nutley (bass), and Carl Donoghue (drums) bring a huge rock sound with a southern spin and have had favourable comparisons to rock household names from Chris Cornell and Alter Bridge through to Black Stone Cherry.

(Revenant: Sam Lay, Matt Hudson, Robin Nutley and Carl Donoghue / Photo by Rob Blackham)

The high octane 4 piece collectively have influences spanning from Guns & Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackberry Smoke through to Metallica. With this heady mixture, you can anticipate a truly captivating sound from these rising rockers. Never ones to disappoint, Revenant are bringing their message to the masses, affectionately called ‘The Revenant Ones’, that this isn’t just a bit of fun. This is real life with stories of hope, love and life, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Interview by Michael Limnios                           Special Thanks: O’Neill PR

How has the music and Rock Counterculture influenced your views of the world? What musicians have continued to inspire you and your music?

I think what rock music has taught me is that we all need to have a good time and forget about the crap that’s happening. It’s so easy to get swamped under the media’s reporting of crisis after crisis, war after war and the like, so we need rock & roll more than ever. It has such a great way of bringing people together. Bands like Florence Black, Blackberry Smoke, Van Halen, Thin Lizzy and artists such as Chris Stapleton and Chris Cornell really influence the way we write and think about our music - we are huge fans of meaningful and powerful songwriting and we are always striving to be at the level of those artists.

How do you describe the band's sound, music philosophy and songbook? How did the idea of the band and the story behind the name “Revenant” come about?

We’ve been described as if Black Stone Cherry and The Black Crowes had a party with Chris Stapleton and Blackberry Smoke, but to be honest we just define ourselves as a classic rock band. We don’t pay attention to genre labels, we just write the song as it wants to be written - whether that’s a heavy riff, a catchy chorus or a melancholy lyric. The name Revenant actually came from Matt (guitarist/backing vocals). He had convinced me to sing again in a band after 7 years away from it, so Revenant was born as it means ‘top return’. It’s definitely NOT because of the Leonardo DiCaprio Film where he sleeps in a horse carcass…

“We want to keep guitar-driven music relevant and keep kids wanting to pick it up, learn to play and write their tunes. Music is such a key element of life and learning to play is so rewarding.” (Sam Lay, a rising UK rocker, frontman and guitarist of Revenant  / Photo by Richard Bolwell)

Why do you think that the Southern Rock scene continues to generate such a devoted following?

I think country music has definitely seen a sharp rise in popularity, but artists like Luke Combs and Keith Urban are bringing the ‘rock’ section of it. Bands like ones I’ve mentioned already are also taking that sort of thing one step further, but most importantly, as I already said, it brings people together. It doesn’t matter who you are, you can go to a southern rock show and lose yourself for 3 hours. It’s a game changer.

Are there any memories from gigs, jams and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

I think the first time the 4 of us got together to see if we could form a band was pretty special. After we’d all set-up and introduced ourselves, I threw out the riff that would become ‘Coming Back to Life’ and it was like lightning hit the room - we just hit it off and within 90mins that song was pretty much done as you hear it now. The other thing is just how involved everyone is in the writing process for this band. Each member has their own talents and it makes for great music, but we also don’t take ourselves too seriously which makes for such a good time on the road.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future?

Can I say the price of tickets?! I think the ‘Rockstar’ era is dying out - we won’t see the likes of Axl Rose, Mick Jagger, David Lee Roth and Slash again. Enjoy them whilst you can! Our biggest hope as a band is that we can get our music to as many people as possible and play live to as many people as possible - we will always write, record and play but to be able to do it for people who resonate with your songs is really special. You can’t replicate that in any way, shape or form. The biggest fear for us is how quickly music is changing, how much the way we consume music has changed. Streaming is such a big part of people’s lives that it is a necessary evil for artists these days, but I really hope we can compensate people fairly for their art before music becomes devalued so much that it doesn’t mean anything. That would be such a shame.

What are you doing to keep hard Southern rock music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

We are always looking to write catchy songs - big riffs and memorable lyrics that tell a story that the listener can relate to. It doesn’t matter if it’s southern rock or drum and bass, if it ain’t got a hook, it ain’t gonna cook! We want to keep guitar-driven music relevant and keep kids wanting to pick it up, learn to play and write their tunes. Music is such a key element of life and learning to play is so rewarding.

”I think what rock music has taught me is that we all need to have a good time and forget about the crap that’s happening.“ (Revenant / Photo by Rob Blackham)

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Good question! I was once told in the early stages of my career ‘be nice to people on the way up because you will need them on the way down’ - I think that is a great motto to live by in the music industry. No-one has a divine right to be playing on stage or selling millions of records. It’s an art and a personal one at that, so by respecting everyone giving it a go, everyone working in the industry and everyone who spends their hard-earned money on a ticket to your shows, you owe it to them to be the best version of yourself. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself as well!

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