Originally from Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, Reverend & the Makers formed in 2005 by lead singer Jon McClure, known as "The Reverend." The band was signed to the London label Wall of Sound after a successful concert, which led to a recording session featuring Alex Turner, the leader of Arctic Monkeys, who invited them to embark on their sold-out tour. With a unique mix of indie guitar pop, electronica and a Madchester-inspired funk, the group released their debut single, “Heavyweight Champion of the World”, which reached number one on the UK Independent charts, which was soon followed by debut studio album The State of Things (2007) taking the number 5 position on the UK sales charts and certified gold. The group promoted the album extensively during summer festivals, including Glastonbury. Despite announcing their retirement from the music scene, the band returned in 2009 with the socially conscious album A French Kiss in the Chaos, which reached number 19. The quintet reappeared in 2012 with album @Reverend_Makers which featured collaborations with artists such as Roots Manuva, Richard Hawley, Carl Barât, Howard Marks, and Kano followed by ThirtyTwo (2014), which reached number 13 on the charts. After the release of Mirrors (2015) and Death of a King (2017), which peaked at number 16 and 11 respectively, the group took a lengthy hiatus before returning with Heatwave in the Cold North (2023), achieving their highest chart position since their debut album, reaching number 6.
