Shrewsbury-born Rhys Owen of Floodhounds talk ahead of EP release

Rushing over your senses are a fast rising rabble of rockers featuring a Shropshire-reared bassist. Rhys Owen, born in Shrewsbury, has made his home in Sheffield – where Floodhounds are based.

The line-up – bassist Rhys, guitarist/singer Jack Flynn and drummer Lauren Greaves, got together towards the end of 2014. A chance meeting at a party started the band on the road to where it is today. Rhys and Jack had played together in various projects but were short of a drummer. They met Lauren at a party and she agreed to record a couple of tracks with them – and stayed.

Look What You've Started is a six-track EP recorded at 2Fly Studios with Alan Smyth, the producer famed for his work with the likes of Pulp, The Arctic Monkeys and Reverend and the Makers. And it comes from an outfit who have certainly started something themselves.

The band was picked, out of 1,200 unsigned groups, to play at Sheffield's iconic Leadmill for Tramlines 2015.

Rave reviews have followed them wherever they have played. A plethora of pundits have waxed lyrical about the band's fast-paced fusion of rock, indie and blues. Add in the number of DJs and radio stations – including one in New York, no less – who are championing the band's cause, and you get an idea of their burgeoning popularity.

They put their own stamp on the indie rock genre thanks to the very different influences on each of their musical lives. Floodhounds are a regular on BBC Introducing.

"The BBC Sheffield team constantly support us," Rhys said. "We have had five songs from our latest six-track EP played on BBC Introducing now, and track A&E reached No16 out of the Top 50 songs of 2016 on BBC Sheffield Introducing, so huge thanks to those guys.

"The reception to our new EP has been incredible.

"We played loads of shows to promote the release of it including our busiest London and Leeds shows to date – the following that we have had for these shows up and down England has been just fantastic."

A former student of St Georges and Priory schools in the county town, Rhys is desperate to add some Shropshire dates to the list – the closest he has got was in Burton Upon Trent last October, while they play in Nottingham on Friday, April 21.

"Being Shropshire born and bred, of course it would be amazing to play there at some point in the near future – hopefully a summer festival will go ahead in Shrewsbury next year and we can get on the bill," says Rhys.

So, gigging and recording apart, what's next for FloodHounds? "We've had some offers from indie labels but anything put on the table has to be right for the band. We really believe in the songs on the new EP and work well as a band, so long may this continue."

Look What You've Started is available on iTunes and Spotify. The CD is available from the band's official side, Floodhounds.com

By Sue Austin