Pastures New For Supergrass

NME joins the band in the studio as they finish new album
Supergrass are to release a new album on September 13 through Parlophone.
The album, as yet untitled, includes tracks recorded under the working titles 'Right Up Your Alley', 'Slap The Monkey', 'Mustn't Grumble', 'A Bit Of Rough' and 'Out Of The Blue'.
Singer Gaz Coombes told NME at a London rehearsal studio last week that the album displayed a broader band repertoire than previous 'Grass records: "It's a lot more groovy... but then other tracks are laid-back. It's more vocal than the last album too, lots of harmonies. There's less guitar solos, but more ridiculous guitars. We've just got a bit wider!"
The band also confirmed that, after 'Pumping On Your Stereo' (out on May 24), their next single would be 'Moving'. Reminiscent of "Supergrass meeting the Love Unlimited Orchestra" it's due for an August release.
The band will debuting four of their new tracks on April 28 on Radio 1's Lamacq Live show.
They also play Leeds Town & Country (May 11), Glasgow Barrowlands (12), London Shepherd's Bush Empire (13) and V99 (August 21 & 22), as previously announced.
A full UK tour is being organised for September, details to be announced shortly.
Though the final running order and titles are still to be finalised, the new album will include the tracks 'Pumping On Your Stereo', 'Moving' and 'Jesus Came From Outer Space', a Spencer Davis-style keyboard-driven song which is also tipped as a future single.
Other tracks include 'Far Away', 'Blockheads', 'Out Of The Blue', 'What Went Wrong With Your Head', 'Born Again' and 'Mama And Papa', which sees bassist Mickey Quinn singing lead vocals for the first time.
Another track, which has the working title 'Open Up Your Tight Arse', is a funky affair featuring Coombes on bass, Goffey on guitar and Quinn on drums. Other working titles include 'Country Song', 'People', 'End' and 'Mary', a soulful '70s-sounding singalong.
All songs were written equally by the band, with Rob Coombes, Gaz's brother on keyboards.
Supergrass started the album last March and recorded it at Ridge Farm in Surrey and Sawmills in Cornwall. They worked with John Cornfield, who has produced all the band's albums to date.
Coombes added: "We did loads of it on eight-track, which is quite good, 'cos it means we've got loads of mad demos out there which will end up on the B-sides."
One of those songs, 'What A Shame You'll Never Walk Again', appears on the B-side of 'Pumping On Your Stereo' - featuring football chants such as "you're going home in a fucking ambulance" sung in Crosby, Stills & Nash-style melodies.
Goffey said they came up with the idea during the World Cup in France last year, and added: "We're just taking the piss out of hooligans really."
Coombes concluded: "It's only a laugh, innit?"

NME - 01 May 1999