FAMILY VALUES

Wakefield's finest, The Cribs, discuss finally expressing themselves fully on their ninth studio record, Selling a Vibe, how a legal battle almost ended the band, and their enduring brotherly bond

- CAMERON POOLE

It's an overcast afternoon in early November when Rolling Stone UK meets The Cribs at their management office in Shoreditch, a quiet, well-decorated space lined with gold discs and trophies.

The band are in high spirits, and it's easy to see why. Five years since their last record, Night Network, The Cribs are back and feeling reinvigorated. They're preparing to release their ninth studio album, Selling A Vibe, on 9 January - a record they view as their best yet, as bassist Gary Jarman puts it: “We're always working harder to beat the prior one.”

This workhorse ethic has allowed the group to quietly become one of the UK's most beloved cult bands of the past 20 years. They were mainstays during the golden era of 2000s indie sleaze and guitar rock, but the Jarmans - twin brothers Gary and Ryan and younger brother Ross - always served up a more considered and evolved sound that saw them take home awards and cultivate a dedicated legion of fans.

Their 12-track album arrives at a moment when the band have a newfound appreciation for what they do, and in many ways the five-year break helped spur that. Night Network's release came with “no personal element”, as it dropped during the height of the Covid pandemic and everything was handled online, says Gary.

Ryan, meanwhile, feels he “changed completely as a person” following a serious health issue his girlfriend faced in 2021 and a general period of growth. Ross, the only brother still based in Wakefield while the twins live in the US, has been balancing music with parenthood.