The Rifles

Formed in Chingford, East London, in 2004, The Rifles initially took shape as a quartet centered on Joel Stoker, Lucas Crowther, Robert Pyne and Grant Marsh, before Dean Mumford joined permanently and the band broadened its sound. The Rifles belong to a taut, melodic strand of English indie rock, featuring direct guitars, concise songwriting and a mod‑ and power‑pop tint that calls to mind both pub rock groups and the British tradition of club songs. The band emerged in the mid‑2000s with the singles “Local Boy”, “Repeated Offender” and “She’s Got Standards”, and the album No Love Lost in 2006. Great Escape followed in 2009, still nervous but more expansive, then came a period of lineup changes, acoustic tours and the releases Acoustic 1 (2010) and Acoustic 2 (2012). Freedom Run appeared in 2011, and the original core reformed in 2013. The Rifles then released None the Wiser (2014), Big Life (2016) and Love Your Neighbour (2024). On stage they have moved between UK venues, European festivals and both electric and acoustic tours, with a one‑off onstage appearance by Paul Weller.