Reverend & The Makers cancel tour to “spend time in the studio and grieve properly” after death of father

4 September, 2024

Reverend & The Makers performing live on stage

Reverend & The Makers have cancelled their 2024 UK headline tour, with frontman Jon McClure citing the death of his father this year.

The Sheffield band had been due to hit the road in November for shows in Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, London, Brighton and other locations throughout that month.

However, in a statement on social media yesterday (September 3), McClure shared “some important information” about the scheduled dates and the group’s next studio album – the follow-up to last year’s ‘Heatwave In The Cold North’.

They had previously announced the forthcoming ‘Is This How Happiness Feels?’ – you can pre-order it here.

“Gonna try and say this as honestly as possible. My Dad got super poorly and subsequently passed away suddenly earlier this year,” McClure wrote, adding that he “didn’t want it to affect me”.

He continued: “Stupidly, I tried to record an album whilst nursing him through his final days. But the truth is I was distracted the whole time. The songs are brilliant – the best I’ve ever written. But I wasn’t paying enough attention to how it sounded.

“And so regrettably, I need to take a few months to re-record a bunch of stuff. I owe it to myself and to my Dad to make it as good as it can be. All your preorders are still valid so no need to stress.”

McClure went on to confirm that Reverend & The Makers’ UK November tour has been shelved as a result.

“I can’t go out with no new music. I need that time to be in the studio but also to grieve properly. My head’s been all over the shop to be truthful. I’m a bit done pretending otherwise,” he explained.

“I get I’ve messed everyone around a bit here but I want this record to be a masterpiece so I’m out here asking for your patience and understanding whilst I get all my ducks in a row for 2025.”

The singer concluded: “We have some incredible things in the pipeline so please stay tuned.”

In April, McClure’s brother Chris McClure – who stars on the cover art for Arctic Monkeys’ debut album – paid tribute to his father on social media. “My Dad felt so passionate about the NHS. He dedicated his working life to it,” he wrote.

“The care he received at his most vulnerable did him proud. I’d give them people the shirt off my back for the dignity they showed him. Life owes us nothing. I’m sad but I’m grateful for the times we had.”

This summer saw Reverend & The Makers perform at Latitude 2024 and play as part of Edinburgh’s Summer Sessions series. They also made an appearance at this year’s Hardwick Festival alongside the likes of Snow Patrol and Richard Ashcroft.

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