Torus are finally ready to take over the world

“There was a lot of dark stuff going on. We’d be in rehearsal spaces not looking at or talking to each other.”

Torus’ path to completing their self-titled debut album was not a straight one. The Milton Keynes trio might have been honing a sound that marks them out as one of the most promising new rock bands in the UK, but amid all the riffing, a breakdown in communication between the members threatened to derail things before they’d properly got started.

“We wouldn’t talk to each other as mates, and there was so much confusion going on,” vocalist/guitarist Alfie Glass explains. “One minute we’d love each other, and the next we’d hate each other. We all had the same vision for the album, wanting to write the best songs we could and take over the world, but there were personal things going on in our lives that would get in the way, and we wouldn’t communicate properly. Thankfully, we came out of that place, finished the album, and we’re now a much stronger band with a closer bond because of it.”

It’s a relief that Torus – completed by bassist Harry Quinn and drummer Jack Orr – were able to sort their differences out, because their no-frills, zero-bullshit sound is primed for a generation seeking the next great rock band in the vein of Foo Fighters or Queens Of The Stone Age. The album is stacked with massive bangers, the pick of which is recent single Avalanche, whose fuzzy stomp is the sound of a band oozing a cool confidence.

Not content with focussing on their own band, though, Torus have for several years been spearheading a community project called Headcharge, which supports the local music scene from which they emerged. It’s an initiative that’s continuing to thrive.

“It started in 2019 when Harry and I were in six different bands,” Alfie says. “We thought we needed something that could bring all these bands together from places like Milton Keynes, Northampton and Bedford – areas where the music scene felt a little dead – and give them an opportunity to play to an audience. The events we put on have grown into these brilliant networking nights where bands can meet each other, hang out, and meet other creatives like artists and photographers.

“We also have Headcharge Studios, which is essentially my attic, but we record local bands and give them a decent sound on the cheap, and Harry mixes it. It’s a really great thing to be involved in.”

No doubt. And with a storming new record and a renewed sense of camaraderie in the band, it’s no wonder Alfie is feeling so positive about Torus.

“Coming out of everything and making the album, the overriding feeling is, ‘Okay, we’re a band now.’”

Torus is out now via MNRK. The band support Fu Manchu in October. This article originally appeared in the autumn 2024 issue of the magazine.

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