Southampton’s own Regent have never hidden their love of football, and with England dreaming of glory once again this summer, the four-piece are back with another terrace-ready anthem. Their new single, The Best of Things, landed on 22nd May, blending swaggering guitar riffs with nostalgic nods to England’s legendary 1966 World Cup triumph. Frontman Ben Rooke describes the track as “a cheeky, naughty version of an anthem" – one that swaps cliché for punchy indie-rock attitude. It follows last year’s Be in That Number, a heartfelt tribute to Southampton FC that even saw the band perform pitch-side at St Mary’s Stadium ahead of a home fixture. With a third album, The Cognitive Revolution, due in 2026 and momentum building fast, Regent are proving they’re as passionate about rock and roll as they are the beautiful game.

The Best of Things looks back at England’s 1966 World Cup win — if you could time travel to any football moment in history, what would you want to witness live?

It has to be Paul Gascoigne's goal against Scotland in 1996 at the Euros...

Such an iconic goal, and to be there watching it live would have been amazing...

You said you wanted this track to feel “punk, rock and pop” instead of a typical football anthem — what makes a football song avoid becoming cheesy?

I think what makes the other England songs cheesy is the lyrics more than anything, and that goes for most football anthems in general. They were great back then in the 90s, and they served their purpose. But these are different times now... avoiding the obvious and being less direct with words like 'goals' and footballers' names, etc. It's all too gimmicky. I wanted this song to be more punk in the sense of being more cheeky and demanding of the team. We've been waiting for another World Cup since 1966; we don't need a cheesy singalong. We need something more honest and confident, upbeat and inviting but also demanding whilst being confident in our team ... something liberating ... '18 Carat Yellow Gold And Malachite YOUR MY WORLD CUP' ... You're already mine, we believe!

Southampton FC clearly means a lot to the band. Which Saints player would make the best honorary fifth member of Regent?

It would have to be Leo Scienza just playing the triangle in the background... He's been amazing this season.

If The Best of Things were the soundtrack to a football montage, what’s happening in the final scene?

It would have to be Sir Bobby Charlton lifting the World Cup in 1966!

Playing pitch-side at St Mary’s must have been surreal — what was going through your heads before walking out?

It was a funny day because everyone couldn't really grasp what we were achieving and about to do. We all stood in the Northam Tunnel, waiting to go out, all silent, just soaking it in. We all knew it was a massive moment playing to tens of thousands of fans, so we just took it all in...it was beautiful...We realised we could play to any-sized crowd after that and not be fazed...

Football and rock music both create huge emotional highs. Which gives you the bigger adrenaline rush: scoring a crowd reaction or scoring a last-minute winner?

That's a tough one, but it has to be scoring a last-minute winner...

Which Regent song would be most likely to start a football terrace singalong?

It has to be The Thunder. It's the perfect example of a true anthem..

The Cognitive Revolution is a brilliant album title — what can fans expect from this next era of Regent?

I feel the songwriting has got better over time; our first album had everything from power ballads to rock anthems...our second album was very political but had everything.

So it's more of the same, less political and more direct, but I always open an album with the first song being the same name of the album title. I feel it sets the tone.

If each member of Regent had to manage a football club together, who would handle tactics, transfers, team talks and fines?

I'd handle the tactics because I'm the brains behind the outfit...
Patro would handle the transfers because he's clinical in everything he does; Luke would handle the team talks to brighten us up, and Chris, our drummer, would dish out the fines!



Your music tackles politics, relationships and modern struggles — do you think rock bands should reflect the state of the country?

Only if they do it well.
It's actually quite hard to write political tracks; I was actually quite surprised how hard...you can look a fool just as easily as become the hero...it's tough.

What’s the most "regent" thing that’s ever happened to the band on tour or at a gig?

Getting kicked off the Huey Morgan tour for arguing with the headliner and tour manager over a drum kit was quite funny. We scared the pants off him before we even performed just from our energy.

If you could support any band in history for one night only, who are you choosing?

I'm going to be selfish and annoyingly unsurprising here: The Beatles!!

You’ve built a reputation as one of Southampton’s standout bands — what’s special about the city’s music scene right now?

Us!

Which song from Beggars Belief means the most to you personally, and why?

It has to be Liberation. That song does exactly what it says on the tin and could implode or explode at the same time...

With a new album and a football-filled summer ahead, what would the perfect 2026 look like for Regent?

Landing the England song with the football team and it becoming a national anthem, getting our next single onto the new EA Sports FIFA game, and getting asked to support Oasis on their next tour...