Five albums and nearly two decades at the helm of popular rock group Keane have brought Tom Chaplin to the pinnacle of popular success and critical acclaim. He has traveled the world, won awards and is still active with great summoning power.
However, Chaplin takes a break from time to time to compose and record material that he will release as a solo artist, just as he did earlier this month with Midpointhis third solo work.
His debut had been The wave, in 2016, which reached the Top 3 in the UK. A year later she took it Twelve Christmas talesa Christmas collection of eight original songs as well as covers of holiday classics.
And as if to prove that there is life and fun outside of Keane, he also recently appeared in the UK edition of the masked singerdisguised as a six-foot multi-colored poodle, a tribute to his family’s beloved pet.
The pandemic effect
Midpoint began to take shape when the pandemic abruptly ended Keane’s North American tour in support of the album. cause and effectfrom 2019, their first new album after a seven year hiatus.
Recorded over six productive weeks late last year at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Bath and Paul Epworth’s Church Studios in Crouch End North London, Midpoint It could be considered Tom Chaplin’s first solo album in which he shows all his facets, from writer to singer, husband, world famous artist and middle-aged man.
“There is room for something nuanced that explores a part of life that everyone goes through,” said Chaplin. “If I can convey some of this and it can resonate with something people feel in their lives, I’ll be more than happy.”
“It’s like a live performance”
-Congratulations on a great album. Are you satisfied with the new album or are you one of those perfectionists who would like to continue polishing the details?
Yes, I am very happy with the result. Doing it was a leap of faith, because it was done in a completely different way than any record I’ve done before. When we made our first record with Keane in 2003, the technology allowed us to record everything digitally, so every album since then has been made by recording one layer of sound on top of the other.
Here, producer Ethan Jones decided that the songs would be recorded live and would capture the essence of the songs. It turned out to be someone who works in an unorthodox way, compared to what everyone else does. Although in reality what he did was record the old way, in the most orthodox way possible!
Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better to go for a bigger and more pop production, but I also think it’s an album that has a warm sound and soul, although at the time I was a little shocked to see myself so exposed and alone. see errors. That’s why it’s now very rewarding to get good feedback from people, so thank you. I am amazed by the result and the feeling of coziness and being in a room.
-The order of the songs flows as if it were a recital. Was it like that or did you try so many combinations?
-It is very interesting that you ask me, because we did the track-list before starting the recording. We went through all the songs by playing them on the piano, unlike the demos, which were full of great ideas. It was a list of almost 30 songs, we chose the ones we liked the most and in that moment we put together the structure of the album. It is very unusual to put it together like this! But we wanted to mark the path of the journey that the album was about to propose. Towards the end it acquires intensity and strength, like a live performance.
“They are not pandemic songs”
-Were you planning to do a third solo album or was it born of imprisonment during the pandemic?
-When we were doing the last tour of Keane concerts, it had been a long time since we released new songs, and very powerful songs appeared, with a lot of energy. At the same time, I didn’t know how to continue my solo career; I didn’t know where to go. There was no point in writing songs and whipping a dead horse with a whip. (laughs)
We had a lot of fun live with Keane, but the whole tour and exposure made me think again about doing something solo. And it is true that most of these issues were addressed at the start of the pandemic and compulsory confinement. Except for We all fall, I don’t think the other topics are particularly “pandemic”. They don’t talk about this, but about other experiences I had during that time, like the birth of my second child and online therapy to see where I was in the middle of my life.
How did it go with the psychologist?
-Many things emerged and many interesting topics appeared in the lyrics! I wondered if I was happy with the decisions I had made regarding my family, my relationships and my career. Many people prefer to hit the self-destruct button, take a fast car and run away and meet someone new and start from scratch. In fact, the first song that made my way on the album was Midpoint, which says it all. The rest flowed from there and the composition came out pretty quickly.
“Much loved by the Argentine public”
-What do you remember of your shows in Argentina with Keane?
-One of the first times was in a football stadium (River), and the last time in another newly inaugurated stadium (Movistar Arena). I think it was the biggest show of the whole tour, like the one in Mexico, and we felt very loved by the Argentine audience. It is always very interesting to play in Latin America, because the result is incredible and more than makes up for the long journey to get there. Fans are full of life! I guess all bands say the same thing, but it’s true.
They have a lot of fans here.
-Yup. Look, with Keane we are all older, we have children and a fairly common and boring private life. So it’s very strange to go from changing diapers to touring and arriving in Buenos Aires and seeing people crowding the hotel door, following us at the airport or watching the shows with overflowing passion. I remember we left Argentina and we were all wondering when we could come back, because it makes us feel so special.
-What is Keane’s current state, is she on hiatus?
-In the middle of the year we did several shows in England that had been pending since Covid. They were very good and there was a celebratory atmosphere. I think we have a good amount of work with Keane and it’s great to see him live to celebrate that catalog we’ve put together over the years.
The challenge with Keane is to make new music, that’s why when I make solo records it’s a unique satisfaction. It’s great to have autonomy and record alone, with new people, because it opens the door to experiences that wouldn’t have happened with the band.
But I will definitely do more with Keane later on. For now I want to live more spontaneously and I don’t know what’s around the corner.
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Source: Clarin
