Kingdom of Comfort
This is more than a song; it’s where we’re at as a band and individuals. We don’t profess to have answers to the big questions of living with the poor, the oppressed and the marginalised on our global doorstep but we are wrestling with these questions… and our comfortable kingdoms.
It started in Brazil in 2006, while on tour once again faced with communities that have extreme wealth and extreme poverty. I was listening to Rob Bell from Mars Hill in Grand Rapids talk about Solomon amassing great wealth and wisdom and how he was “to do justice and righteousness”, but how he became the oppressor, forgot to tell the story of rescue and freedom, and in the end the nation ended up in exile.
What is our kingdom of comfort? It’s when we are comfortable and safe in our isolated environments, our religion, our “castles”. When we become indifferent to the struggles of others when we are fearful of being inclusive and diverse! It’s a new sound for us…I love this song! [Stu G]
God is Smiling
This phrase came as a spontaneous song during the drop down section in the song ‘History Maker’. I was talking about the things that make God smile, and also the things that don’t make Him smile. Injustice and poverty are two of those things and need to be addressed if we are to be called ‘Christians’. We joined hands, God always smiles when people step outside themselves and become part of something bigger, and felt the electricity as we sang, ‘God is smiling over us tonight’. This then became the song it is today. [Martin Smith]
Give What You’ve Got
This started life as a slow and moody vibe but ended up rocking out on us! Martin imagined sitting down with one of his sons giving advice on living life. Whatever you do give it what you’ve got! My favourite line is “I made some mistakes but the grace was so good”. We can all say that I guess!
I loved working on the guitar tones with our great friend Lynn Nichols we pushed that 70’s Marshall Hard! [Stu G]
Love Will Find A Way
A song of paradox. One minute we’re feeding kids on a slum, the next we’re in a 5 star hotel because that’s the only sensible place to stay. This song reflects the inner monologue of someone asking all the questions and how they can engage in making a difference from the comfort of our own lives. My favourite set of lyrics in the middle 8. [Martin Smith]
Eagle Rider
Inspired by watching the low budget film from New Zealand ‘Whale Rider’, a great image of something or someone taking you further, going deeper. A strange phrase really but Eagle Rider stuck and became a story of flying up through the winds and soaring so high you can almost see into heaven. A song about change, shift, repositioning and freedom. A song about rediscovery, of risk and of adventure. A great groove, something new for us. [Martin Smith]
We Give You Praise
A friend of ours, Marty Sampson from Sydney, sent me an idea with the first line of the chorus. The verses didn’t grab me but the chorus idea did. We shaped it into this powerful ballad about walking on the road of life and not giving up. Also we blame the devil for a lot of our troubles, but most of my trouble comes from me, my flesh, the old man. We have been saved from ourselves that’s the most amazing thing. Left to my own devices I would perish. [Martin Smith]
How Sweet the Name
Almost hymn like, a simple love song, the sound, the name, they woo me everyday. The musical ending is the perfect juxtaposition to the serenity. Life is simple, but also complicated and we didn’t want this song to be an easy ride for people! ‘So many songs I’ve sung, but there’s none more beautiful than you’ that’s it right there! [Martin Smith]
Wonder
Whilst visiting one of the red light districts in Mumbai, India, I came across this little girl who stood out from the crowd. We couldn’t take our eyes off of each other, and I knew something was happening to me. I returned to the hotel but couldn’t shake off what I felt. I just kept thinking about her. I returned to England and my wife and I talked about the possibilities of adopting her. We definitely opened the door and went on a journey with it, but during the process the mother of the child decided to keep her. Of course, this was the right thing and the mum is now out of the trade and working a normal job. My heart had been changed, and in some crazy way I feel like I’m her dad, and we are now involved in helping with that project. It’s a simple love song, an unlikely love song but very pure. This song is for Fahreen. [Martin Smith]
