Bringing it on again

Gomez have been flying under the radar for some time now, but bassist Paul ‘Blacky’ Blackburn reckons that’s all about to be rectified with the release of their Split The Difference album.

“I suppose there’s been a bit of uncertainty, as there has been an element of us disappearing under the surface, and there’s certainly some ground to be gained,” he muses. “In saying that, the fanbase has always been good to us, but things have changed a bit in the industry and with the music scene in general. Besides, we’ve changed a bit as well, done a bit of evolving in terms of our musical approach.”
Following the band’s meteoric rise to fame with 1998’s Mercury-winning Bring It On, Sheffield’s finest became highly ubiquitous, everpresent favourites of the UK indie scene, before suffering a tour-induced burnout of sorts. The five-piece promptly disappeared, leaving a trail of imitators to feast over their spoils.
“Before In Our Gun (2002), we took some time off,” explains Blackman. “Possibly a bit too long…! We kind of disappeared for a bit, and before we took the time off, we were just absolutely shattered. Had we gone on we would have been a mess, crawling around on all fours.”
Even in the last couple of years, the changes happening within the industry have taken effect. “When In Our Gun came out, there were massive changes at the label (Hut): people were being laid off left right and centre. It was terrible for them because those people were wondering how they were going to pay mortgages and stuff. It wasn’t the best time to release the record anyway, and the record did get a bit lost.”
While matters at the label hung in the balance, the boys decided to do what they do best, which was get back on the road. “It was all looking a bit gloomy for a bit, both on a personal level and in the industry in general,” concedes Blackman. “We decided to go to the States last April and do a tour, and it turned out to be the silver lining. Afterward, we went back to doing the record, seeing as we were on a high from the shows.”
Before beginning their upcoming UK tour, the band decided to go back to their roots, and played some low-key dates in February. “It was mostly a fanbase thing,” says Blackman. “We sold out the dates within a couple of days, and it was mainly for people who were well on the case of what we were doing. Smaller venues are great fun, but they’re actually more intimidating… you don’t tend to get nervous before the bigger shows.”
Just as well, really, because the band look set to be touring for some time to come. “It’s kind of like, we’re consciously trying not to be too conscious about it,” he says, considering their imminent return to the fold. “I think we’re just going to go with the flow.”

Gomez’ Split The Difference is out in May