Rediscovering the Stage — A Conversation with Rob Maddison of The Few
Q: Let’s start at the beginning. How did music first find its way into your life?
A: I was about 13 when it all started. I’d just joined my first punk band, The Innocent Sinners, as the lead singer. We mostly played covers of Green Day and The Offspring—nothing fancy—but it sparked something in me that would end up shaping my entire life. Around that time, I picked up a guitar and taught myself to play and sing. Between 14 and 17, I began writing riffs and lyrics for different bands and even got my first taste of the recording studio with a hardcore group called Illusions Fall.
Q: You’ve worn many musical hats over the years. What came next after those early punk beginnings?
A: At 18, I took a turn toward heavier music and joined a band called We’re Not Superheroes Anymore. It was wild—we had a bit of MySpace fame back then, recorded, toured across the UK, and even shared stages with You Me at Six and We Are the Ocean. After that run, I took a brief step back before launching into a solo acoustic project, which eventually led me to join Tomorrow Belongs to Us.
Q: That band seems to have been a particularly special chapter for you.
A: Absolutely. Tomorrow Belongs to Us was an incredible experience. We played some unforgettable gigs with bands I’d looked up to for years—Mallory Knox, Bury Tomorrow, Deaf Havana—and got to record with Dan Lancaster, which was surreal. We even collaborated with Dave McPherson from InMe. Those songs and sessions meant a lot to me personally; they were full of emotion and creativity.
Q: You later took quite a long break from music. What prompted that pause—and what brought you back?
A: After about a decade of writing, recording, and performing, I needed to step away. I’d moved down to the southwest and genuinely thought my days on stage were over. But fate had other plans. I met The Few, and that changed everything. Joining them reignited my love for performing—it reminded me why I fell in love with music in the first place.
Q: What does being part of The Few mean to you now?
A: It means the world. Every gig we play is the highlight of my week. I bring that same raw energy from my metal days—lots of movement, crowd participation, the whole thing—and I always push myself vocally to deliver everything I’ve got. The sound we’ve built together feels special. I’m incredibly proud of it, and every time I step on stage with these guys, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.