Last week on my weekday drivetime show on Tameside Radio, I was joined by Dave McCabe, founding member and frontman of legendary indie band The Zutons. Since forming in Liverpool in 2001, the band have become a staple fixture on Indie Anthem and British music albums and compilations ever since.
Their first album, 'Who Killed The Zutons?' was released in April 2004, followed by the iconic 'Tired Of Hanging Around' in 2006. The band took their name from Captain Beefheart's Magic Band guitarist 'Zoot Horn Rollo', and by producing songs such as 'Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?', 'It's The Little Things We Do', 'You Will You Won't, 'Zuton Fever', 'Pressure Point' and worldwide anthem 'Valerie', they quickly became one of the all-time great British guitar bands.
A third album, entitled 'You Can Do Anything', was released in 2008, before the band quietly disbanded and disappeared from the scene the following year.
Fast forward to 2024, and Dave McCabe and The Zutons are back, with original members drummer Sean Payne and saxophonist Abi Harding by his side, and on April 26th will release the long awaited fourth album 'The Big Decider', their first new music in 16 years. The album has been jointly produced by Nile Rodgers and Ian Broudie, which alone speaks volumes about the standard of this album and new material.
The huge gap in music and gigs has been put down to bad personal choices within the band, but The Zutons are back looking and sounding better than ever before. Current single 'Creeping On The Dancefloor' is already a Zutons classic and fans favourite, and after a huge UK tour of small intimate venues, the band will tomorrow (Friday) embark on a huge UK tour of iconic Zuton-size venues, including a date this Saturday April 13th at Manchester's New Century Hall.
The tour continues through summer, including several festivals, before finishing the year with a series of dates in America. The Zutons are back and with such a busy year ahead the future is exciting for one of indie's best loved bands. New album 'The Big Decider' is released on April 26th, for more information on tour dates and forthcoming releases visit the band's website.
Dave McCabe last week joined me on Tameside Radio to talk about the past, present, and future of the band, you can hear the full interview on YouTube by searching The Zutons with Dave Sweetmore.