Break the Silence
Wow we really had to work hard on this song! I think we got to seven chorus re-writes before we finally called Iain Archer for some writing help, but definitely worth the trouble. The guitar riff actually was a Martin keyboard riff, but I nicked that good and proper! Once again the lyric urges us to realise that it’s in our hands to make a difference. We met Rabbi Joseph Edelheidt in India, and in conversation, he was encouraging us to write songs that cross divides. It’s much better if we find what unites us rather than concentrate on what divides us. We have to work together to get the job done! [Stu G]
Stare the Monster Down
This is angry! What is the monster? For Lucifer it was pride, for Daniel it was lions, for my dad it was cancer, for my daughter it’s being afraid of the dark, for 1 billion people in the world today it’s trying to live on less than $1 a day! It’s what ever stands in our way and wants to take us down. [Stu G]
All God’s Children
We were playing a gig in Mumbai, and during the day we visited a project in one of the red light districts which was looking after 70 kids, giving them food and education. We fell in love with them and asked if they would come out to the concert and dance with us on stage. The moment came to bring them on and it was amazing, more amazing was the fact that they had brought some of their mothers. It was the first time that they were allowed to be mothers and not just labelled for what they do. Whether you’re a lawyer, rock star, politician, street kid or prostitute, we are ALL God’s children and we are ALL looking for salvation. [Martin Smith]
My Soul Sings
The basis of this song came on the first day of writing in 2006 in the warehouse of Furious? Records. The resulting “demo guitars” are the ones you hear on the recording now…(with Sam Gibson’s help anyway!) We wanted to try and convey that feeling you get when you realise that you are a part of something much bigger than yourself…you know like a great sunset or standing by Loch Tay in Scotland or at the birth of a baby etc… The response doesn’t just come from your head or heart or your vocal chords, but from your very soul; and that’s it really we’re pulled towards the gravity of something far bigger and greater than us…the love at the centre of this incredible Universe. [Stu G]
This is more than a song; it’s where we’re at as a band and individuals. We don’t profess to have answers to the big questions of living with the poor, the oppressed and the marginalised on our global doorstep but we are wrestling with these questions… and our comfortable kingdoms.
It started in Brazil in 2006, while on tour once again faced with communities that have extreme wealth and extreme poverty. I was listening to Rob Bell from Mars Hill in Grand Rapids talk about Solomon amassing great wealth and wisdom and how he was “to do justice and righteousness”, but how he became the oppressor, forgot to tell the story of rescue and freedom, and in the end the nation ended up in exile.
What is our kingdom of comfort? It’s when we are comfortable and safe in our isolated environments, our religion, our “castles”. When we become indifferent to the struggles of others when we are fearful of being inclusive and diverse! It’s a new sound for us…I love this song! [Stu G]
God is Smiling
This phrase came as a spontaneous song during the drop down section in the song ‘History Maker’. I was talking about the things that make God smile, and also the things that don’t make Him smile. Injustice and poverty are two of those things and need to be addressed if we are to be called ‘Christians’. We joined hands, God always smiles when people step outside themselves and become part of something bigger, and felt the electricity as we sang, ‘God is smiling over us tonight’. This then became the song it is today. [Martin Smith]
Give What You’ve Got
This started life as a slow and moody vibe but ended up rocking out on us! Martin imagined sitting down with one of his sons giving advice on living life. Whatever you do give it what you’ve got! My favourite line is “I made some mistakes but the grace was so good”. We can all say that I guess!
