RETROSPECTIVE EP2: SUNSHINE

From KM.com,

Following the success of our first retrospective digital EP of Keane rarities (the Everybody's Changing EP), we're pleased to announce the launch of a second one, the Sunshine EP. This EP is exclusive to the keanemusic.com download store (powered by 7 Digital).

Here's what Tom has to say about it:

Hello Everyone,

Greetings from the Keane camp! Here is the second of our trips down memory lane, looking back at the time we began to get songs together for Hopes & Fears. In the summer of 2001 we decided to move out of London after a series of disappointments but with the prospect of a balmy autumn in Northern France with our new friend (and mad musical brain) James Sanger. Many of the songs for the album materialised around this period and we enjoyed several months of real fun and creativity, as well as gaining loads of experience in James’ sprawling (and chaotic) farm house in Barneville-Carteret.

We had many happy days camped in the garden, making music, barbecuing fresh mackerel caught on our fishing trips and getting drunk in the quaint local bars! James employed many innovative approaches to recording, as well as letting us loose on
his huge collection of vintage synths.

At this point, it’s probably best to hand over these "never before heard" demos to you and also an interview I did with Tim, which will hopefully enlighten you all as to how the record was shaped.

Lots of love
Tom

The tracklisting is as follows

01. Sunshine (Original Demo 26-10-01)
02. Sunshine (Live At Glastonbury June 2005)
03. This Is The Last Time (Demo 26-10-01)
04. This Is The Last Time (Demo 31-03-03)
05. Maps (Demo 26-10-01)
06. Walnut Tree (Demo 10-05-02)
07. Happy Soldier (Demo 26-10-01)
08. Digital Booklet (inc link to download interview video)

Click here to download your copy, for 99p per track, or £3.79 for the full EP.

You can preview the tracks on the widget below:

KEANE ON REGIS & KELLY

I should have published this before sorry... but never is late for Keane

"Stop For A Minute" recorded on 31/05/10

TOM INTERVIEWS TIM: SUNSHINE EP

never seen this! incredible!! need to get that EP :)

TIM INTERVIEW WITH ARJAN

My fav part of the interview...

You contributed vocals to the fantastic "Your Love." Why did you decide to step behind the mic? Why did you feel that now was the right time?

We've really learned recently to just go with whatever feels right and not worry at all about what other people's preconceptions - or even our own preconceptions - of Keane might be. "Your Love" was one of those songs that just felt complete as it was. Tom tried to do a vocal for it while we in Copenhagen, but his voice was starting to go and we were worried about the show that night. So we left it for a bit and ended up feeling that it was great as it was, and that an EP like this is a good opportunity to try some things that are new for us - such as me singing a lead vocal. As much as anything, it brings variety. And, of course, there no better way to remind everyone what an amazing singer Tom is. Ha!

If you want to read the whole interview read the first part here the second part here.

SUNSHINE RETROSPECTIVE COLLECTION

Click here if you wanna buy this retrospective or if you wanna listen to some snippets of the following songs. I'm so interested in Maps (demo), never heard it before o_O

01. Sunshine (Original Demo 26-10-01)
02. Sunshine (Live At Glastonbury June 2005)
03. This Is The Last Time (Demo 26-10-01)
04. This Is The Last Time (Demo 31-03-03)
05. Maps (Demo 26-10-01)
06. Walnut Tree (Demo 10-05-02)
07. Happy Soldier (Demo 26-10-01)
08. Digital Booklet – Sunshine Retrospective Collection

NEW PHOTOS, NEW BIOG

From KM.com,

Following yesterday's artwork announcement, we've just uploaded three brand new pictures to km.com, as well as the brand new band biog. The pictures were all taken by Takay.

Head to the BAND section to check out the pictures in all their glory (click for full-size versions) and to read the new biog.

You'll notice if you scroll beneath the English biog that we are, for the first time, offering a version Spanish language translation, in recognition of Keane's enormous Spanish-speaking fanbase. Let us know what you think - it's something we might be doing a bit more of going forward...

ARTWORK OF NIGHT TRAIN

From KM.com,

Yes, we're very pleased to reveal the final artwork for the Night Train EP. Isn't it lovely?

Night Train will be released on CD and download on May 10 - and you can pre-order a special numbered edition of the EP through the Keane Store right now by clicking here.

EIGHT FACTLETS ABOUT NIGHT TRAIN

From Popjustice's website,

1. They're calling it an EP but it's got eight tracks (EIGHT TRACKS) on it and three of them could be obvious singles so let's be honest here, it's an album. Full tracklisting: 'House Lights', 'Back In Time', 'Stop For A Minute' (feat K'Naan), 'Clear Skies', 'Ishin Denshin (You've Got To Help Yourself)' (feat Tigarah), 'Your Love', 'Looking Back' (feat K'Naan), 'My Shadow'. We had a bit of a chit-chat with the band last week and put forward our 'it's clearly an album what are you talking about' opinion; Tim from the band mentioned that he agreed with something Liam Gallager recently said about the constraints of the modern music industry meaning that bands don't really get to release enough music. Keane's point regarding this EP is that the songs - recorded on the road - are so diverse that they don't really make sense as a 'proper album', but at the same time they're good enough to be released. So that is why they're calling it an EP.

