Page 17 - Black Velvet Issue 90

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sure’ and feel motivated by it. Writing has al-
ready begun and they have been liaising with ac- M ME EM MO OR RI IE ES S C CA AP PT TU UR RE ED D
claimed producer Romesh Dodangoda, who
also produced ‘All In Time’. “We’re going to A still photograph remains the most powerful way to capture a moment and pre-
spend longer in the studio this time around to serve it in time. Inspired by Stone Broken’s ‘Wait For You’ video concept, Black Vel-
hone in on the songs. We are going to really vet ask Rich and Robyn to tell us the story behind the following photos and the
moments they captured.
push ourselves musically,” informs Rich. “We’re
having pre-production with Romesh and he has
big plans for the album.”
Stone Broken’s music has reached a larger Rich: “This was at the
audience since ‘All In Time’ was released at the Slade Rooms wasn’t it?”
Robyn: “Yeah. It was our
start of the year. We wonder whether this has
made Rich more mindful when it comes to writ- first headline.”
ing lyrics towards the next album, knowing that Rich: “It was epic, it really
more people are paying attention to what Stone was. It was the first time
Broken has to say. “Yes is the easy answer, I that we’d headlined a big
venue and it was a com-
suppose,” Rich laughs. “I get so many com-
ments about the lyrics that I’ve written and I did- plete success. We sort of
n’t think of anything while I was writing those went in thinking, ‘We are
lyrics, because we were writing them for us. To going to try a headline; we
have the feedback that I’ve had, it’s quite hum- don’t know if we’ve got
the following yet or any-
bling to be fair. But now I know that people are
really listening to the lyrics and they are really thing...’ And it was awe-
getting into what they mean, I’ve got to be clever some!”
now.” Robyn: “The crowd was absolutely crazy, so we just thought, ‘We’re gonna get a
“Use some big words?” Robyn jokes. crowd photo!’ You can kind of see the crowd in the background!”
“Yeah!” laughs Rich, before continuing. “Do
you know what I mean though? I’ve got to be
clever about it. That’s the thing this time around, Rich: “This was just after
I couldn’t quite put my finger on it before; I know we’d finished recording
that people are listening now.” ‘All In Time’. We literally,
we came out of the studio
When writing songs, Rich likes to try and tell
a story that people will relate to. “I tend not to on the Friday and went
write about myself so much, but maybe of some- straight into that pub. The
thing that I’ve seen happen to somebody. I try to reason that I’m holding
put myself into their position. I think, sometimes half instead of a pint isn’t
because I can’t handle my
you can see a story much better from looking
out and looking at the story happening, unfold- drink,” he laughs, “it’s be-
ing. That’s what I found with ‘Wait For You’, the cause I’m driving the van
next single. A lot of people come up to me and back. If I’m honest, and
say, “That song resonates with me,” and it was you can see in my eyes,
I’m tired. It was a pretty in-
just a song that I had to write.”
At the time of the interview, the band had tense week that week,
just finished filming the video for ‘Wait For You’ wasn’t it?”
in Manchester. The heartfelt ballad includes the Robyn: “Yeah, it was. I
lyrics, ‘All the things I wanted to do, are so much think we were all over the moon because we had just listened back to the demo ver-
sions of the songs.”
better when I’m with you’. Fans of the band,
known as ‘The Broken Army’, were called upon Rich: “Yeah. We’d been in and recorded all of our parts and Romesh, our producer,
to submit photos of loved ones that they want said, ‘Do you want to have a listen back to what we’ve got?’ So we did, and it’s al-
to share, or have shared, precious moments ways… it’s the goose bumps. You’ve lived with the songs for so long and to hear it
with. Rich and Robyn are happy that they have back in such good quality; and that’s not even mixed and mastered yet. It makes all
the hard work worth it. So [looks at photo] that’s kind of a celebration right there!”
been able to involve their fans in the video. With-
out sounding trite, Rich says of the fans, “To us Robyn: “Yeah. That is a celebration.”
they’re like a family. They are the backbone of
Stone Broken and so to include them in a video
is pretty cool.” Rich: “This is the latest
hometown headline show
Those fans have helped the band sell out
their first ever headline show in London. “Lon- at the O2 [Academy 2].
don is always a tough one to crack for any band, Just to have our name
especially a band that’s not from London,” says above us… It took us
Rich. “It’s the perception – if a band from the ages to get that photo!”
he laughs.
West Midlands can go to London and sell out a
show it’s sort of a good sign. We’ve only played Robyn: “Yeah, it did!”
London once before with Inglorious, there were she laughs. “I think that’s
a fair few in and that was on a Monday evening one of 15 shots that we
when the football was on.” took!”
Rich: “It was, yeah. That
For a band that’s only three years old it’s
pretty inspiring, and proof that in time, if you was before the show. So,
want something and you work hard enough, it we literally turned up,
will work out. and there’s a bit of a
Thinking back over the past few months and story behind it actually.
Kieron, our bass player...
seeing what the band has achieved so far, Rich
says, “We thought to play a headline show at the we walk around the corner to the front of the O2 and he sees the guy on the ladders
Academy 2 would be a dream come true, and putting up our name at the top; so he goes over and he goes ‘Woo hoo’, [throws
we’ve done that now,” he smiles, “I’m excited to arms in the air] like that, and the guy turns round and he’s like, ‘What the hell are
see where we go from here.” you doing?’ and Kieron said, ‘It’s okay, we’re Stone Broken!’ and he goes, ‘Oh that’s
fine, then.’ So he’s not got someone whose mentally unstable just walking past him,
it’s actually someone from Stone Broken. Yeah, to have our name there, it was a
Visit www.stonebroken.com for more info.
very proud moment.”
Robyn: “It felt good.”
Words By Penny & Sam Gower
STONE BROKEN