I loved working on the guitar tones with our great friend Lynn Nichols we pushed that 70’s Marshall Hard! [Stu G]
Love Will Find A Way
A song of paradox. One minute we’re feeding kids on a slum, the next we’re in a 5 star hotel because that’s the only sensible place to stay. This song reflects the inner monologue of someone asking all the questions and how they can engage in making a difference from the comfort of our own lives. My favourite set of lyrics in the middle 8. [Martin Smith]
Eagle Rider
Inspired by watching the low budget film from New Zealand ‘Whale Rider’, a great image of something or someone taking you further, going deeper. A strange phrase really but Eagle Rider stuck and became a story of flying up through the winds and soaring so high you can almost see into heaven. A song about change, shift, repositioning and freedom. A song about rediscovery, of risk and of adventure. A great groove, something new for us. [Martin Smith]
We Give You Praise
A friend of ours, Marty Sampson from Sydney, sent me an idea with the first line of the chorus. The verses didn’t grab me but the chorus idea did. We shaped it into this powerful ballad about walking on the road of life and not giving up. Also we blame the devil for a lot of our troubles, but most of my trouble comes from me, my flesh, the old man. We have been saved from ourselves that’s the most amazing thing. Left to my own devices I would perish. [Martin Smith]
How Sweet the Name
Almost hymn like, a simple love song, the sound, the name, they woo me everyday. The musical ending is the perfect juxtaposition to the serenity. Life is simple, but also complicated and we didn’t want this song to be an easy ride for people! ‘So many songs I’ve sung, but there’s none more beautiful than you’ that’s it right there! [Martin Smith]
Wonder
Whilst visiting one of the red light districts in Mumbai, India, I came across this little girl who stood out from the crowd. We couldn’t take our eyes off of each other, and I knew something was happening to me. I returned to the hotel but couldn’t shake off what I felt. I just kept thinking about her. I returned to England and my wife and I talked about the possibilities of adopting her. We definitely opened the door and went on a journey with it, but during the process the mother of the child decided to keep her. Of course, this was the right thing and the mum is now out of the trade and working a normal job. My heart had been changed, and in some crazy way I feel like I’m her dad, and we are now involved in helping with that project. It’s a simple love song, an unlikely love song but very pure. This song is for Fahreen. [Martin Smith]
Break the Silence
Wow we really had to work hard on this song! I think we got to seven chorus re-writes before we finally called Iain Archer for some writing help, but definitely worth the trouble. The guitar riff actually was a Martin keyboard riff, but I nicked that good and proper! Once again the lyric urges us to realise that it’s in our hands to make a difference. We met Rabbi Joseph Edelheidt in India, and in conversation, he was encouraging us to write songs that cross divides. It’s much better if we find what unites us rather than concentrate on what divides us. We have to work together to get the job done! [Stu G]
Stare the Monster Down
This is angry! What is the monster? For Lucifer it was pride, for Daniel it was lions, for my dad it was cancer, for my daughter it’s being afraid of the dark, for 1 billion people in the world today it’s trying to live on less than $1 a day! It’s what ever stands in our way and wants to take us down. [Stu G]
All God’s Children
We were playing a gig in Mumbai, and during the day we visited a project in one of the red light districts which was looking after 70 kids, giving them food and education. We fell in love with them and asked if they would come out to the concert and dance with us on stage. The moment came to bring them on and it was amazing, more amazing was the fact that they had brought some of their mothers. It was the first time that they were allowed to be mothers and not just labelled for what they do. Whether you’re a lawyer, rock star, politician, street kid or prostitute, we are ALL God’s children and we are ALL looking for salvation. [Martin Smith]
My Soul Sings
The basis of this song came on the first day of writing in 2006 in the warehouse of Furious? Records. The resulting “demo guitars” are the ones you hear on the recording now…(with Sam Gibson’s help anyway!) We wanted to try and convey that feeling you get when you realise that you are a part of something much bigger than yourself…you know like a great sunset or standing by Loch Tay in Scotland or at the birth of a baby etc… The response doesn’t just come from your head or heart or your vocal chords, but from your very soul; and that’s it really we’re pulled towards the gravity of something far bigger and greater than us…the love at the centre of this incredible Universe. [Stu G]
Mar 26 2008
It’s really not supposed to be this way. As bands approach the mid-point of their second decade they’re supposed to make their selections from an increasingly limited menu. Right about now it’s supposed to be all hiding behind big gates and sweeping driveways, taking things easy, making yourself comfortable.
Thankfully, none of the above have ever been an option for Delirious?. Instead something bigger, bolder, perilous has happened, leaving the band well and truly messed up, fully inspired and utterly uncomfortable.
‘Kingdom of Comfort’ is the band’s eleventh studio album. What can we say? From cancer to consumerism, fear and failure to hope and unity, Martin, Stu G, Stew, Tim and Jon-the-bassist offer their most real and risky album to date. With anthems and wakes, anger and the rawest guts you’ve ever heard, Delirious? have produced their loudest album yet. Hooks and melodies drip from every track, drawing listeners in only to have the razor-words slash away all that is fake and artificial.
