The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Make some noise for the boys
With the release of their new album, Scream Above The Sounds, the Stereophonics, one of the music industry’s biggest names, are taking their music down a new road... to Dundee
Graduating from pubs to stadiums, the Stereophonics have racked up an impressive list of accomplishments during their career.
They’ve achieved six number one albums and 11 top 10 singles, including the chart-topping hit Dakota.
The band has headlined at numerous festivals, including Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds, V and the Isle of Wight.
They’ve performed their own shows at Slane Castle, Edinburgh Castle and the Cardiff Community Stadium.
And they’ve been on tours with some big names, including David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, The Who and U2.
Now, founder members Kelly Jones (vocals/guitar) and Richard Jones (bass) are joined by relative newcomers, Adam Zindani (guitar) and Jamie Morrison (drums), along with long-term touring member and live keyboardist Tony Kirkham.
“It’s like when you think of Ronnie Wood being the new guitarist in The Stones,” laughs Kelly.
“That new guy syndrome never wears off.”
Each Stereophonics album seems to attract a new legion of young fans who are discovering them for the first time.
Twenty years after they got their big break with Word Gets Around, both founder members, the Joneses (no relation), say they are more interested in continuing to progress rather than reflecting upon past achievements.
As Richard explains: “We’re always trying to move forward, to find new things we can do, and to discover what people like about us.”
It’s a mantra that’s reflected
throughout their forthcoming 10th album, Scream Above The Sounds.
For this record, Kelly says he began to write “big, anthemic songs that are rallying against those anxious feelings that have flooded through cities.”
Opening tune Caught By The Wind is perhaps the most striking example of that approach, though the whole collection is permeated with positivity.
“Every song offers a sense of release,” Kelly continues.
“Even when there’s nostalgia, fear or anxiety, they’re still all offering hope and room to manoeuvre.”
If Caught By The Wind captures Stereophonics at their most immediate, the first single All In One Night represents their affection for the melancholy.
Set to a consistent rhythm it finds the narrator’s life taking a dramatic turn as night brightens to day.
While All In One Night is clearly fiction, the album’s centrepiece, Before Anyone Knew Our Name, is a plaintive piano ballad in which Kelly reflects on the loss of the band’s original drummer Stuart Cable, the adventures of the band’s early days, and fatherhood.
“It’s one of those songs that anybody could relate to in some kind of way,” says Richard.
Stereophonics are set to release Scream Above The Sounds on November 3 on Parlophone Records.
The band has announced a major UK and European tour for later in the year.
However, Dundee was given a major boost following the announcement of a short warm-up tour around the UK, including a night at the city’s Caird Hall on Tuesday.
Tickets for the gig sold out within the first 30 minutes of going on sale, with many people being left disappointed.
Stereophonics will be the fourth “big name” artist appearing in the city over the summer after UB40, Olly Murs and Little Mix each played shows at Slessor Gardens.
Given the band’s reputation as a great live act, it is sure to be an unforgettable event.
“We’re always trying to move forward, to find new things we can do...