Planet Nowhere

Description

Razorlight was at the forefront of the indie-rock resurgence of the early 2000s, with their biggest hits - "Golden Touch," "Somewhere Else," "In The Morning," "America," and "Wire To Wire" - leading to three albums in the Top 5, nine platinum album certifications, an NME Award, and standout live moments, including headlining the Reading Festival and performing at Live 8. After reuniting for concerts in 2021, the classic lineup - Johnny Borrell (vocals/guitar), Björn Ågren (guitar), Carl Dalemo (bass), and Andy Burrows (drums) - will release the new album "Planet Nowhere" on October 25, their first together since 2008. Razorlight gives a glimpse of the set by sharing their first single, 'Scared Of Nothing.' Since their reunion, Razorlight has sold out a headlining tour that included a concert in London at the Eventim Apollo and has played as guests of Muse, Kaiser Chiefs, and James. But while the always ambitious Johnny challenged himself: "Who wants to be a hit band?" he devised a plan and, by the end of 2023, booked a five-day session with legendary producer Youth (The Verve, James) at his Space Mountain studio in Spain. Youth knew what they had to achieve, telling the band: "Razorlight, it's pretty simple, right? Just a catchy bass line, a driving beat, and a story. For some reason, things weren't that simple. After four days, they had a pile of ideas, but nothing that was really worth pursuing. And then, as Johnny recalls, something remarkable emerged from nowhere. "I had gone down into the barranca, and I came back to find the studio empty. So I picked up this strange six-string bass/guitar hybrid that I had never seen before and wrote this thing. On our last night, I started playing it with the guys. The drums came in hard, the bass thumped. It sounded like shit. Absolute shit. But Youth was there, saying 'Can, Velvets, see where it takes you' and 'Why don't you try it like this?' But still, the track wasn't moving, stuck in its own inertia. Youth said, 'You're getting there, just one more' and almost instantly the song came out, from nothing to something, like a statue emerging from marble. That song was 'Scared of Nothing' and listening back to the finished track, it's easy to see why it revived Razorlight's mojo. Exuding a tense, prickly post-punk energy in a way that is instantly contagious - the same traits that earned them NME praise in their early days ("More tunes than Franz, more spirit than The Strokes, and more balls than almost any band out there"). And as always, Johnny displays a brash and intense charisma that has taken him from being a figurehead of the Camden scene to a Vogue cover star. It is also the track that unleashed Razorlight's creativity, leading the band to return to Spain with Youth for a second session earlier this year, during which they developed a vast catalog of songs for the upcoming album. Other titles in contention for inclusion include "Zombie Love," "U Can Call Me," "Dirty Luck," and "Cool People." Since their return, Razorlight has also revisited their early achievements, first releasing "Razorwhat? The Best of Razorlight" (with the new song "You Are Entering The Human Heart") and last month released the 20th-anniversary deluxe edition of their debut album "Up All Night." There's never a dull moment. Writing a new ending for themselves, Razorlight is back to chase the boredom out of your life.