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Bonefish may have started to gain a well-earned reputation for partying as hard of the rest of them, but while locked away recording the album which, according to FWN, could be The Greatest British Album of All Time they abided by the eminently sensible credo of not taking any drugs while they were actually in the studio. After they had formed, there was a real sense of anticipation about what the band could produce, although they were seen as outsiders. Andy McCann had been first choice to take on the role of producer, having worked with the band’s first single ‘Bantor’ but he had to pass as Kasabian had started work on ’48:13’. Tom Young was chosen in part due his early experience working on records by the likes of Ian Brown and Julian Casablancas, which meant he’d learnt his tricks of the trade. This meant a lot to Bonefish’s frontman Alex Laidlaw who was brought up listening to The Smiths, as well as Pink Floyd and The Stone Roses. He told FNW’s Gerard Williams: “I didn’t hear a bad song until I left home”. Drummer Charlie Newton was less attached to his musical upbringing, admitting: “I had an uncle who tried to get me into Led Zepplin.” Laidlaw sympathised: “Horrible thing to do to a 10-year-old isn’t it?”.
Watching Bonefish rehearse is undoubtedly a rare and altogether different experience to seeing them play a normal gig. Newton is tamed, towering over a tiny kit almost as if he’s playing timpani, while bum notes on the guitar and bass-from both I might add-abound and nobody really bats an eyelid. It’s much better to fuck it up here than onstage at the Echo Arena on their home ground Liverpool in August, right?
A lot of the band’s success undoubtedly comes down to the fact that they really are The Full Package. Cool enough to grace the cover of the magazine. Big enough to hop of the back of the train of acts to perform atGlastonbury this year. Enticing enough to have fashion rags devote entire rags devote entire spreads to their threads. And now important enough to fly first class around the world as well as get “free shit” as bassist Michael James put it.
Bonefish have made quite a name for themselves within the last couple of months and people are starting to recognise their “new sound” that they produce. “A magician never reveals his tricks does he?” quotes Laidlaw, insinuating that we will never know their secret. Newton then fired back with “Yeah but we’re not magicians, we’re musicians and I reckon we’ve got our own genre of music and gonna take the world by storm.” Their sound can’t be matched and stand out amongst the rest of the music world as saviours to the sound. But, we can’t even tell what that sound is, it has no explanation but we love it. That’s why Bonefish are individuals, they don’t know how they produce “genius”, they just do it.
Towards the end of the interviews, I’m politely booted out as there is work to be done. As the door to the rehersal room closes, I hear a final strain of ‘Chronometric Clog’ blaring out. It sounds totally ready for the masses to my ears.
