The Roughneck Riot Bassist, Guitarist & Background Vocalist Ryan Taylor Talks New Album Burn It to The Ground (The Witzard Interview)
The Roughneck Riot have recently unveiled their forth studio album, Burn It to The Ground, on SBÄM Records. The Folk-Punks from Warrington, UK shared their debut release, Night Train with The Reaper, self-released in 2010. Since then, this band of highly talented musicians have become Folk-Punk legends. Armed with banjos, mandolins, an accordion, and, of course, guitar, bass, and drums, they are often mentioned in the same breath as greats, like Flogging Molly & Dropkick Murphys. When it comes to The Roughneck Riot, a political and socially-critical message and the passion for Punk Rock are, clearly, the mission first and foremost.
The Roughneck Riot are without a doubt anti-Fascist and anti-"d*ckhead" (but aren't we all?) who believe International solidarity is more important now than ever. Burn It to The Ground is an album born out of what the band calls a "post-Brexit Apocalypse" that takes their unique brand of Folk-Punk to a new level. Since their last release, Out of Anger (2014,) almost eight years will have passed—high time for some fresh sounds from the almost empty-fished ocean of Folk-Punk! We got a chance to speak with The Roughneck Riot's long-time bassist, guitarist, and background vocalist Ryan Taylor about all things Burn It to The Ground. Check out our conversation below, which has been lighty edited for general clarity.
I. Who are the members of The Roughneck Riot and what is each person's role within the band?
Ryan Taylor: The Roughneck Riot [is] as follows:
Matty Humphries - lead vocals, mandolin, acoustic guitar,
Ryan Taylor - bass guitar, backing vocals,
Chris Green - guitar, backing vocals,
Caitlin ["Cait"] Costello - banjo, backing vocals,
Sam Bell - accordion, backing vocals, and
John Dempsey - drums.
II. What were some of your greatest sources of inspiration and influence while creating Burn It to The Ground?
Taylor: We've had a lot of the songs for this album written for several years, so it's hard to think back and pinpoint our main inspiration. I guess, they don't change, though: we have a general dislike for our corrupt government and this is endemic in all of our albums. Musically, our influences are the likes of Bad Religion & Against Me!
III. How did you typically go about writing, creating, producing, etc. the songs heard across Burn It to The Ground?
Taylor: Typically, Matty or Cait will come to practise with the foundations of a song: chords, lyrics, structure. We'll, then, collectively mould the song into something that we’re happy with. It's a long process, but, I think, the multitude of influences have a positive impact on the song-writing process.
IV. Did COVID-19 related limitations and restrictions have any direct effect on the making-of the album?
Taylor: Not really. We recorded the album in full in 2018 with another producer, however, we felt we had rushed the process. We worked on some of the songs, re-structured them, and, then, went back into a different studio in October 2020 and finished around March 2021. There was the usual mask-wearing and social distancing whilst in the studio, but it was something that we were used to by then.
V. Aside from the band members, was anyone else involved in the creative processes behind Burn It to The Ground? If so, what were their specific roles?
Taylor: Our amazing producer, Bob Cooper, was a great source of annoyance throughout the recording process! He would drive us to play parts of the song better, which, altogether, makes the recordings sound huge.
VI. For fans new to your music, how would you say Burn It to The Ground compares to your past body of work released prior?
Taylor: It's both very similar, but, somehow, more mature. We have our typical Folk instrumentation, big riffs, melodic choruses, [and] gang vocals; but the lyrics are a little more introspective, the acoustic guitar plays a heavier role, and we have a few slower songs, too.
VII. What is the band name "The Roughneck Riot" intended to mean or evoke?
Taylor: We've been playing under that name since we were 15-years-old... so, not a lot of thought went into it. I guess, we thought it sounded "Punk" and it has alliteration in it.
VIII. How did you guys end up connecting with Stefan Beham to release Burn It to The Ground on SBÄM Records?
Taylor: We have known Stefan for many years due to his brilliant artwork and him working with Fat Wreck [Chords] bands. He, actually, designed a tour poster for us back in 2014 and we kept in touch. SBÄM Records have been fantastic to work with, so far, and their roster is just getting stronger and stronger!
IX. Who designed the cover artwork for Burn It to The Ground and how does it directly relate to the album title and themes heard within?
Taylor: Our old friend, Woph [Sophie Valentina], designed everything—front and back cover, as well as 12 different images to accompany the songs in the CD booklet. We sent her our songs and lyrics and she came back with the artwork. We didn't even need to amend it; it was perfect.
X. How did your long-awaited "comeback gigs" end up going back on Feb. 25-26th wherein you guys played Burn It to The Ground from start-to-finish?
Taylor: They were great. We were quite nervous because we hadn't played our hometown for four years, but it was a pleasure to be back out there. We played the album in full on Friday [Feb. 25], which was very well-received and, then, we played a mixture of old and new on Saturday [Feb. 26], which was sold out. It was a raucous affair.
XI. Now, that Burn It to The Ground has been released out into the world, what's planned next for The Roughneck Riot?
Taylor: We go on a nine-date tour through France, which starts on 11th March. We, then, have some smaller shows and festivals in The UK before playing SBÄM Festival in July and, then, another week or so around Germany in August. It's been a hectic year, so far!
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