After all of 16 years, the prodigal sons, The Zutons have today returned with a brand new single “Creeping On The Dancefloor” (listen here); the first track taken from their upcoming album ‘The Big Decider’, set to be released on 26th April. The song marks a triumphant new chapter for the band, who have faced their fair share of challenges whilst they’ve been away. When the band members reconnected to write some of their strongest material to date, it was the single they have released today that quickly came into view, epitomising their embracing of brighter times on the horizon.
Commenting on how the new track came to be, lead singer and guitarist Dave McCabe said: “We wrote ‘Creeping On The Dancefloor’ during lockdown when Abi moved in the house and we were all living together in our own little bubble. But I think because we were all trapped in the house and I was singing it onto my phone, just the melody and some of the words to keep the noise down, when we got let loose and recorded it with the band it had a great energy. It’s one of those songs you want to hear again as soon as it’s finished and that’s always a good sign.”
The Big Decider, which is available for pre-order here, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with legendary songwriter and producer Nile Rodgers, alongside the band’s original producer Ian Broudie. Written in the context of a decade and a half of lived experience, it was born under the burden of family tragedies, lives lost and created, reality checks and home truths faced up to and stared down. Wrestled into shape under the kind of steam that only decades-long friendships – with all their messy fall-outs, make-ups, breakdowns and ultimately love – can muster, The Big Decider became the sound of water passing under the bridge, and love for music, love for each other, and love for creating together becoming the most important thing of all.
Curiously, the pandemic seemingly fast-tracked the process of the band’s next phase. As McCabe characterises that time, shortly before he went into rehab: “We were all living together in our own little bubble, plenty of booze and mushrooms and a lot of bonding! It was necessary.” It was McCabe’s subsequent time in rehab that truly sparked a turning point in the positivity of the new album and the joyful experience of putting it together. Harding says: “Dave has been through an awful lot in the last few years, and these things have obviously really impacted him. But his songwriting has only got better. Now he spends more time on his songs. He’s in touch with his own and others’ emotions, and that all goes into the songs. It has been so nice to watch him grow. I’m so proud of him.”
Talking about the new album, lead singer and guitarist Dave McCabe says: “Working with Nile was just an amazing experience, he gave me a confidence that I’ve never felt before making a record. He’s very laid-back as a person and a good listener. On the song ‘Disappear’ , I wrote a spoken word piece about The Zutons travelling the stars and galaxies asking the most powerful question in the universe, “Why?”. I asked Nile if he’d read it out over the top of the end section of the song, thinking he’d just say no. But he jumped in the vocal booth with his chain around his neck and his sunglasses on and did about 20 different takes, all in different styles of himself. It was mind-blowing! It was as though he really does travel around the universe in some spaceship and just makes music in his spare time. He’s just one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.
It was great to reconnect with Ian Broudie on this record as well. He told me the demo of Big Decider brought a tear to his eye and that’s why he said yes to working with us again. It was one of the first songs we wrote for the album so getting that reaction from Ian made me feel like we were doing something right. The song spoke for itself.”
Long-anticipated, authentically hard-won, scorchingly self-aware and truly worth the wait, The Big Decider is the sound of a band channelling what Abi Harding describes as a lifetime of “great chemistry and great connection”. Or, as Sean Payne puts it: “We had a genuine feeling of a shared vision. In the past we haven’t really said how we feel, or we’ve taken each other the wrong way. But this album was different. We really didn’t feel good until it was just how we wanted it.”
Having sold out their run of intimate live shows set to take place through Jan, Feb and March, tickets for the band’s full UK tour are on general sale now here. A second date at Pryzm in Kingston has been added on Sat 27th April. Tickets go on sale from 11am on Sat 27th Jan.