It all started with trips to slums in India and Cambodia – encounters with life that made poverty personal and forced hard questions to be asked by each member of the band. Living the five star dream comes with a whole load more baggage when it’s fused with feeding projects and faith.
So Delirious? took their questions into the studio and emerged with this: a heart full of tracks that rage and praise and applaud and tear down and stumble and sprint. Soaked in stories and personal experience, you’ll have to wait for the song-by-song to catch the detail of individual tracks, and there are too many highlights to lift out here. But if you want a simple sound bite to savour, try this dragnet of lyrics:
‘See me falling down… there will come a day when this all will fall away… I can’t believe that I just turned away from the souls living in this hell today… see me falling down… save me from the kingdom of comfort where I am king, from my unhealthy lust of material things… is there a place in your arms of love strong enough?’
Thankfully, none of the above have ever been an option for Delirious?. Instead something bigger, bolder, perilous has happened, leaving the band well and truly messed up, fully inspired and utterly uncomfortable.
‘Kingdom of Comfort’ is the band’s eleventh studio album. What can we say? From cancer to consumerism, fear and failure to hope and unity, Martin, Stu G, Stew, Tim and Jon-the-bassist offer their most real and risky album to date. With anthems and wakes, anger and the rawest guts you’ve ever heard, Delirious? have produced their loudest album yet. Hooks and melodies drip from every track, drawing listeners in only to have the razor-words slash away all that is fake and artificial.
It all started with trips to slums in India and Cambodia – encounters with life that made poverty personal and forced hard questions to be asked by each member of the band. Living the five star dream comes with a whole load more baggage when it’s fused with feeding projects and faith.
So Delirious? took their questions into the studio and emerged with this: a heart full of tracks that rage and praise and applaud and tear down and stumble and sprint. Soaked in stories and personal experience, you’ll have to wait for the song-by-song to catch the detail of individual tracks, and there are too many highlights to lift out here. But if you want a simple sound bite to savour, try this dragnet of lyrics:
‘See me falling down… there will come a day when this all will fall away… I can’t believe that I just turned away from the souls living in this hell today… see me falling down… save me from the kingdom of comfort where I am king, from my unhealthy lust of material things… is there a place in your arms of love strong enough?’
Artist: Delirious?
Title: Kingdom of Comfort
Label: Furious? Records
Release date: 14th April 2008
Delirious? are back with their eleventh studio album – Kingdom of Comfort. Due for worldwide release on April 14, the album contains twelve tracks and was recorded in England during autumn and winter 2007.
And that, dear readers, is about as far as you’re going to get with the standard format for this release. Forget the typical lines of enquiry – this one’s going to take a little more effort. But once you’ve got your head around the shift, you’ll find it hard to see the release any other way.
This is an album, more than any other from Delirious?, that is soaked in experience. While The Mission Bell and World Service were aspirational – charging on towards new destinations – Kingdom of Comfort narrates the experiences and plots the journey that the band have been on in the last couple of years. After all, when you’ve spent years exposed to both the realities of poverty and the pampering of the five star dream, there’s a very good chance that you’re going to end up utterly uncomfortable. So it’s all there – no hiding allowed. Delirious? twist and yearn their way through it all: cancer, wealth, poverty, ego, and faith, faith, faith.
But this is more than a self-indulgent therapy session. Kingdom of Comfort connects with so much of what is going on with the church these days – the sense that the days of black and white thinking might be best left in the past and the belief that our faith urges us to engage with many of the world’s most pressing problems, rather than have us close our eyes to them.
Since Kingdom of Comfort reflects so much of what is being discussed, read and written it made perfect sense to have a few guest contributors to the project. Yet instead of getting Rob Bell in to play second tambourine on track four, the band opened things up a little wider by inviting certain authors to contribute their thoughts on the theme to a 32 page hardback book that comes with the album. Among the lyrics and photos are varied, yet inspiring pieces from Shane Claiborne, Brian McLaren, Bishop Graham Cray and Craig Borlase.
‘This is the Gospel that should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable’, writes author of The Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne.
He’s right, too. Very right.
