Reverend & The Makers‘ Jon McClure has told NME how the band’s new festive single ‘Late Night Phone Call’ is raising money for Samaritans because he has used the charity’s services himself.
The single was written by McClure and his regular co-writer Danny Lafrome after they were listening to Elvis Presley’s later Las Vegas era, soon realising it would be suited to becoming a Christmas song. Proceeds from the single go to the Samaritans, whose services of helping vulnerable people are particularly in demand over the festive period.
“Broadly speaking, my career has been a U-shape. It’s been coming out of the bottom of that U for a few years but, in the previous decade, I was at the bottom for part of it, career-wise and personally,” McClure told NME. “I was fucked, and I rang the Samaritans, who were a massive help.
“The Samaritans save people’s lives 365 days a year, and they’re even more important this close to Christmas. They’ve done stuff for me, and I wanted to do stuff for them. The Samaritans are what Christmas is really about, in the tradition going right back to pagan times, of trying to brighten up the middle of winter when it’s dark and shit.”
The single isn’t the only help McClure will provide this Christmas. As he has done for several years, McClure will perform six private acoustic Zoom shows on Christmas Day for fans going through tough times.
He said: “I can’t handle the thought of people being on their own at Christmas, it messes with me. As a creative, what transferable skills have I got to help? I can play songs for people. That’s what I can do. I’ve had messages since from people who I’ve done Zooms for before, and I know it’s the right thing to do, so I’ll carry on with it.”
‘Late Night Phone Call’ is the first new Reverend & The Makers music since last year’s sixth album ‘Heatwave In The Cold North’. McClure vowed the single’s infectious mood will continue on the band’s new album, which he and Lafrome are producing themselves for the first time.
McClure admitted: “In the last four years, I know I’m no longer ‘that indie fucker’, that now I’m onto a modern soul mood, which is very exciting. ‘Late Night Phone Call’ has helped people catch up to who I am now. It’s changed the perception of the band, and the new album will be further towards that end.”
Check out our full interview below for McClure’s thoughts on befriending Robbie Williams, how Bodyform pads helped the ‘Late Night Phone Call’ video and how the success of his former flatmate, Arctic Monkey‘s Alex Turner, made him jealous.
NME: Hi, Jon. Congratulations on ‘Late Night Phone Call’. What made you write a Christmas song?
Jon McClure: “I’ve never written a song like it, as none of it repeats and it’s got about seven billion chords. It’s a stream of consciousness that we wrote really quickly, leaving in some of the silly lyrics, which are like The Beatles’ joke lyrics. The more it went on, the cheesier it got. I thought that, if I’m going to be cheesy, I should be really, really cheesy.”
It’s a declaration of love for your wife, Makers keyboardist Laura. What does she think of the song?
“She loves it. The song is a true story. I was walking home bollocksed from the pub, going ‘I love you, Laura!’ down the phone, Laura telling me: ‘What are you ringing at me this hour for, you knobhead?’”
Did you enjoy declaring your love for Laura in the video?
“Laura has been in the band since the start. I was with her, then I wasn’t, then I got back with Laura and married her. We used to call the band Rever Enders, because it was always dramatic.
“But I’ve never kissed Laura in a video before. That’s ridiculous. The biggest thing in my life is that I love with my wife, but I’d always written about psychedelia, politics, weird shit. I wanted to be cool and successful. The more I tried, the more I dug a little pit for myself. The moment I threw all of that away, playing ABBA at our Day Fever daytime disco and snogging my missus in the street in a video, the more people have got on board. It’s liberating, throwing away 20 years of bullshit.”
HERE WE GO THEN!
Let’s try #revforxmasno1 for #sweetapplecrumble
Given how streaming favours the pop Goliaths , indie Davids like us have next to no chance. But we are the 6th favourite across all bookmakers
So let’s have a bash. You can buy a cd using this link as well as… pic.twitter.com/OoMZ9Qhv2h
— Reverend&TheMakers (@Reverend_Makers) November 22, 2024
Didn’t it hurt, throwing yourself on your knees at the end of the video?
“Well, it could have done. I’m 6ft 6, a big unit. I wanted to do that scene like I’m in a boyband, go full cheese master. You have to do 30 takes of those scenes, and after five takes I thought I’d end up with no kneecaps left.
“One of the crew went to get some Bodyform pads to protect my knees. I had four Bodyform pads stuffed down each knee. That’s how we do it in the trade and, yes, the crew were yelling ‘Woooah, Bodyform!’ like the old advert between every take.”
What are your own favourite Christmas singles?
“I love ‘Blue Christmas’ by Elvis, and ‘Fairytale Of New York’ by The Pogues is obviously great. I used to detest ‘Stay Another Day’ by East 17, but I’ve come to see how great that is.
