After the success of Planet Nowhere, Razorlight are closing out 2024 by revisiting their roots. The band premiered their new documentary, Surviving Up All Night: The Making of Razorlight’s Debut Album, at a sold-out headline show at the O2 Academy Brixton—a night brimming with nostalgia and energy. Now, they’ve dropped it online for fans everywhere to join them on a gritty, no-holds-barred journey through the creative process that birthed one of the most explosive and influential rock records of the early noughties.
The documentary offers a deep dive into the turbulent yet thrilling journey of the band’s early days, charting their rise from raw energy to chart-topping success. The story begins with Johnny Borrell’s singular vision for Razorlight – a vision rooted in the sounds of rock icons like The Stooges, Lenny Kaye, and The Velvet Underground. It wasn’t long before his pursuit of like-minded musicians drew in the right talent, and Razorlight’s electric live shows began to make waves.
However, as the band gained momentum, the narrative takes a darker turn. As the pressure of success mounted, Razorlight faced a series of stumbles and falls. Key members of the band, along with figures from the wider Razorlight family, including manager Roger Morton, engineer Natty, and producer John Cornfield, all reveal what happened when they signed a deal with Mercury Records.
With £40,000 already spent before even recording a note, the band found themselves up against the odds. From a lightning strike to lost recordings and unexpected studio relocations, the making of their debut album was nothing short of chaotic. But against all odds, they managed to overcome each challenge thrown their way, channeling their frustrations and setbacks into the creation of an album that would go on to define a generation and cement their place in rock history.
The documentary also sheds light on the iconic vocal style that made Johnny Borrell a standout frontman. His unique combination of jittery stutter and laconic drawl is dissected, revealing the secrets behind his inimitable sound — though fans are advised leaving this to the professional as replicating this at hime might end badly.
The culmination of all these struggles, triumphs, and unpredictable twists was Up All Night, an album that would become one of the biggest debuts of the decade. With chart-topping singles like Somewhere Else, Golden Touch, and Rip It Up, Up All Night stormed the charts, eventually surpassing 1.2 million sales in the UK alone. Razorlight became indie icons virtually overnight.
Looking back, Johnny Borrell reflects on how close they came to never achieving their success at all. “I never thought the album was going to kill me or anything,” he admits. “But if it hadn’t worked out then I think it would have killed music for me.”
The band’s remarkable journey, from uncertainty to superstardom, is a testament to their resilience and unwavering belief in their vision. Razorlight’s adventure continues into 2025, with two shows already confirmed: a special guest slot with Kaiser Chiefs at Temple Newsam Park in Leeds on May 31st and a headline performance at The Brit Fest in Altrincham on July 4th.
As Razorlight gears up for the next chapter of their musical journey, fans can now look back on their debut album’s creation with Surviving Up All Night, a mini-documentary that provides a raw and unfiltered look at the blood, sweat, and tears that went into one of rock’s most iconic origin stories…
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