Ten songs in less than thirty minutes. The Royalty Capes are flapping.

Release Date: 31st March 2025

Label: Bandcamp

Format: Digital

Genre defying, musical shape-shifter, bassist, singer & songwriter (and endorsed by The Temperance Movement’s Phil Campbell) Ben Adey cuts to the chase with the Royalty Capes project.

The mission? To create a tsunami of hooks, riffs and a decidedly retro sound, slabs of rock goodness, with a cascade of tumbling bass and guitar lines. “It’s potent, chewy and nicely compact and focused,” says Ben. Compact and focused is indeed the key. There’s certainly no hanging around. Less is more and whether or not a song lasts for a minute and a half or breaks the two minute barrier, the beauty is that the messages strike home clear. If it’s enough, it’s long enough.

The no frills approach allows for a moment to himself with the bass run in Bad For My Health and accounts for a retro punky White Lies that’s based around the simplest of one chord riffs. What emerges is a nod to an entire late night 1970s AM radio playlist, compressed down into a particularly intense dose – a side swipe at classic rock tropes. Having said that, Money is built on power chords and classic rock riffs. A swagger and attitude that verges on the sneer that gets the spotlight later. A nice tight fit with Can’t Go Back that bucks with another smart riff and the most Prince-esque attitude.

It’s the scuzzy Round And Round that really sneers with a “roundandroundandround…” earworm that dominates the track and clocking in at just under four minutes, With A Memory is not only the finale but could be the album’s prog song. One that uses the ‘extended playing time’ to allow a chance to take a breath on a rush of a ride where a return trip is a necessity.

“When I have 100 songs, Royalty Capes will be a live vehicle. Until then, songwriting is the focus,” says Ben. “That was the rule from day from day 1.” With the count at 79/100, the promise for 2025 is another 3 LP’s, two EP’s and a selection of singles. Here’s to the ongoing adventures of the jukebox hero.

Here’s Bad For My Health:

Royalty Capes online: Bandcamp

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