#lgjs

IN ENGLAND, THEY ARE DEMIGODS. 

Heroes of the nineties who helped define their respective bands, they are both ambassadors for their city of Manchester and the symbol of the triumphant pop England of yesteryear. The last of a genre in perdition — the traditional English pop - that they are trying to revive for the time of a collaborative album that explores sixty years of rock through the lens of psychedelia. It was in a plush hotel, a stone's throw from the Elysee Palace, that we met the two musicians.

John Squire in leather, elegant and discreet, even placid. Liam in a colorful parka, faithful to his character, lively and punctuating his phrases with countless "D'you know what I mean?". A language tie that might deserve to be dug up with a shrink in order to find out if it is not the manifestation of the anguish of a great misunderstanding. Today, the two friends arrive with an unexpected album because, for years, Squire had put his musical career on pause, scalded by a dotted solo career and a joyless reformation of the Stone Roses. "Music is a young man's business" he said at the time. "I always subscribe to it" he confirms with a mischievous smile. His return to the stage was made by the grace of an appearance on "Champagne Supernova" during the two concerts given on June 3 and 4, 2022 by Liam Gallagher in Knebworth. Moments full of emotion that restored his faith in the thing. The collaboration started as a joke, the kind of proposal that we can make to ourselves in the euphoria of a beautiful evening, alcohol helping, and that we forget the next day. However, today this promise results in an album recorded in three weeks in Los Angeles with producer Greg Kurstin (who plays bass on the album), which fills the duo with joy, especially its singer, always emphatic when it comes to talking about his music.

ROCK&FOLK: Let's go back to the beginning: how did you meet?

Liam Gallagher: Strangely, in Wales. It was when Oasis was doing "Definitely Maybe" and the Stone Roses were doing "The Second Coming" at a place named Monmouth. There are two studios. The Roses were in Rockfield and we were in Valley Hollow. We were going to the pub and we saw John and lan (Brown) coming out of a store and we talked for a bit.

Once we snuck aboard a tractor and went to listen quietly to what they were doing. And someone opened a fucking door and surprised us. They said to us: "But why didn't you come in? and we stayed to talk for twenty minutes. Later, Mani (bassist of the Stone Roses, nda) stole the tractor and came to our house. We worked during the day, from noon to 17 o'clock. We were in bed at midnight, drunk as pigs, and Mani was coming to try to steal our weed.

R&F: Liam, how did you find out about the Stone Roses?

Liam Gallagher: Our kid (the nickname Liam and his brother Noel give each other) brought "Sally Cinnamon" home and he played it a lot. I had a friend at school whose big brother loved the Stone Roses. We listened while smoking and I thought the lyrics were absurd. "I wanna be a dog," but what the fuck does he mean? I realized later that it was "I Wanna Be Adored". The Stone Roses pushed me to do what I do. The music, the clothes, the attitude, the faith, everything. I needed it at the time. And then I joined a group, and it set me on the right path. Without music, I might have spent my life in jail.

R&F: When Oasis broke through, was there a rivalry between you?

John Squire: I was like, "These guys look cool". Obviously, they were listening to the same truths as we. Great. Welcome to the party! We never felt any competition.

Liam Gallagher: No, because they were our fucking heroes! These are them, The Stone Roses pushed me to do what I do. That made us. How can we compete with our heroes? We wanted to make good music. Change the world. I've never felt that way, even with the bands that came after Oasis. As long as it's good, so much the better! Music belongs to everyone. And the world is a better place with more good music and less shitty music. Everything we've done hasn't been great, I'm the first to admit it, but the enthusiasm has always been there.

R&F: Surprisingly, Liam, your first credit as an author was with John on the track "Love Me And Leave Me" released on The Seahorses' first album in 1996...

Liam Gallagher: We have to thank John for that but I haven't done much. It's not like we sat down to write a song. It's just one night, we were drunk and John made this melody and kindly credited me.

John Squire: You wrote it with me. I was playing the guitar, you sang something...

Liam Gallagher: I don't remember. I have a crappy memory. I never tried to write songs to compete with our kid or have publishing rights. Sometimes you play the guitar at home and something happens, you write a little song and there it is. But I've never had the virus, I'm not a songwriter, I'd rather sing songs than write them. I don't care if I never write a single song again, as long as I can sing it, that's the only thing.

R&F: Tell us about the birth of the project...

Liam Gallagher: It was done on the spot. It's not like we've been emailing each other or having meetings. It was just after Knebworth, we were in the dressing room, and John said to me: "Do you want to do something? And I replied to him: "I agree but you take care of all the writing". He sent me the songs and they were perfect.

John Squire: I remember lying to Liam. I told him that I had songs when I had nothing. I had some ideas, some little truths, but I was dry. It wasn't until after the concert that I started working, writing songs with Liam in mind. I've never stopped playing the guitar but I'm not in the habit of writing songs. I had already written songs for the Roses that I didn't sing, so I knew how to do that, but it was very inspiring to know that the voice would be forward in this project. I can write any old shit; it's going to sound good anyway with Liam's voice.

