Ruen Brothers

If your only reference for what the Ruen Brothers were about was their twangy, Roy Orbison-esque 2013 singles "Aces" and the broodingly detached, '50s-style cover photo on 2018's All My Shades of Blue, you might assume they were rock & roll purists – throwback poster boys for all things tube-amp warm and pomade-rich. However, one listen to the Rick Rubin-produced album and it quickly becomes clear that, despite the duo's obvious knack for mid-century pulp posturing, that assumption is only half-correct.

England's Ruen Brothers grew up in a musical household and started performing together from a very young age. Blessed with a gift for melody and a deep understanding of what made early rock 'n' roll so powerful and infectious, the duo creates stunning pop gems with seeming ease. Influenced by Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers, the Ruen Brothers know how to create soaring pop anthems riven through with a poignant sense of melancholy and nostalgia. The group's sound is based on classic pop songwriting, and it's sophisticated and fully formed. No wonder super-producer Rick Rubin was impressed when he first heard their music. Influential producer Zane Lowe is a fan too, and the group has played the big stages at Glastonbury and Coachella.

Siblings Henry and Rupert Stansall, known as Ruen Brothers, are saddling up from their home of Scunthorpe, England to ride into unmarked territory. Inspired by their love of noir and neo-western films, their cinematic new album Ten Paces exhibits the rich, sonic versatility of the brothers, as every instrument heard on the album is performed by Henry and Rupert. The anthemic build of "The Fear" to the lonesome balladeering of "Bullet Blues" showcases these two outlaws at their creative peak.