1 September 2025
Every Monday I will be bringing you an interview with an independent band, duo or music artist. This week, I caught up with Belfast band Prince Regent to find out more…
Who is in the band, how did you meet, where are you from and how did you come up with the name?
Born out of a desire to reconnect with the joy of original music, Prince Regent emerged in the late summer of 2024. Fronted by Ben Cutler, the project began as a two-piece collaboration with Newry-based guitarist Conal Morgan. Ben met Conal some years ago whilst supporting Dom Martin in Newry, a gig Conal came to see. The seed was planted and a few years passed before the project came to fruition, with the addition of Matt Nolan on bass and Shea McCrea on drums. The band got its name from the road in which the space we rehearse at is based, and when we looked into the role of a Prince Regent historically, it suited the vibe of project well. We’re old school and our music reflects a deep respect for rock n roll’s golden age while offering a modern, heartfelt take on storytelling through sound. It is sad to see the songwriting and rock’n’roll legends of the past age and come to the end of their careers, so the purpose of Prince Regent is to keep the traditions alive, we aren’t re-inventing the wheel, we are just putting a fresh face to the music people seem to be beginning to miss and the music we love to play.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
I can only speak for myself (Ben). I grew up with a lot of Eric Clapton, Stones, Paul Weller and Stereophonics to name a few. Over the past year or so I’ve really been exposed to the genius that is Tom Petty, by far the most relatable songwriter I’ve listened to which naturally led me on to Jeff Lynne’s work, who I’ve taken a heavy amount of inspiration from in a songwriting sense and also production. Of course I then developed a love for the Travelling Wilburys, and I’d say that was the sound I was chasing with our debut single Nature Of The Game.
How would you describe your sound?
We aim to deliver a very live authentic sound even in our studio work, reminiscent of the sounds of the 70’s. We don’t do morbid music, for us music is meant to be fun and bring joy, something I think the Wilburys expressed well. We aren’t the most technical musicians out there nor are we going to try to be cooler than we are, we are just here to make the music that we enjoy listening to ourselves and have a break from playing the hits at the weekend in our cover acts.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Nature Of The Game offers up a fresh twist on the classic rock n roll sounds many listeners grew up with, offering both familiarity and forward momentum. Written from a place of personal reckoning, “Nature of the Game” explores the realisation that things don’t always go the way we hope—but that time is fleeting, and waiting around isn’t an option. Seize the moment while you can!
What’s your local music scene like?
There are countless hidden gems in our music scene, many of which you’ll be lucky enough to walk into a pub in Belfast and hear on any given day of the week. I do not believe the best Belfast has to offer get their opportunity to shine all the time, it can be a hard and cliquey scene to navigate. That said, we have some vital local promoters such as Phillip McCarroll who without fail runs gigs in the Pavillion Bar and the Empire Music Hall every month and never shys away from giving a slot to a new band trying to establish themselves. Another great addition to the scene has been the Sounds Of The Shore festival held on the shore of Lough Neagh. A superb local festival that is not trying to outgrow itself but support and nurture local talent, a real golden nugget gig that I hope can continue for many years to come.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
We are about to announce our first ever live performance at a local festival this summer. Our goal is to put on our own headline show in Belfast, something more intimate towards the end of the year whilst hitting the studio to get working on our 2nd single which we’ve just finished writing!
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
Charlie Starr, front man for BlackBerry Smoke. Best in the business these days without a shadow of a doubt.
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
We’ll hopefully have a story for you next time we put some music out and have actually played our first gig! We could all go on for hours about the many interactions we have in pubs and the grief you couldn’t imagine getting for not knowing that random Spice Girls song but you’d run out of space on the page!
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
If you are one of those miserable folks who dislikes 99% of the music coming out today, we are hoping that we’re the band you’ve been looking for 😉
You can find out more about Prince Regent via Amazon Music, Apple Music, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify or YouTube Music.
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