Boundaries being what they are for the band these days, they’ve even decided to shake things up on the money front. A proportion of their royalties will be given to help the work of Prem Kiran – a feeding, health and education project working with children of commercial sex workers in Mumbai, India. Having visited the project a number of times – and even taken many of their children along – the band have decided to donate a portion of the royalties from each CD to provide one day’s food, shelter, education or healthcare to Prem Kiran and its partner projects.
Writing in the album’s book, Martin Smith explains:
‘Whilst touring through India we visited a humanitarian project in one of the red light districts in Mumbai. Frankly it was a shock to us to see women enslaved in such circumstances but more-so their own children growing up in a completely hopeless environment. The team there were taking these kids off the street at night and housing them, feeding them and giving basic education. It's hard for a rock band to know how to respond but we knew our hearts had been pulled out and put back a different way. We had to DO something and so we have committed to give part of our royalties to the children of Prem Kiran.’
But what about the songs? Chatting recently Martin explained that once they got in the studio to start putting notes and tones and lyrics on these feelings and experiences, the sounds that came out were utterly uncomfortable – ‘it was messy and raw, not like it often is with us. We knew that something different had happened. We knew things wouldn’t be the same again.’
The result is… well, we’ll leave that for another press release, shall we?
'Delirious? will donate 20UKpence of their royalties from each CD to Prem Kiran in India via Joyce Meyer Ministries, UK registered charity number 1081586'
Title: Kingdom of Comfort
Label: Furious? Records
Release date: 14th April 2008
Delirious? are back with their eleventh studio album – Kingdom of Comfort. Due for worldwide release on April 14, the album contains twelve tracks and was recorded in England during autumn and winter 2007.
And that, dear readers, is about as far as you’re going to get with the standard format for this release. Forget the typical lines of enquiry – this one’s going to take a little more effort. But once you’ve got your head around the shift, you’ll find it hard to see the release any other way.
This is an album, more than any other from Delirious?, that is soaked in experience. While The Mission Bell and World Service were aspirational – charging on towards new destinations – Kingdom of Comfort narrates the experiences and plots the journey that the band have been on in the last couple of years. After all, when you’ve spent years exposed to both the realities of poverty and the pampering of the five star dream, there’s a very good chance that you’re going to end up utterly uncomfortable. So it’s all there – no hiding allowed. Delirious? twist and yearn their way through it all: cancer, wealth, poverty, ego, and faith, faith, faith.
But this is more than a self-indulgent therapy session. Kingdom of Comfort connects with so much of what is going on with the church these days – the sense that the days of black and white thinking might be best left in the past and the belief that our faith urges us to engage with many of the world’s most pressing problems, rather than have us close our eyes to them.
Since Kingdom of Comfort reflects so much of what is being discussed, read and written it made perfect sense to have a few guest contributors to the project. Yet instead of getting Rob Bell in to play second tambourine on track four, the band opened things up a little wider by inviting certain authors to contribute their thoughts on the theme to a 32 page hardback book that comes with the album. Among the lyrics and photos are varied, yet inspiring pieces from Shane Claiborne, Brian McLaren, Bishop Graham Cray and Craig Borlase.
‘This is the Gospel that should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable’, writes author of The Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne.
He’s right, too. Very right.
Boundaries being what they are for the band these days, they’ve even decided to shake things up on the money front. A proportion of their royalties will be given to help the work of Prem Kiran – a feeding, health and education project working with children of commercial sex workers in Mumbai, India. Having visited the project a number of times – and even taken many of their children along – the band have decided to donate a portion of the royalties from each CD to provide one day’s food, shelter, education or healthcare to Prem Kiran and its partner projects.
Writing in the album’s book, Martin Smith explains:
‘Whilst touring through India we visited a humanitarian project in one of the red light districts in Mumbai. Frankly it was a shock to us to see women enslaved in such circumstances but more-so their own children growing up in a completely hopeless environment. The team there were taking these kids off the street at night and housing them, feeding them and giving basic education. It's hard for a rock band to know how to respond but we knew our hearts had been pulled out and put back a different way. We had to DO something and so we have committed to give part of our royalties to the children of Prem Kiran.’
