Live at Queens Hall in Nuneaton: Stone Foundation

The new material is reflective of the confidence within the band, who cannot wait for the fans to hear all the material, and indeed to play it live. Neil Jones says: “With ‘Cut Me Loose’ we wondered what it would be like to mix Talking Heads, Fela Kuti and Disco. The addition of the Prince of Burundi JP Bimeni on vocals was the cherry on top of a very funky cake. Neil Sheasby added, “‘Cut Me Loose’ was something we worked up fairly quickly once we had found the groove, it kind of puts me in mind of those early 80’s Rolling Stones movers like ‘Dance (pt1)’ or ‘Emotional Rescue’. Like off kilter disco!”Of the track ‘Summer Song’ Neil Sheasby said, “Sometimes you just capture the spirit of what you are searching for in a song first time and that was pretty much the case with this one. Most of what you hear is from the initial demo. We had Omar in mind for this as soon as it came together, thankfully he liked it and agreed to collaborate on it, he brings the magic and lights the tune up”. Neil Jones added, “This was a tune we based on a studio groove myself, Sheas and Dom had recorded. We wanted the vocal to fit the jazzy laid back hip hop feel of the track and Omar’s voice fits that vibe perfectly. Neil Jones says of ‘The Revival of Survival’, “I think this is our funkiest to date. We wanted to push the sound to a different place with elements of disco, funk and house, and lyrically retain the optimism you find on a Stone Foundation record. It’s a joyous uplifting record that deserves to be played loud out on the dance floor”. Neil Sheasby agreed, “I feel like the whole record has a club vibe to it, it’s bookended by a couple of almost ambient moments but on the whole it’s a dancer! It feels very cohesive and concise. We were quite mindful to create a more contemporary and modern sounding album. We certainly captured the mood and spirit of our intentions and I think it’ll be a whole load of fun(k) to perform live too”.

The record follows 2023’s release “Standing In The Light - 25 Years of Stone Foundation” - a compilation containing highlights from the band’s storied career. Collaborations with Paul Weller, Bettye LaVette, Durand Jones, Peter Capaldi, Dr Robert (The Blow Monkeys), Mick Talbot, William Bell, Graham Parker, Nolan Porter, Laville, Melma Moore, Shirley Jones and many more feature on what must be one of the defining compilation albums of recent years. Stone Foundation tour regularly and have played in recent years with artists as diverse as Tom Jones, Paul Weller, Grace Jones and Mavis Staples.