Sienna Bentley

It feels easier to let your creative work collect dust instead of voluntarily being vulnerable and opening yourself up to the possibility of criticism. But you should do it anyway. 

Their debut single, ‘Living Locked Up’, finally entered the world on 29 June 2026, and emerging London-based duo The Warriner Brothers have learned several crucial lessons from the experience of taking that final step to let the world hear their music. Chatting to one half of the soul outfit, Rhys Tulloch laments on the fact that so many people spend so much time creating amazing things that never see the light of day – because overcoming that final hurdle can be seriously intimidating. “As soon as we announced the release date publicly, it became very real,” he reflects. “Having that accountability and expectation really pushes you to follow through and deliver.” 

“No matter how much you deliberate or obsess over minor details about a song or whatever art you’re making, it is what it is and you’ll quickly learn that it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” he says. He emphasises the importance of sharing your art: “the more you share, the more you learn and the more interesting and nuanced your work will become”. While it can feel like the scariest thing in the world, letting your work exist outside the echo chamber enables the work – and you – to grow. And though it might have indeed been incredibly daunting, Rhys describes the feeling in one word: relief. “It feels like a weight has been lifted now that it’s finally off our hard drive and out in the world; we can continue to build.”

Fortunately for them, the song came about “very organically” in the studio. “No part of it felt difficult or forced, which is a blessing.” However, Rhys wishes he could tell the version of himself that first started working on it not to overthink. “Trust your gut, move with the flow of the writing and the creative process and make something meaningful.” He believes it’s all about having a “big picture mindset”, especially as the perfectionist of the two of them.

“Gus tends to lead with his heart, while I usually lead with my head,” Rhys says. But he sees this as a strength, rather than a point of contention. “We challenge each other, fill in each other’s blind spots and bring different kinds of value to everything we do. It means neither of us gets too caught up in our own way of thinking, and the end result is almost always stronger because of it.”

Most people only see the finished track, not everything around it – and there’s a lot more thinking, deliberating and ruminating than you might think. “We’re constantly evolving – refining, exploring and discovering who we are and who we can become as artists,” Rhys says. “We spent a lot of time defining exactly who we are, what we stand for and most importantly, how we want to be perceived by the audience we’re building.” Indeed, having that clarity informs every creative decision, and he agrees that it has become the foundation for every choice that the band makes. 

Growing that audience is no easy feat, especially when operating in niche spaces as The Warriner Brothers do, in a genre they’ve coined “cinematic soul”. Striking the right balance between making the kind of music you love with the pressure to build an audience and catering to what they might want to hear is one of the more challenging aspects of making music. Truly believing in the music becomes absolutely critical. And they do. “We have been very intentional with our musical choices,” he asserts. “The genre ‘cinematic soul’ came around quite a way into our journey, and we genuinely believe that the music living under that banner has the potential to connect with audiences around the world.”

INSIDE SCOOP: One band, we won’t name names, came across us using this term and proceeded to make it their own tagline, hashtagging and plastering it all over their socials. It’s a compliment I guess. It won’t be the last great idea we have, but now you know where it originated.

The other side of it that is rarely shown to audiences are the sacrifices required to keep it all going, and The Warriner Brothers have made “all the obvious” ones – countless hours, thousands of pounds, staying in to work or write after a full week of graft. “We’ve been burned and we’ve been scammed,” they reflect. But they persevere and channel it into something positive. “We’ve taken all our available energy left after life had its fill and focused it on how we can make music forever.” 

Ultimately, the main lesson The Warriner Brothers have learned from their first-ever release that they’ll be taking into the next one is: “It’s all in the prep.”

You can listen to ‘Living Locked Up’ here