About The Rifles
The Rifles are an English indie rock band from Chingford, London.
Their debut album No Love Lost was released on 17 July 2006 and initially reached No. 68 in the UK Albums Chart. The band currently consists of Joel Stoker , Lucas Crowther , Rob Pyne , Grant Marsh and Dean Mumford . Their follow-up album, Great Escape, was released on 26 January 2009 and came in at No. 27 in the UK chart. Their third album Freedom Run was released on 19 September 2011 reaching No. 37 in the UK. Fourth album None The Wiser was their highest charting release when it reached No. 21 in 2014. The band released their fifth studio album Big Life on 19 August 2016.
Joel Stoker and Lucas Crowther met at Redbridge College in 2003. They were both inspired by an Oasis concert the two attended in Knebworth, England. Guitarist Crowther revealed "From that moment on we knew we had to start a band." After adding bassist Robert Pyne, who Joel knew from school, and drummer Grant Marsh, who Luke met in the Candy Box club, the Rifles performed their first gig at The Bull & Gate pub in Kentish Town, London in 2004.
The Rifles' first official release was a 7" demo of "Peace & Quiet" released by Blow Up Records. The band switched to fellow independent label Xtra Mile Recordings for their May 2005 release of the single "When I'm Alone", which would go on to reach number 64 in the UK charts. Later that year the band's next single "Local Boy" would be released via Right Hook Recordings. It would get airplay on the Saturday morning show Soccer AM and would help give the band more exposure and even help them become regular guests on the show. The Rifles released two singles, "Repeated Offender" and "She's Got Standards", ahead of the 17 July release of their debut album No Love Lost, which peaked at 26 in the UK charts. The band toured in 2006, and performed at A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise 2007 and Paaspop Schijndel 2007, two music festivals in the Netherlands. The Rifles launched their European tour to promote their new album including a gig at the Forum, London, at which Paul Weller appeared on stage to play the song "She's the Only One" with the band, and The Jam's single, "The Eton Rifles". The Rifles then released a free download of the song "No Love Lost" a year after their album of the same name was released.
Touring on the back of their album No Love Lost, The Rifles again released a free download, this time of their single "Talking" on 20 October 2007. The single garnered high accolades from BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe, who called it the "Hottest Record in the World". "Talking" also marked the band's label switch from Red Ink to 679 Recordings. On 21 July 2008, the single "I Could Never Lie" was released on a limited-edition vinyl disc. The Rifles also made appearances at the Underage Festival and the V Festival in the summer and played an extensive tour throughout October and November in 2008 when long-time friend of the band Dean Mumford was added on keyboards as session player for live performances.
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