12/03/07 - Kelly talks to XFM about new album & tour

Stereophonics' Kelly Jones has been talking exclusively to Xfm about his band's new material, playing the 'Live Earth' concerts and their plans to give fans a free single in conjunction with their new tour.
The band are celebrating their 10th anniversary with the April release of a new DVD entitled 'Rewind' which documents their history from their first gigs as Tragic Love Company (ahem) to their last international stadium tour. It also features interviews with Ronnie Wood, Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Bono, Jimmy Page, Roger Daltrey, The Black Crows and (obviously) Tom Jones.
However frontman Kelly Jones told Xfm that the band have finished recording the follow-up to their 2005 album 'Language.Music.Sex.Other?'. And its big.
"Its a big sounding record with the energy of the last album but the big choruses and big songs of 'Performance And Cocktails'," Kelly explained, "Its a good mix of what we've been up to."
"Its very much 'in your face' and the biggest sound we've ever had on a record. It took us a long time to find ourselves and how we truly wanted to sound, and I think we've got pretty close to that with this album."
Jones, also revealed that he plans to make a new download single available for free before the album's release to coincide with the band's upcoming tour.
"We're gonna give away a song called 'Bank Holiday Monday' when tickets for our November tour go on sale, so everyone who buys a ticket will get a free song. And that'll be the first song that everyone hears and its quite punky, so a complete contrast to the stuff they've been hearing [on Jones' recent acoustic solo album]"
Speaking about Al Gore's proposed 'Live Earth' concerts (the 24-hour-seven-continent-climate-change-awareness-gig-extravaganza) set to take place on July 7, the singer admitted it's something the Stereophonics are definately considering taking part in, saying.

"We have have been approached about that, and I like all gigs like that, so if its organised properly then we'll be up for it. If it's done in the right way we'll be there."