Introducing: THE ROEBUCKS

Brighton’s genre-blurring indie-Americana quartet The Roebucks are back with a new single, ‘Mona’—a sun-glared slice of yearning and harmony that swaps pandemic isolation for romantic nostalgia, and further cements their status as one of the UK’s most quietly compelling bands.

Out now via cult label Goo Records, ‘Mona’ follows the swampy stomp of ‘Great British Pig’ with a brighter, bittersweet twist—part Lou Reed detachment, part Beach Boys shimmer. Fresh off lauded sets at The Great Escape and praise from BBC 6Music, Radio X, and tastemaker blogs alike, The Roebucks are fast proving they can craft emotion-drenched anthems that feel both instantly familiar and entirely their own. Ahead of their UK tour, we caught up with the band to talk vocal chemistry, coastal identity, and why ‘Mona’ is a love song born from lockdown frustration and reimagined with charm.

1. ‘Mona’ is a striking shift from ‘Great British Pig’, trading grit for something warmer and more melodic. How did the song’s evolution from a pandemic frustration anthem to a yearning love song shape its final form?

‘Mona’ is a far cry from our last single ‘Great British Pig’ in a lot of ways. We like to write songs that contrast with each other—whether in tone, style or subject—and then see how they sit alongside each other. Tom originally brought ‘Mona’ to the band as a fairly simple rock song, with a conversational melody in the verses. Once Lola and Sophie added their harmonies to the chorus and outro, it took on a sweeter, more melodic tone. That helped shift the feeling of the song from discontent to something a bit more optimistic and heartfelt. It’s still got that emotional edge, but now it’s more of a yearning love song than an angry rant.

2. Your sound fuses Brighton indie sensibilities with swampy Americana and Delta blues – how did that blend come about, and what drew you to such contrasting sonic worlds?

We’re all into quite different styles of music, but the strongest overlap in our tastes is American country, rock and blues. That influence blends in naturally with our love of British bands—and probably with the fact that we live in a (sometimes) sunny seaside town. That all helps shape the brighter, more indie side of our sound. It’s that mix of grit and warmth that we’re drawn to, and I think it comes through across our songs.

3. You've just come off a string of festivals including The Great Escape and now you're heading on a UK tour — how have these live shows influenced the way you approach your new material?

We’ve always wanted to be a good live band. Playing well-received shows has been one of the biggest goals for us, and the recent run of gigs and festivals has been so much fun. It’s definitely sharpened our live sound and reminded us that performing is probably the best part of being in a band. We’ve been experimenting with setlists, blending songs together, and even working in a bit of choreography—though we’re not quite Tina Turner yet! That live energy definitely feeds back into how we write and arrange new songs.

4. Working with Warren Huart and mastering at Abbey Road is no small feat. How did those studio sessions push or refine the sound you were aiming for on ‘Mona’?

We still can’t quite believe we ended up working with Warren Huart! He was filming a video for his Produce Like a Pro series at Brighton Electric, where we rehearse, and he needed a band to jump in—so we got lucky. Warren had some brilliant ideas: he gave the structure a few subtle tweaks and suggested a counter guitar riff to complement what we already had. But the song stayed close to Tom’s original version, which we loved. Warren gave it that clean, energetic production it needed, and mastering at Abbey Road came about by complete chance through him. It really elevated the final track.

5. There's a strong sense of storytelling and emotional depth in your music. How do the three-part vocal dynamics between Tom, Lola and Sophie help bring those stories to life?

We always try to build stories into our lyrics—most of our songs are about love or heartache in some form. That makes for good storytelling material. We’re big fans of acts like Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, Fleetwood Mac, and The Mamas and the Papas—bands that really used the interplay between male and female voices to add character and texture. Having Tom, Sophie and Lola all singing brings out more melody and depth. In ‘Mona,’ it’s almost like Tom is the struggling romantic and Sophie and Lola are the two reassuring angels on his shoulders, helping carry the emotional arc of the song.