Source - Mirror.co.uk
Date - 01-Mar-2004
Author - Kevin Lynch
Original article - http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/content_objectid=13988483_method=full_siteid=50143_headline=--name_page.html
Following the usual empty backslapping of the Brit awards, last Sunday saw
a genuine musical triumph in the charts. Seemingly from out of nowhere, Sussex
three-piece Keane went straight in at number 3 with their first proper single
"Somewhere Only We Know". A passionate blast of romantic pop, it's
a great song that has managed to capture the record-buying public's imagination
without the aid of a heavy-handed marketing campaign or a reality TV show.
"It's about being able to draw strength from a place or experience you've
shared with someone," says keyboard player and main songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley.
"I think its an idea a lot of people can relate to."
Sitting in the West London offices of their record label Island, the trio are
at pains to stress that their new-found success is anything but overnight.
"We've really had to struggle to get recognition," admits cherub-faced
singer Tom Chaplin, "I guess it makes us all the more appreciative of what's
happening with the band now."
In the same way the White Stripes have broken with rock band conventions by
not having a bass player, Keane take the minimalist approach a step further
by not having a guitarist either, opting for just drums and keys to complement
the vocals. Despite this scaled down line-up, the group's brand of heartfelt
rock sounds huge, largely due to Chaplin's uniquely powerful voice.
Childhood friends from Battle, a small village near Hastings, Tom and Tim,
along with drummer Richard Hughes formed the band in the mid-nineties. Initially
starting as a four piece with a guitarist, the band soon progressed from playing
U2 and Oasis covers to Tim's own compositions. Deciding to make a proper go
of things, the group took the plunge and moved to London in 1998, with Tom dropping
out of an art history degree at Edinburgh University.
However, after spending two years balancing office jobs while playing gigs across
the capital, the band found themselves no nearer to getting a record deal.
"The excitement of living in London had gone," recalls Tom. "It
was around this time our guitarist left and we found ourselves having to re-evaluate
what the band was about."
In what turned out to be a pivotal moment in Keane's career, the band opted
to remain as a threesome and a new sound for the group began to form.
"In traditional terms it may seem unorthodox to be in a rock band without
guitars, but we went with what sounded right for us," says Richard. "It
felt really fresh and the whole thing inspired Tim to write a load of really
good new songs."
Having taken up an offer from a producer friend to work on tracks, the band
spent three months in France recording.
The new set of demos eventually caught the attention of Simon Williams, boss
of the influential independent label Fierce Panda.
Williams' knack of spotting unsigned talent has seen him put out debut singles
by the likes of Coldplay and Supergrass. Sensing another major discovery he
went on to release two limited-run singles by the band last year.
With DJs like Radio 1's Steve Lamacq picking up on the band, an intense bidding
war between a number of major labels broke out.
The band eventually signed with Island in the summer of last year, with their
first album, titled "Hopes and Fear" set to hit shelves in May.
"In a way the album could have been our third with all the recordings we
had done while trying to get a deal," reveals Tom. Intriguingly, some of
these recordings have made thier way onto the internet without the group's consent.
Most interesting of the bunch is an early version of 'Somewhere Only We Know'
that's awash with synths and programmed drums. Despite the availability of theses
works in progress, Keane don't appear too concerned.
"I'm inclined to think that if people are looking for those tracks then
they are probably already interested in the band anyway," says Tom.
"They most likely see those recordings as an interesting extra to get hold
of - I don't see it causing any damage. If it was the album we have coming out
leaked early then I'd probably feel differently," he adds.
The band's name was inspired not by Manchester United's midfield general Roy, but by an old lady called Cherry Keane who used to look after Tom when he was young. Polite and amiable, unlike their footballing namesake, Keane don't come across as fiery types that could flip out at any moment and stamp on their opposition. This has led some critics to suggest that like Coldplay - a group they are already being compared to - they are just that bit too nice to be a rock band.
"We are who we are," says Richard. "We don't subscribe to something
that isn't ourselves. I've never understood this idea about that being in a
band means your part of some inclusive club that you have to be cool to join.
We want to be inclusive with what we do."
"There are no clichés being plucked out of the air. There is an
honesty about who we are and what we are about and I think people appreciate
that," he adds.
Nice boys they may be, but you would be wrong to write Keane off as being dull,
something that's abundantly clear when seeing them play live. Watching them
support the mighty My Morning Jacket recently at The Astoria in London, Tom
displays a flamboyant edge on stage that isn't really suggested on record.
(Keane's tastes are unashamedly populist - Tom confesses his vocal inspirations come from studying Freddie Mercury and a worn out copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller.)
Clearly getting lost in the moment while in front of a crowd, his soaring voice draws comparisons to Billy McKenzie from The Associates and Fran Healy from Travis who the band are due to support later this month. A major nationwide tour of their own also beckons next month, along with a rumored appearance at Glastonbury in June. However it's the upcoming release of their debut album that you sense the band will be most excited by.
"We all agreed a couple of years ago that if we were going to actually
like our music we would have to try and be as good as the bands that inspired
us," says Richard
"I don't know how good we are in comparison to Nick Drake or U2 or whatever,
but I know we're confident about these songs we have," he adds. "Our
favourite artists are people who put the emphasis on great songwriting like
the Pet Shop Boys, The Beatles, and The Smiths. We want our music to communicate
to people," says Tom.
"That's why we signed to a major like Island. We want to sell records and
reach people. We've always really wanted to be on Top of the Pops and stuff
like that."
The success of "Somewhere Only We Know" means that dream was fulfilled
last week when they made their first appearance on the show.
Don't bet against it being the first of many.