R&F: With Liam as a singer, did you choose to focus on the melodies?

Liam Gallagher: That's what matters most to me. As for me, I want people to be able to sing these songs with me. Everyone is afraid of the melody today. Even the Sex Pistols were melodic. They were loud, angry, but you could sing their songs.

R&F: How was this collaboration? Were you sending each other files?

Liam Gallagher: Files? I'm a fucking caveman, me. I don't have any of that. John was sending stuff over... uh, Dropbox, right?... I was trying to understand the lyrics but I ended up asking him to send them to me. John was sending me stuff but I am unable to send anything. It would end up in Baghdad or I don't know where.

John Squire: It was very amateurish of me. I was sending scratchy voices on bad mixes and texts written with illegible handwriting. I was taking pictures of the texts to send to Liam...

Liam Gallagher: ... and Debbie (Gwyther, his partner and manager) had to assist me at all times so that I could work and record my voices.

John Squire: The demos turned me around. There was just a shaky guitar, no drums, a slightly irregular tempo, but when Liam arrives, it becomes something. Thinking back, we found our strange way of using modern technology. Digital technology, but in a very analog way. I also remember that you sent me a text saying: "I know what everyone thinks of you, that your thing is riffs, and I'm capable of it too. But we can be so much more than that.” So I sent you the demo of "Mars to Liverpool". "Here, will you be okay with that?".

Liam Gallagher: We were texting a lot. I was probably excited half the time in my messages because I get carried away quickly and that's it, fuck, we're on! We're making an album! I participated in the fact that John is back. He writes music and plays the guitar. I know I keep saying it, but whether I'm involved or not, I'm glad he's doing this again because he's the best.

R&F: What can we expect on your next concerts?

Liam Gallagher: Just the album, man. The set is going to be short but that's the way it is. This is a new group! When we make another album, and then another, we will have more repertoire.

R&F: This case seems to be here to stay!

John Squire: I want to do more. I already have some ideas...

Liam Gallagher: I can't wait to hear the next songs that John is going to write.

R&F: You have a busy 2024 Liam, between this project and the anniversary concerts for "Definitely Maybe" this summer.

Liam Gallagher: Yes, but making music is not a burden. Doing the housework, mowing the lawn, taking the kids to school, that's one of them. But getting up and singing in front of people is beautiful!

R&F: There's something a little frustrating about the album, it's that many solos start and then disappear in the fade-out of the songs...

Liam Gallagher: It disappointed me a little bit too that we did that. Some things were really interesting and that I would have kept, but I think it's related to the length of the album.

R&F: Can we imagine longer versions of these songs on stage?

John Squire: Of course! There are a few songs that I can see myself lengthening.

Liam Gallagher: Yes, here we go, let's play two-hour sets! And when we play Kentish Town, five minutes from my house, I will already be in my bathtub, so he will always be doing his fucking solos! 

Liam Gallagher: We have to thank John for that, but I haven't done much. It's not like we sat down to write a song. It's just one night, we were drunk and John made this melody and kindly credited me.

John Squire: You wrote it with me. I was playing the guitar, you sang something...

Liam Gallagher: I don't remember. I have a crappy memory. I never tried to write songs to compete with our kid or have publishing rights. Sometimes you play the guitar at home and something happens, you write a little song and there it is. But I've never had the virus, I'm not a songwriter, I'd rather sing songs than write them. I don't care if I never write a single song again, as long as I can sing it, that's the only thing.

Rock and Folk Magazine Interview, Feb 2024

John: I've always known it would work, never thought it'd happen. I feel like I found the magic lamp and got that first wish.

Q: I wonder what the next two will be!

John: two more albums.

Liam: Just the album, man. The set is going to be short but that's the way it is. This is a new group! When we make another album, and then another, we will have more repertoire.

R&F: This case seems to be here to stay!

John: I want to do more. I already have some ideas...

Liam: I can't wait to hear the next songs that John is going to write.

So the plan was to make at least another album after LGJS. Obviously this didn't happen, but what did happen was the Oasis reunion and therefore the duo was forgotten. However, in May of 2025 Liam tweeted this:

And finally last January Liam was — allegedly — seen in the studio with John:

It is interesting that John hasn't released those songs by himself, or with someone else (especially considering he had a female singer in mind before joining Liam). I wonder if he knew the reunion was happening.

Today's tweets:

It's quite interesting he chose "Pass Me Down the Wine" of all tunes

It could be. Maybe an LP? Maybe some gigs with John Squire. It would be nice, I really liked the LGJS album and I love John. Maybe this time Liam will write a few tunes of his own.

However it is a bit of shame, bc it's not what Liam really wants, is it?