The news that Manchester icons Liam Gallagher and John Squire were collaborating on a new project ignited a wave of anticipation – uniting the personality and attitude of the Oasis frontman’s vocals with the remarkable guitar talents of The Stone Roses’ creative force would surely be something special. And their debut track, ‘Just Another Rainbow’, lived up to the hype as it hit #16 on the UK singles chart while also shooting direct to #1 on the sales, downloads, vinyl and physical singles charts – in the process achieving Liam’s highest singles chart entry in fifteen years.
But that was just the start. Now Liam Gallagher and John Squire announce much more from their collaboration. Their self-titled debut album will be released on March 1st and is today launched alongside its second single, ‘Mars To Liverpool’. They also announce details of their first UK tour together, as well as select shows in Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and the USA.
Liam says, “I can’t wait for people to hear the album. I think the people that are into the Stone Roses and Oasis and that kinda thing, I think they’ll fucking love it. It’s spiritual, it’s crucial. LG x”
John adds, “It was really inspiring to have those Knebworth gigs fresh in my mind as I started writing. Then it was a case of trying to steer it away from all being too rocky, and trying to mix up the sentiments as well. I like the way that in some parts, it’s quite melancholic and it can make you well up, but there are other parts that are kind of irreverent, rude or crude. There’s a little bit of everything in there, I think it’s a really good mix. I had a hunch that we’d sound good together, but I wasn’t prepared for it to be such a good fit.”
Like ‘Just Another Rainbow’ before it, ‘Mars To Liverpool’ delivers exactly what you’d hope from the pair. Delivering infectious rock ‘n’ roll with an undercurrent of ‘60s-tinged psychedelia, it sees John weaving inventive guitar work – chiming riffs, fluid classic rock solos around Liam’s uplifting vocal delivery. As with the best of their work from their famous bands and solo work, ‘Mars To Liverpool’ elevates its air of melancholy into a soaring, crowd-pleasing anthem. So that’s now two killer singles to maximise anticipation for the release of the album.
Long-terms friends with a mutual admiration for each other’s work, the idea of a collaboration started when John joined Liam on-stage at his biblical Knebworth shows. Song ideas were soon flowing, and the album took shape with an intuitive intensity during in Los Angeles with the revered producer Greg Kurstin. He played bass throughout the record, while drums were performed by Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M., Atoms For Peace).
The album is now available to pre-order HERE. Physical formats include standard CD and vinyl, a Deluxe split-colour vinyl, a white vinyl stocked by HMV and select indie stores, and an Amazon exclusive orange EcoRecord vinyl. Fans who pre-order the album from the official store by 3pm on Tuesday, January 30th will receive access to a pre-sale for tour tickets. The pre-sale will open at 9:30am on Wednesday, January 31st before any remaining tickets go on general sale from 9:30am on Friday, February 2nd.
The tour will see Liam and John lead a band completed by Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie, Paul Weller) on bass and Joey Waronker on drums. All shows except Brooklyn feature support from Jake Bugg. The dates are:
MARCH
13th – Glasgow, Barrowland
14th – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
16th – Dublin, Olympia
18th – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
20th – Manchester, O2 Apollo
21st – Manchester, O2 Apollo
23rd – Leeds, O2 Academy
25th – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town
26th – London, Troxy
APRIL
2nd – Paris, Salle Pleyel
4th – Berlin, Columbiahalle
6th – Milan, Fabrique
11th – Brooklyn, Paramount
Album tracklist:
1. ‘Raise Your Hands’
2. ‘Mars To Liverpool’
3. ‘One Day At A Time’
4. ‘I’m a Wheel’
5. ‘Just Another Rainbow’
6. ‘Love You Forever’
7. ‘Make It Up As You Go Along’
8. ‘You’re Not The Only One’
9. ‘I’m So Bored’
10. ‘Mother Nature’s Song’
