SAS: Although I look back on these touring years with a kind of sadness, there were always special times on stage together, always. Music asks for a certain suspension of reality and playing a concert is the most tangible way to achieve this. But the reality was that we were all changing and had different needs, half of us had families to take care of – It becomes harder to live off dreams. The making of Simple pleasure had been brutal at times and damaging to us as a group. The new management set up was not working out and we had come to end of our deal with This way up / Polygram / Island / Universal, (whoever they were) with not much idea of what the next step would be or, indeed, if anyone would want to work with us.

As we were released from our contract we began work on the score for Trouble every day for Claire. New songs that would become the basis for Can our love.. bubbled away in the new studio in the background. We were approached to make the title music for a new BBC drama ‘The Sins’ – Perhaps we didn’t need a record company?

DB: An old work colleague of mine watched play us at the Glastonbury festival. A big music fan, musician. He also dabbled in writing about it. He found me somewhere afterwards. He couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. The last thing he’d expected that day, stood in a field, was to hear If you’re looking for a way out. Especially played by us. He’d watched us grow from that old trying to succeed band to melody maker favourites, never quite able to swallow it. Now it made complete sense to him.
Not that we ever needed it, but that one voice made up for all the voices that thought we’d gone mad. This became a bit of a trend. It was great to find real friends and lose those that just wanted to suck you dry.

We played the album, start to end, at Brixton mass. A moment of real triumph. I walked up Coldharbour Lane after the soundcheck. To the flat myself and Stuart shared when we first came to London. Almost a decade ago. How much we’d done since walking, wide eyed, along these streets. I could feel that wonder again!

We drove up a mountain to Ronda after a show in Malaga. The bus couldn’t make it all the way. We’d just played six shows in a row. We were tired. And relationships weren’t the best. Arriving late into the night. It was a studio owned by a friend of Stuart’s. We had a day off, thought we’d spend it on some new songs.
It was a great idea. Overshadowed by the mood. Sweet release grew on this day. And gives it a special memory for me. A beautiful song, in a beautiful place over looking the mountain drop.

Our crew were no longer made up of friends we’d picked up along the way. No matter what credentials these new people had. I don’t think we trusted them. It put a lot more focus on our own relationships with each other. We tried to laugh about it. It’s very frustrating to spend such an important part of your life with people you know don’t care. People you don’t even know if you like. An important lesson for us.