But what about the songs? Chatting recently Martin explained that once they got in the studio to start putting notes and tones and lyrics on these feelings and experiences, the sounds that came out were utterly uncomfortable – ‘it was messy and raw, not like it often is with us. We knew that something different had happened. We knew things wouldn’t be the same again.’
The result is… well, we’ll leave that for another press release, shall we?
'Delirious? will donate 20UKpence of their royalties from each CD to Prem Kiran in India via Joyce Meyer Ministries, UK registered charity number 1081586'
Mar 25 2008
When it all started – too long ago to really remember with much in the way of certainty – it was different. They didn’t call themselves Delirious, they sold tapes out of the back of a rusting Sierra and they certainly didn’t have a plan to become any of this. The dreams were there all right – the hope that one day it might all take off – but the steps they took were simple and small. Life was simply a matter of writing songs that made sense and playing live with the main aim of making the strongest connections possible.
Now it’s different, sort of. Delirious have become a bankable commodity. In 2007 they played in over 25 countries to over 1’000’000 people. Their albums, live DVDs and compilations get distributed as far as Singapore and the Philippines, and in Mexico they re-recorded the vocals of some of their greatest tracks in Spanish, a response to the support from South America. They’ve been top 10 in the UK album charts as well as Billboard and have supported Bryan Adams in Hyde Park, Bon Jovi all over the country and there was even a weird time when Neil Morrissey was their unpaid plugger.
It’s a strange world they live in; one where crowds of 50,000 in Colombia are far less daunting when you’ve just played to 250,000 in Mumbai. Looking back, though, things have always been a little unconventional.
In 1992 producer/engineer Martin Smith (vocals and guitars) teamed up with studio owner Tim Jupp (keyboards) and graphic designer Stew Smith (drums) to provide the music for a local event for young people. The blend of Smith’s open hearted lyrics with the rest of the band’s home grown delivery made immediate sense to those who saw it first hand. Things were rough yet soaked in the sweat of honest enthusiasm, and the band quickly made a name for themselves as the most exciting thing to come out of a church hall for years.
Within four years the band were full time – joined by Stu G on guitars and Jon Thatcher on bass – and within five they were releasing singles and albums into the UK charts. 1997’s ‘King Of Fools’ was, for some, a little controversial, but for all their success was undeniable: two top twenty singles and a number 13 placing for the album. The roughed-up guitars and euphoric melodies showed the way forward, with Radio 1 dubbing them ‘pop’s best kept secret’.
At the same time the North American market was getting reading to embrace the band King Of Fools took up lodgings in the Billboard ‘Heatseekers’ Chart for 18 weeks, selling 200,000 copies. Virgin Records USA got on board and headline tours in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, as well as distribution deals under the wings of EMI brought even more attention. But of all the forces at work none was so vital as their second studio album Mezzamorphis. A big hitter by any standards, the self-produced project captured the most comprehensive Delirious? soundtrack ever. Q magazine called it ‘dense, ingenious… expansive guitar pop’ while Billboard praised the ‘aggressive edge… but passionate, insightful lyrics.
1999 onwards saw the band focus on live performances: playing to over 1 million people in a single 12 month period, including fans on UK legs of both Bon Jovi (2001) and Bryan Adams (2002) tours. In between they finished work on their follow-up album, Glo – a nod back to their early days. Then came the skills of producer Chuck Zwicky (Semisonic, Prince, Madonna). Just as Glo targeted a gospel audience, Audiolessonover? crafted a more esoteric vibe. The album was met with praise from the UK fans, and the edgier sound reflected the peculiarities of the home market.
Then came another live album, the Spanish language project and ‘World Service’ and ‘The Mission Bell’ – both albums that cemented their international appeal. Audiences included the Pope at the 2005 World Youth Day, world leaders at the Athens 2004 Olympics and the biggest crowd of Muslims in Morocco at the 2005 Friendshipfest. Asia, Australia and beyond became short-haul destinations with gigs in Indonesia, India and beyond signalling new adventures and experiences.
And they’ve their mark, those travels. Years of travel have brought them out of the five star hotel. They’ve spent time in slums and on rubbish heaps, they’ve met those oppressed by poverty and returned home with more questions than ever before.
