The new track by a Cumbrian rock band hopes to break down the walls of hate, prejudice and poverty.
A mixture of aggression and feel-good, United We Fall brings together poignant vocals with strong basslines and funky undertones.
Cumbria Crack caught up with bassist Richard Gill about all things Religion of Tomorrow.
Who are Religion of Tomorrow?
“We are Karl Christian (vocals/guitar), Jordan Charters (lead guitar), Richard Gill (bass) and Sam Hunter is on drums,” said Richard.
“We came together around 2012 as the band that is now Religion of Tomorrow, we retained the name from a project that just fizzled out due to band member changes and lack of direction, so Religion of Tomorrow was rebranded and writing became a priority as we lost our drummer with no replacement in sight.
“In Theory (debut album) was the result of those writing sessions which were mainly done at a laptop and home recording setup.
“After a brief hiatus, we returned in 2018 with two singles Winter’ and No Protocol’.
“Now in 2021, we are releasing the first of six tracks possibly over the next 12 months and hopefully getting asked to play live now and again.”
What is the new single and what was the spark behind it?
“United We Fall began taking shape pre-COVID from a loose idea, it was much slower and had a kind of Knight Rider theme feel to it, it was soon clear the song had something special but we weren’t sure exactly what,” said Richard.
“We started demoing the track and it soon started to take shape and it became this funky but at times aggressive feel-good tune. This is where it really started to resemble the track we would eventually release.
“It took two attempts to record as we had to scrap the first attempt as it just didn’t have the right feel to it and by this time we were well into the pandemic. This is where Karl started to notice that the lyrics he wrote 12 months previous were very relevant not only to the current state of the world (prejudice, poverty, racism, hate, pollution etc) but also the COVID-19 situation.”
Where do the band see themselves in five years’ time?
“This is a hard question to answer without sounding negative or hard done by, we aren’t a new band and we have had a difficult existence. We had a bad experience with a record deal that led to a cancelled US tour, but we find the industry very difficult currently – it’s like thousands of people running at a very small door,” said Richard.
“One thing we’ve noticed is that the artist is always the last person to get paid too, everyone expects bands to play for free but then everyone else’s services come at a premium? Seems a bit backwards to me.
“So when you ask where do we see ourselves in five years’ time, I see us in exactly the same situation we are in releasing on our own label, producing our own videos and creating our own art – anything else is a bonus.”
Tell us about the video
“The video was shot at the old Kangol factory building at Cleator, there isn’t much left of it so some great light spills in if the Cumbrian weather plays ball,” said Richard.
“The realisation of the meaning of the lyrics really got my ideas for the video going, I wanted to capture this feel-good summer vibe evident in the song and make it apparent in the video but also capture the seriousness of the lyrics with all the current state of play in the world standing out profoundly in lines like “Don’t wanna live by the rules they keep in place like we have no choice. But half of man can’t abide, so we can never win” and “Take your pills, to tone it down. Break the rules, to shut them out. Maybe it’s not agenda”.
What does the band think about the state of the Cumbrian music scene?
“Speaking honestly about these types of things probably isn’t wise as it can alienate you with the clique,” said Richard.
“The country’s economic failings are destroying the high street and pubs close at an alarming rate and with this statistic this includes music venues, the pressure on music venues to stay afloat is seeing a bizarre glut of tribute bands take main billing in most venues – it’s not something I thought I would see ever.
“But it’s a sign that the public’s attention span is ever decreasing, wanting to hear the hits; in the same way albums are dead from the Spotify generation, skipping and shuffling through the playlist to find the song they aren’t even sure they want to listen to and that slow burner album track is left unnoticed. I guess what I’ve said isn’t exclusive to Cumbria but that’s where we hunt so opportunities are scarce, an ask for a support slot is becoming more and more difficult.”
Can you give one tip to help artists in Cumbria who are just starting out?
“If I was starting out in 2022 – and this is dependant on your goals – I wouldn’t do what the rock stars suggest and get in a van and tour, tour, tour, I don’t believe there is a live audience for new music at the moment – everyone wants nostalgia and wants to talk about how great things used to be,” said Richard.
“So what I would do is get a line-up you’re happy with, make sure everyone has the same ambitions and I would fine-tune the band behind closed doors, I would rehearse, rehearse, rehearse and write, write, write, oh and save, save, save, there is lots to pay out for.
“Then I would get a fantastic product, get management, a booking agent and PR company and unleash the band as a complete package because in my experience you only get people’s attention for a very short time. Doesn’t sound very Rock ‘n’ Roll does it, but on the flip side if you wanna just have fun, get in a van and go have fun, just do it, you’ll have the best time of your life!”
Listen to United We Fall below:
