To commemorate their 35-year music career, iconic British band ‘The Lightning Seeds’ will release a greatest hits album and embark on a European tour in 2024. The new compilation album, entitled ‘Tomorrow’s Here Today’, will be available in early October. The Liverpool band, led by the legendary Ian Broudie, have put together a masterful selection of their best tracks, starting with their classic debut single “Pure”. This release is a true celebration of their legacy, bringing together 20 of their best loved songs, including ‘The Life Of Riley’, ‘Change’, ‘Lucky You’, ‘Sense’, ‘All I Want’, ‘Sugar Coated Iceberg’, ‘You Showed Me’, ‘Emily Smiles’, ‘Three Lions’ and many more. To promote this highly anticipated album, Lightning Seeds will embark on a European tour, with stops in some of the most important cities. Spanish fans will have the opportunity to enjoy their live performances on the following dates:

– Madrid: 15 October at Changó

– Barcelona: 16 October at Razzmatazz 2

– Valencia: 17th October at Sala Moon

Tickets for these concerts  can be purchased here: https://www.entradas.com/artist/lightning-seeds/

Ian Broudie, creative soul behind ‘The Lightning Seeds’, has described this album as a “masterclass in modern pop”, reflecting the lasting impact and evolution of the band over the decades. With over 8 million albums sold, ‘The Lightning Seeds’ continue to be an influential force in pop music. Formed in 1989 in Liverpool, ‘The Lightning Seeds’ have stood out for their distinctive style and catchy melodies that have left an indelible mark on pop music. The band has achieved multiple hits over the years, cementing their reputation with timeless songs that resonate with generations of fans.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH IAN BROUDIE OF ‘THE LIGHTNING SEEDS.’

 24/7 Valencia: What can we expect of your show in Valencia on 17 October?

Ian Broudie of ‘The Lightning Seeds’: I’m really looking forward to playing Valencia, to be honest. Friends in the music business have spoken very well of it. The tour is celebrating our 35^th anniversary as ‘The Lightning Seeds.’

My first couple of albums were released on an indie label and the indie label eventually went bust. So, you couldn’t find the albums on streaming for a long time. However, during the pandemic, I was able to straighten everything out and gain ownership. Now, Sony have united all the albums as limited edition releases now, including stuff that was never on vinyl before and a compilation album too.

 We’ll be playing our greatest hits and best moments on this tour, mixed in with a few new ones too. My son Riley is my manager and he will also be playing guitar. As a band as a whole, we’re close and we’re like a family. There’s a real synergy with this band and it’s the best it has ever been.

24/7 Valencia: Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr’s son) was in your band for a few years. Any interesting stories about ‘The Beatles’?

I’m still in touch with Zak every few days and his sister is one of my very best friends so I have contact about ‘The Beatles’ via them. I was actually born in Penny Lane and growing up in Liverpool (in John Lennon’s neighbourhood) ‘The Beatles’ loomed so large for me and that hasn’t changed over the years. I knew a lot about The Beatles when I was just six years old and I saw them live too, which was my first ever concert. It was very loud because of all the screaming girls!

I grew up as a child in the sixties and I wanted to have my hair long, which my dad didn’t like and school didn’t allow either. So, my dad would take me to the ‘Bioletti’ barber’s shop. Basically, they’d pretty much put a bowl over your head and trim around it… as you were looking out the window with the fire station opposite. Indeed, this is the very same barber’s shop from the song ‘Penny Lane’ by The Beatles:

‘In Penny Lane, there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he’s had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello…

Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim
And then, the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain
Very strange…’

24/7 Valencia: Can you tell us about your latest album, ‘See You in the Stars’?

I hadn’t released an album for 15 years before this last one. I was finding my feet in the studio again with this one. You’re always trying to make the defining statement with an album and I feel my next one will be that…as I have really sorted and rebuilt my studio in Liverpool now.

The world has changed a lot with streaming and everything lives on now regarding quality bands from the past… as they are also playing live concerts again. Young people are getting into good bands from a different era (like Echo and the Bunnymen) but via streaming and live tours. It’s helping keep the music alive. Now, it’s more about playing live and touring extensively. It feels like we’re gaining momentum and getting more people at ‘The Lightning Seeds’ gigs. It’s great, really.

In recent years, you have had to deal with the trauma of divorce and death in your family. Does music mean more than anything to you?

Yes, music has always been my obsession. You become more discerning. You are more aware of the battles the songs have to wage when they go out to the public. It’s about finding your comfortable spot in the world, which has changed massively.

24/7 Valencia: Is ‘Pure’ an example of perfect pop?

I would describe ‘Pure’ as “beautifully imperfect.” ‘Pure’ was never mixed. I didn’t finish the song and I didn’t have a record label at the time. The song has a certain unfinished energy to it. I always saw us as more of a singles band but actually our albums massively outsold our singles, which surprised me. Once the songs are out there with the public, they’re no longer yours. For every musician, you’re searching for an audience and you’re happy that there are people listening to you.

24/7 Valencia: Can you tell us about some of your early music influences?

As a teenager in Liverpool, my generation were listening to Love, Captain Beefheart, Jimi Hendrix and The Who. They were all big influences.

24/7 Valencia: How did the song ‘Three Lions’ come about?

The “Coming Home” part was about the Euro 96 football competition returning to these (British) shores in 1996. Certainly, there was no arrogance about it. A lot of nonsense has been written about it. Different people have different interpretations of it. Generally, it’s about fans losing and staying together. It’s my version of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’ As Jurgen Klopp says, it’s about trying to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

 24/7 Valencia: What is the secret to the success of Liverpool as a city regarding football and music?

It’s a port city and we have a bit of everything here and it’s a hybrid. For example, the oldest Chinatown in Europe is in Liverpool. The North West of England is a bit different to the rest of the country and Liverpool is even more so. We kind of see ourselves as not part of Britain. I don’t really know why that happened. It’s a city with real character and real attitude… and I suppose that’s what you need to be an artist, in a way. Liverpool is tailor-made as a city to be an artist!

Also, there’s a great sense of community. There’s a lot of people of Irish descent. There’s a lot of people who ‘found’ Liverpool. Including my own family, a long way back, and who love it too.  The whole idea of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ and ‘Walking Together Through the Storm’ is kind of a socialist concept, isn’t it? It’s felt strongly in the city and in football and in music as well. Regarding football, Klopp tapped into that. When Klopp arrived at Liverpool FC, he said to the fans that “you need to suffer with us as well as win with us. You can’t leave the stadium  early …we may score in the last minute.” He said it in a way that really got through to people. The culture of the club has always been like that but at the moment it is very strong because Klopp instilled a lot of values back into the club and off the pitch too…like Bill Shankly did in his day too.

 24/7 Valencia: As a Liverpool FC fan, how do you feel about their new manager?

I don’t know what’s going to happen! I’ve never felt so in the dark about what’s going to happen with the players and the new manager, Arne Slot. It’s odd.  They’re keeping things close to their chest, aren’t they? We don’t know if Trent is staying nor Salah or even if the new manager likes Darwin Núñez. Slot won’t be Klopp but, hopefully, things will be okay…

Interview by Will McCarthy

Article copyright -24/7 Valencia