Scarlet Rebels have built a reputation for combining anthemic rock with thoughtful, emotionally driven songwriting. Ahead of the release of their new album, ‘Flawed By Design’, Lee Allcock caught up with frontman Wayne Doyle to discuss writing their most personal record to date, dealing with expectations after recent chart success, and why honesty remains at the heart of everything the band creates.
Your new album, ‘Flawed By Design’, is described as your most introspective record yet. What inspired you to open up more personally on this album?
I’ve noticed that the more honest you are in your writing, the more it connects with listeners. Whether it makes someone think, reflect or feel something, creating that connection is incredibly important. Over the past few years, one of my closest friends was diagnosed with incurable cancer. I watched them battle it with incredible courage before they sadly passed away. That experience naturally made me look inwards, and when I started writing, it subconsciously influenced many of the themes and emotions that appear throughout the album.
You’ve said there was pressure following the success of ‘Where The Colours Meet’, which became your second consecutive UK Top 20 album. How did you channel those expectations into creating what you believe is your strongest collection of songs yet?
The pressure mostly comes from myself. I always want everything we create to be a progression and an improvement on what we’ve done before. I spent much of my adult life writing and releasing songs that very few people heard, so everything that’s happened since ‘See Through Blue’ came out in 2022 has been a huge change. As more people have discovered the band, more people have also formed opinions about the themes and subjects I write about. That’s great, but it can also become quite toxic, particularly on social media, where not everyone agrees with your perspective. I try not to let that distract me.
The lead single, ‘This Is Happening Now’, tackles uncertainty and the influence of those in power. What message were you hoping listeners would take away from both the song and its striking music video?
For me, it’s about recognising that political tensions, no matter how distant they may seem, ultimately affect all of us. Sometimes there’s a feeling that what’s happening elsewhere in the world has no impact on our daily lives, but that’s simply not true. The decisions made by powerful people ripple across society. The video reflects that idea by contrasting the polished public image people present with what really goes on behind the scenes. On camera, we’re all wearing suits and appear confident, but off camera we’re running around trying to work everything out as we go. That feels like a pretty accurate reflection of modern life, where politicians and public figures often seem more concerned with appearances and perception than genuine leadership.
With a new album arriving in November and live dates already lined up throughout the year, what are you most looking forward to about bringing these new songs to the stage?
It’s always exciting to introduce new songs into the set because it brings fresh energy for both the band and the audience. We’ve been playing a very similar set for the past couple of years, so it’s nice to mix things up and see how these new tracks evolve in a live environment. Songs often take on a different character once they’re performed on stage, and that’s one of the most rewarding parts of being in a band. We haven’t done a headline tour for a while either. The last time we toured, we noticed the crowds getting bigger with every show, which was incredibly encouraging. Hopefully we’ll see that continue this time around. We’re really looking forward to getting back out on the road, playing these new songs live and sharing this next chapter with everyone who’s supported us along the way.
To find out more about Scarlet Rebels’ upcoming tour and album, head to scarletrebels.com.