2. It's an album.

3. The artwork is boring but don't let this fool you - there's some exciting stuff on 'Night Train'. Some of the songs continue in the trajectory of the last Keane album, so 'Your Love' (which has touches of 'Early Winter') is quite electrical and 'Stop For A Minute' (featuring a rap from K'Naan who manages to rhyme 'females' with 'e-mails' thus putting this song on a level with Pixie Lott's 'Cry Me Out' in that respect and that respect alone) sits well alongside something like 'Spiralling'.

4. If you fear the modern world don't worry. 'My Shadow' is a proper 'Bedshaped'-shaped Keane tearjerking piano ballad (a 'piallad', if you will). It is a lovely song about there being no need to feel alone because if you shine a light you "will see my shadow on every wall, and you will see my footprint on every floor", offering the advice that "when your back's against the wall that's when you show no fear at all" and *breaks down uncontrollably as result of massive pop blubfest*

5. 'Ishin Denshin (You've Got To Help Yourself)' sounds like the theme from a long-forgotten early-90s Saturday morning kids TV show FROM SPAIN. Except the guest vocalist, Tigarah (very listenable MySpace tuneage here), is a Japanese Baile Funk expert so that's a bit confusing. The main point here is that 'Ishin Denshin (You've Got To Help Yourself)' is on one hand amazing and on the other hand is the sort of thing that should never ever be heard by anybody at all, still less released as a single. It's not an easy song to come to terms with, but we've given it four stars out of five in our iTunes library if that's any help.

6. 'Looking Back' interpolates the Rocky theme (!) and 'Clear Skies' has a killer, 'Call The Shots'-esque chorus, while 'House Lights' is the music they came onto on their last tour (hence the name etc).

7. This isn't connected to the EP 'per se' but the Keane Website has a clip of Tom performing the Pet Shop Boys tune 'Your Funny Uncle', which is quite nice. *Breaks down uncontrollably for second time*

8. And there we have it. The new Keane ALBUM discussed in some vague waffle which while perhaps not particularly detailed or brilliantly written might lead you to be quite excited about this very good collection of tunes. 'Stop For A Minute' is the first single - Keanemusic have a behind the scenes report from the video shoot. The whole thing's out in May. THERE YOU GO.

KEANE ANNOUNCE NEW 8-TRACK EP AND ENGLISH FOREST TOUR

From KM.com,

Following the worldwide success of their third consecutive Number One album, Perfect Symmetry, Keane are pleased to announce details of a new eight-song EP and a tour of English forests.

The Night Train EP will be released globally on 10th May 2010. It features eight powerful new tracks which were written and recorded during the Perfect Symmetry world tour that saw the band playing to packed arenas in 28 countries, from Australia to Norway, Colombia to South Korea and Lebanon to Switzerland. The EP takes its title from the band's favoured mode of transport during the tour.

The EP includes Keane's genre-busting collaborations with Somali/Canadian rapper K'Naan, ‘Stop For A Minute’ and ‘Looking Back’. "I think those tracks show us in a completely different light," says Keane frontman Tom Chaplin.

Other definite highlights include ‘Ishin Denshin (You've Got To Help Yourself)’, which features Japanese MC Tigarah, as well as the gorgeous 'Your Love', which hangs around a rare lead vocal from the band's Ivor Novello-winning songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley.

Due for release on CD and download, the Night Train EP will be available to pre-order through keanemusic.com, from Wednesday 2nd December. NB: Please note, the artwork in the picture above is the cover of the promo EP, and is not the final artwork.

The band have also announced plans for a summer tour of forests in 2010, including a homecoming show at the Bedgebury Pinetum, just outside the band’s hometown of Battle, East Sussex. Dates are as follows:

10th June – Thetford Forest, Suffolk
11th June – Bedgebury Pinetum, Kent
18th June - Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire
19th June – Sherwood Pines Forest, Nottinghamshire
25th June – Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire
26th June – Cannock Chase Forest, Staffordshire

Tickets for the shows will be available from 9am on Wednesday 2nd December through keanemusic.com, before going on general sale from Friday 4th December via 01842 814612, www.forestry.gov.uk/music and www.keanemusic.com. Tickets will be £32 (subject to booking fee). A full support bill will be announced.

(Big Keane news announcements are like buses - you wait ages for one and then two come along at once...)