The Sideshows: Brand New | The Start

(Via European Phonographic)

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Rock’n’roll royalty Sami Yaffa and Rich Ragany unite for the first time as The Sideshows and release an explosive debut single, Brand New. It’s a collaboration conceived in England, born in Spain and now unleashed upon an unsuspecting world with all the passion and energy of an age-old rock’n’roll spirit which continues to ooze from these kindred souls.

Both Sami Yaffa and Rich Ragany have long and distinguished careers behind them in the world of rock’n’roll, with Sami having worked with Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls, Jesse Malin, and most recently being an integral part of Michael Monroe’s band, whilst Rich has worked with Role Models, The Loyalties and most recently Rich Ragany & The Digressions. But alongside all of this, Sami has already released two highly acclaimed solo albums in his own right and Rich has more recently taken the bold step to focus primarily on his solo work.

Whilst their paths have been quite distinct over the years, there was always an inherent bond in their influences, musical connections and outlooks on life which grew stronger over time. And with a little help from the hand of fate, they finally found themselves forging a collaborative partnership earlier this year in the form of The Sideshows, now resulting in the release of a debut single, aptly entitled Brand New, backed with another new song, The Start.

Brand New explodes with a vibrant blast of energy as the guitar roars, the bass rumbles and the drums pound as a new epic glam-punk infused rock’n’roll adventure unfolds. With huge melodies and anthemic chorus lines, it’s a song that bristles with an uplifting sense of euphoria as the courage to make this bold move to collaborate in this way really kicks in. Conversely The Start follows in a slower, more reflective and soulful mood whilst still harnessing a driving energy and strong beating heart. As “what did I start tonight?” echoes from the speakers, the whole vibe that is generated resonates as a seriously powerful statement of intent for the future, and I reckon we already know the answer to that question. It’s really no surprise to hear such big songs being performed by such great songwriters and musicians and there is no doubt that the world is now a better place for it.

So how did this all happen? Well, it appears that Sami and Rich first met briefly down in the Lower East Side of Manhattan back in the early 2000’s when Rich was working in Jesse Malin’s Niagara Bar and a new friendship was born. Whilst their paths crossed occasionally over subsequent years, a stronger bond started to form once their mutual friend and band mate Rich Jones joined Michael Monroe’s band for whom Sami was already playing bass, and this resulted in Rich proving support for Monroe’s band on some of their UK shows. Fast forward to 2024, a year in which both Sami and Rich had both released solo albums, Rich met up with Sami again when Michael Monroe was in Wolverhampton. This time Rich had a batch of songs he had written and he was searching for an outlet to get them recorded…..and that when plans started forming.

Sami picks up the story as follows, “I told him I’d been building a small recording studio in my backyard in Mallorca, Spain and said, ‘Why don’t you come down and we knock a few out and see how the studio sounds?’ We made a plan, and Rags (Rich Ragany) came over with his anchor, a superb drummer, Simon Maxwell, who had played on pretty much every recording Rich had done in the UK. We proceeded to record. Windows and doors wide open with a view of the Spanish countryside, all silent except for some roosters and lamb bells. Simon said it was a bit different than their usual recording spot, a room with no windows in Croydon. The studio ended up sounding pretty good. We knocked these two songs out in a couple of days, each session followed by a long dinner…and lots of stories.”

The even better news is that this new collaboration didn’t just leave it there, as the momentum took over during the sessions in Mallorca and they ended up recording a whole album’s worth of material. So, for a project conceived in England and born in Spain, this really is just the beginning, and we have much more to look forward to. Meanwhile, let’s just enjoy this new single as we await what already promises to be one of the albums of 2026………watch this space!

You can stream the single here.

You can find The Sideshows on Facebook and Instagram.

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All words by Ian Corbridge. You can find more of his writing at his author profile here.