“Really, though, it’s got to be ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ by Slade. I love Slade, full-stop. I’ve got a thing now for the people’s bands: the ones who’ve never been trendy, but who’ve always been brilliant. Slade, Madness, everything Paul Heaton has ever done; they’re the bands to be.”
How are you spending Christmas Day?
“It’s the first one without my dad, who died in April, so it’s a bit melancholy. But I’m lucky, I’ll be at my mam’s. I used to think everyone was either happy or sad, no in between, and it’s only recently I’ve realised nobody is either good or bad, happy or sad.
“You can be happy and sad at the same time, like when Jo Whiley played our song on Radio 2 the other day. My dad loved Jo, so when she played our tune, it was like I could hear his voice. Our song was on Radio 2 and I was crying my eyes out.”
What do you think ‘Late Night Phone Call’s chances are in the Christmas chart?
“Limited. It was nice of Richard Osman to say he likes our song in his podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment. But it’s like Richard says, ‘Late Night Phone Call’ has no chance going up against what he called ‘The military industrial complex of Wham! and Mariah Carey.’
“I adore George Michael, but I don’t think George would have wanted ‘Last Christmas’ to still be Number One again. He’d want new music to be Number One. What message does ‘Last Christmas’ being Number One again send to aspiring young songwriters, other than ‘Don’t bother’? Are we going to have Mariah Carey be Number One at Christmas forever?
“The way Christmas playlists operate is rigged, with songs added into the chart just because they’re on a Christmas playlist. There’s no sense of active agency in what you then hear, you just go: ‘Alexa, play some Christmas music’ and… [As McClure says this, his Alexa goes off and begins playing Tom Grennan’s Amazon-exclusive ‘It Can’t Be Christmas’.] Fucking hell! Alexa, stop! There you go, there’s a stream for Tom. I like Tom, but there’s a practical indication right there that we’ve got no chance.”
Speaking of Tom Grennan, you went to the premiere of Robbie Williams’ film Better Man with Tom and The Lottery Winners. How have you become mates with Robbie?
“He appreciates the band and Day Fever. He’s a fucking genius, one of the most emotionally intelligent people I’ve met. I could listen to Rob for hours on end.”
Are you doing anything professionally together?
“There are no concrete plans, but we’ve talked about a bunch of stuff. I’m just happy to have him in my life. If Rob worked on the bins like my cousin Tom does, I’d still want him in my life for the same reason I want Tom in my life: he’s a class dude, who’s kind, intelligent and thoughtful.”
What effect has your recent ADHD diagnosis had on you?
“I understand myself better. When I was 24, I thought I knew everything and I’d gob off to NME about everything. I knew fuck all. Looking back, to when I was kicking off at people, I was probably quite poorly for most of my career. I wasn’t well mentally. If you add drugs into that, plus my best mate [Alex Turner] being in the biggest band in the world and feeling jealous of him, it was a bad mix.
“Now I understand myself, ADHD is like a special power I’ve not known how to harness before. I’ve got four unfinished novels, which are all class as ideas, but I’ve not known how to finish them until now. I storyboarded the ‘Late Night Phone Call’ video, I’m Day Fever’s CEO. With everything before, I’d think I’d better get someone else to finish something.
“I’m 42 and it’s like I was infantilised until now. In my case, before being diagnosed, ADHD left me taking a lot longer to grow up and be responsible. Now I have, I feel I can do anything.”
Where does that leave Reverend & The Makers’ new music?
“I’ve unlocked a style that really suits me. I’m making the music I’d listen to as a fan. When I put Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield or Philadelphia soul on, it’s like I’m transported into a realm of class music. It’s timeless, and I’ve found a way to do it in a Sheffield accent.
“It’s not like I’m sat at home listening to Sam Fender, The Reytons or Gerry Cinnamon. I respect all the indie artists who are smashing it, but that’s what I listened to as a teenager.
“I’m in a different place creatively. What I’m battling against is preconceptions. If people go: ‘Why the fuck would I want to listen to a Reverend & The Makers album?’, I totally understand that feeling. But if they do listen now, it’s: ‘Oh, you’re that guy now? Fair play. It’s good, innit?’ If that takes four more albums to get across, that’s OK as my life is great.”
‘Late Night Phone Call’ is out now on Distiller. Reverend And The Makers headline Rock And Roll Circus Sheffield on August 30. They also appear at Kendal Calling and Rock And Roll Circus Norwich.
For help and advice on mental health:
- “Am I depressed?” – Help and advice on mental health and what to do next
- MITC – A collective of musician industry therapists
- TONIC Rider – Bespoke training and support for music industry professionals
- Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians
- Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues
- YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
- CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably
- The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day