"For the last five years, my husband has been saying, 'You guys are so good together'. He's right you know." Shaznay Lewis
Word soon got out that the four All Saints were friends again. Parlophone had already been in negotiations with Shaznay, hoping that the Ivor Novello winner would write for some of their acts. Hearing about the rekindled friendships, the label told Shaznay that if they wanted to make music together they would offer them a deal. Delighted by the offer, the four women remember thinking, 'We're all mums, we're all in our 30s, can we still do this?'," says Mel. "Then we were like, 'Of course we can, let's go for it!'"
The reinvigorated band have spent the last few months in a London studio with producers/writers KG (who's worked with them since their earliest days), Greg Kurstin (Peaches, Jamelia, Flaming Lips and Lily Allen) and Rick Nowels (Madonna, Dido and kd lang).
"I've been a fan of All Saints since the very beginning," says Nowels, "so I was really happy to have the chance to write with Shaz now they've reformed. The spirit among the girls during the recording was incredible. They're a proper vocal group - they can stand in a room together and sing beautiful harmony with a blend that you only get from working together for years. Each of them has a unique and cool vocal texture. When you put them all together you get that unmistakable All Saints sound. We're lucky to have them back."
"We have fresh interests now, so we've incorporated that. It's the ska sound, the beats and the brass. We can't wait to tour this record." Nicole Appleton
The result of those sessions is All Saints' third album, Studio 1.As implied by that titular nod to the great Studio One label, the band have added some new sounds to their sonic arsenal, with the album bursting with 60s-tinged reggae, ska, dancehall and rock steady. In fact, that last style provides the title to the band's first single since January 2001. One listen to its sultry, infectious skank and you realise how much we've missed them. Rock Steady opens Studio 1, where it's followed by the electro-pulsin' tales of desire (Chick Fit) and the glorious, trumpet-soaked bounce of Scar. From there, the album is a joyful blast through dreamy love songs (On & On), jilted rants (Hell No) and super-confident put-downs (Too Nasty). It's punchy and fresh as a daisy. In other words, it's exactly how you'd hope All Saints would sound in 2006.
"We were very aware that there would be no point in doing this unless the music is at least as good as it was before," says Mel. "We had to move forward," agrees Natalie, "and we have".
Closer, more confident and more prepared for what's to come, All Saints are back. Now watch them fly.
Protection - we do a lot of it these days. Sun cream for our skin, sunglasses for our eyes, condoms for you know where - but do you remember to protect your hearing?
Click to find all the information you need to look after your hearing now so you can enjoy music for years to come
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