“If you tell your mates what you’ve done today, I bet at least one of them will ask if I’m a twat,” says The Twang’s vocalist Phil Etheridge.
Thanks to a number of rowdy early shows, the Birmingham mob were hailed as “the best new band in Britain” and had every major label trying to sign them for their boisterous debut album Love It When I Feel Like This which went on to soundtracked the summer of 2007. The hype kept coming too, with The Twang seen as the natural successors to Oasis’ swaggering throne.
And the band played up to it. Venues banned them for their riotous gigs while “motormouth” Etheridge was constantly making headlines. “I’m not sure what people expected. We were given a load of money and put on a tour bus that was basically a travelling pub,” says Etheridge. “All I’d ever wanted to do was make songs with my mates, so we were living the dream.”
Then came their second album Jewellery Quarter. After scrapping an earlier attempt, the band went to Manchester to record with Neil Claxton. “It was a fresh start ‘cos we had nothing left from Love It When I Feel Like This but we really weren’t feeling any pressure. There was no ‘difficult second album’ stress,” admits Etheridge. However, the same places that had once fiercely championed The Twang had started to turn on them. One scathing review called Jewellery Quarter “complete and utter dogshit” and suggested the person who signed them should be crucified. “It was embarrassing. It does hurt when something it dismissed so cruelly,” says Etheridge. The album entered the UK Album Charts at number 20 and The Twang were dropped a week later. “We really did think the success would last forever.”
But fifteen years later, The Twang are still going strong. A remastered version of that divisive second album was released earlier this month, ahead of a celebratory anniversary tour. “I reckon people were expecting more of a car crash,” Etheridge says today. “But we rode it out.”
Instead of the easy path of making more lad-rock anthems, The Twang had something to prove with Jewellery Quarter. “I wanted to show a different side to us. It’s a shame that if you like football and listen to The Stone Roses, people think you’re thick,” says Etheridge, with The Twang called things like “ASBO rockers” because they spoke with an accent. For their second record, he took influence from The House Martins, The Smiths and his favourite band, The National. “There are some softer moments on the record, which would have definitely lost us the fans who wanted ‘let’s get fucked’ tunes.”
As well as an impossible level of hype to maintain, Jewellery Quarter was released the same year people started rejecting the wave of new indie bands who had blown up following the success of Arctic Monkeys. “It’s funny ‘cos The Enemy are still selling out massive rooms and if they released We’ll Live And Die In These Towns today, it’d do just as well as it did back then. Same with The Kooks and a lot of the other bands dismissed as ‘landfill indie’. I think it would be the same for us as well.”
Phil Etheridge revisited Jewellery Quarter earlier this year to refresh his memory on the lyrics. “I was pleasantly surprised with how it sounds. It’s a good, strong record. Listening to it now, I’m instantly transported back to that time in our lives, which was basically just a big party.”
Despite the fact The Twang are currently celebrating an album that many people dismissed, Etheridge doesn’t feel vindicated. “I just feel really lucky. Every time me and the lads are together in a room, I look around and feel so fucking happy that we’re still friends and are playing music.” New fans who are just discovering Jewellery Quarter aren’t listening to it with the hype-fuelled history of the band in mind either. “They’re just hearing the tunes. Others now see us as these elder indie statesmen or whatever, which is cool. This anniversary tour has made me realize what a brilliant time it was in our lives and how lucky we are to still be living this crazy life.”
“I’m just really chuffed people like our band,” he continues. “When you write songs, all you ever want is for them to mean something to others. The fact we’ve done that is fucking beautiful.”
The Twang are also looking towards the future. They’ve currently got 11 demos sorted for a new album and at the start of the new year, the band will start experimenting. “We’re big on creative freedom but whatever happens, it will sound like The Twang. We’re not interested in trying to sound like anyone else,” says Etheridge. “It’s really nice to be making an album where we’re not abusing ourselves mentally and physically. We can do it with a cup of tea and still find something worth singing about.”
The other thing he’s realised recently is that the Twang won’t last forever. “If I start feeling like a bit of a fake when I’m onstage, it’s done. But for now, I’m really just enjoying it and having a laugh. Some of my favourite bands made two records then fucked it off. We’re currently on our sixth, so we’ve done alright. I can hold my head high and I’m not embarrassed by any of it. It’s a mad thing to be able to do with your mates.”
Main image credit: Greg McMurray
Editors’ Picks
- ★★★★☆ The Night review | Saint Etienne soundtrack the quiet hours
Rain, distant whispers, and soft melodies define Saint Etienne’s The Night, a soothing album that lingers long after it ends. - ‘Something extraordinary happened that night – the music felt like it was coming through the roof.’ | Spiritualized interviewed
Jason Pierce reflects on 30 years of Pure Phase by Spiritualized, revisiting its dual-mix magic, and shares why recreating its energy today feels impossible. - ‘My darkest moments produce my best work.’ | Raven Numan interviewed
Gothic-pop artist Raven Numan discusses her inspirations, personal challenges with BPD and OCD, and how her darkest moments shape her most powerful music. - ★★★★★ Songs Of A Lost World review | A challenging but incredibly rewarding trip with The Cure
Robert Smith and The Cure return with Songs of a Lost World, a deeply moving record that immerses listeners in timeless themes of love, loss, and defiance. - ‘Everyone’s looking over their shoulder, worrying about being judged, but being young should be about making mistakes.’ Bilk’s Sol Abrahams interviewed
Bilk’s Sol Abrahams talks about the pressures of modern youth, social media’s influence, and how Essex, Drugs and Rock and Roll reflects a generation on the edge.
The UK’s best rap-rock fusions: 8 artists redefining the sound of rebellion
Rock and rap are colliding in the UK like never before. These 8 artists are fusing the genres with fresh, experimental sounds.
Keep up to date with the best in UK music by following us on Instagram: @whynowworld and on Twitter/X: @whynowworld
- Anniversary Tour
- Band Legacy
- Indie Rock
- Interview
- Jewellery Quarter
- New music
- Phil Etheridge
- The Twang
