This year we have seen the return of bands who for the past few years had completely slipped under the radar – but never technically broke up.
Superfood are back with the brilliant 'Bambino' after a three year hiatus, Friendly Fires finally announced a comeback gig after disappearing through the void after 2011’s 'Pala', and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have returned with a very similar story.
So who else can we hope to see make their way back to society? Hint hint nudge nudge, guys…
– – –
Klaxons
London’s favourite indie trio Klaxons started blessing our ears with their “nu-rave” sound with their debut album 'Myths Of The Near Future' back in 2006, and arguably reached the peak of their career with 2010's 'Surfing The Void'.
Their last album to date came four years later, and gone was the sound of thrashing drums and awkward guitars, to be replaced with a more electronic vibe, thanks to electro DJ Erol Alkan, who helped produce Love Frequency alongside James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) and Tom Rowlands (Chemical Brothers).
'A New Reality' was appropriately the first track on the album and makes Tom Rowlands presence on the album heavily obvious. The album didn’t receive the best reviews, and saw the band being stuck in a genre-less rut, so perhaps figuring it out is what they’ve been doing for the past few years.
– – –
Bombay Bicycle Club
Perhaps a band to be more likely to return, they announced in January of last year they would each be focusing on solo projects in the future. It was still quite cryptic with not much information given, but hopefully the boys reside in the hiatus column for now.
Since the hiatus, only half the band have shown their solo music debuts to the world. Bassist Ed Nash was first – under the name of Toothless. He started out at the end of last year with a single from his debut album 'The Pace Of The Passing', which ultimately sounds like what it says on the tin – one member of Bombay Bicycle Club. Next up was frontman Jack Steadman now known as Mr Jukes. Steadman’s new sound is vibrant with R&B soul, jazz, funk, resulting in impressive solo debut 'God First'. Still, we want you all back someday please.
– – –
Rizzle Kicks
Brighton boys Jordan Stephens and Harley Alexander-Sule took over the UK charts with their trumpet-fuelled single 'Down With The Trumpets' in 2011. Their love of old school hip-hop and the combination of Jordan’s cheeky chappy verses and Harley’s smooth vocals made instant success, and the release of their debut album 'Stereo Typical' saw big things ahead for Rizzle Kicks.
What has always been interesting about the duo is their creativity and need to fully immerse themselves in their music, their videos and whatever current projects. Taking on so many things at once – both as a duo and separately – resulted in the slight disbandment after their 2013 album 'Roaring 20’s'.
Both boys have gone on to separately release music as well as making guest appearances on TV shows and being heavily involved in low key various music related projects. Last year they released a few tracks back together as Rizzle Kicks but shortly after started doing their own thing again. So, will they won’t they?
– – –
Sleater-Kinney
These Washington rocker gals have been around for more than 20 years and have eight albums under their leather studded belts. Fore-runners in the riot grrrl movement and avid lefties, their music incorporates both personal and social themes while borrowing heavily from the punk movement of the 80s. A truly inspirational ‘girl band’ if there ever was one.
Also the queens of hiatus, they announced the end of a six year break with their 2015 album 'No Cities To Love', but have since slipped from the public eye once again, only releasing a live album at the beginning of this year, from their show at La Cigale, Paris in 2015.
Impressively, the band have managed to keep in touch with their sound after all these years, so the prospect of a new album surely would be an honour.
– – –
OutKast
And finally, the eighth wonder of the world, will we ever get new music from OutKast?! André 3000 and Big Boi together make up one of the most successful hip-hop groups of all time, with six Grammy Awards and 25 million records sold worldwide. Their fourth studio album 'Stankonia' took them from their underground success to their commercial success, and includes perhaps the best party song of all time, 'Ms Jackson'.
The next album was truly one of a kind: 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below' was essentially two solo albums combined as one. A strange choice, instead or perhaps just releasing two separate albums, but it worked all the same as it won a Grammy for Album Of The Year in 2004. While their have been many rumours over the years about the duo getting back together with the latest ones put to bed in 2014, André 3000 has stated many times he feels he is getting too old for rap.
If that’s the case, maybe we can still count on features? In any case, OutKast never officially broke up, so there is still hope.
– – –
Words: Laura Copley
Join us on Vero, as we get under the skin of global cultural happenings. Follow Clash Magazine as we skip merrily between clubs, concerts, interviews and photo shoots. Get backstage sneak peeks and a true view into our world as the fun and games unfold.