So it makes sense for them to have recorded ‘Kingdom of Comfort’. An album with more grit and mess than any they have made before, it starts to unpick the seams of their lives. Honest, raw and uncompromising, at times it’s profoundly comfortable.
But isn’t that what bands like this do? When you’re settling in to your second decade and looking towards the third, bands make a choice. Delirious have opted for the only things that makes sense to them right now; the honesty of discomfort.
Now it’s different, sort of. Delirious have become a bankable commodity. In 2007 they played in over 25 countries to over 1’000’000 people. Their albums, live DVDs and compilations get distributed as far as Singapore and the Philippines, and in Mexico they re-recorded the vocals of some of their greatest tracks in Spanish, a response to the support from South America. They’ve been top 10 in the UK album charts as well as Billboard and have supported Bryan Adams in Hyde Park, Bon Jovi all over the country and there was even a weird time when Neil Morrissey was their unpaid plugger.
It’s a strange world they live in; one where crowds of 50,000 in Colombia are far less daunting when you’ve just played to 250,000 in Mumbai. Looking back, though, things have always been a little unconventional.
In 1992 producer/engineer Martin Smith (vocals and guitars) teamed up with studio owner Tim Jupp (keyboards) and graphic designer Stew Smith (drums) to provide the music for a local event for young people. The blend of Smith’s open hearted lyrics with the rest of the band’s home grown delivery made immediate sense to those who saw it first hand. Things were rough yet soaked in the sweat of honest enthusiasm, and the band quickly made a name for themselves as the most exciting thing to come out of a church hall for years.
Within four years the band were full time – joined by Stu G on guitars and Jon Thatcher on bass – and within five they were releasing singles and albums into the UK charts. 1997’s ‘King Of Fools’ was, for some, a little controversial, but for all their success was undeniable: two top twenty singles and a number 13 placing for the album. The roughed-up guitars and euphoric melodies showed the way forward, with Radio 1 dubbing them ‘pop’s best kept secret’.
At the same time the North American market was getting reading to embrace the band King Of Fools took up lodgings in the Billboard ‘Heatseekers’ Chart for 18 weeks, selling 200,000 copies. Virgin Records USA got on board and headline tours in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, as well as distribution deals under the wings of EMI brought even more attention. But of all the forces at work none was so vital as their second studio album Mezzamorphis. A big hitter by any standards, the self-produced project captured the most comprehensive Delirious? soundtrack ever. Q magazine called it ‘dense, ingenious… expansive guitar pop’ while Billboard praised the ‘aggressive edge… but passionate, insightful lyrics.
1999 onwards saw the band focus on live performances: playing to over 1 million people in a single 12 month period, including fans on UK legs of both Bon Jovi (2001) and Bryan Adams (2002) tours. In between they finished work on their follow-up album, Glo – a nod back to their early days. Then came the skills of producer Chuck Zwicky (Semisonic, Prince, Madonna). Just as Glo targeted a gospel audience, Audiolessonover? crafted a more esoteric vibe. The album was met with praise from the UK fans, and the edgier sound reflected the peculiarities of the home market.
Then came another live album, the Spanish language project and ‘World Service’ and ‘The Mission Bell’ – both albums that cemented their international appeal. Audiences included the Pope at the 2005 World Youth Day, world leaders at the Athens 2004 Olympics and the biggest crowd of Muslims in Morocco at the 2005 Friendshipfest. Asia, Australia and beyond became short-haul destinations with gigs in Indonesia, India and beyond signalling new adventures and experiences.
And they’ve their mark, those travels. Years of travel have brought them out of the five star hotel. They’ve spent time in slums and on rubbish heaps, they’ve met those oppressed by poverty and returned home with more questions than ever before.
So it makes sense for them to have recorded ‘Kingdom of Comfort’. An album with more grit and mess than any they have made before, it starts to unpick the seams of their lives. Honest, raw and uncompromising, at times it’s profoundly comfortable.
But isn’t that what bands like this do? When you’re settling in to your second decade and looking towards the third, bands make a choice. Delirious have opted for the only things that makes sense to them right now; the honesty of discomfort.
