|
The Tears are:
Vocals - Brett Anderson, Guitars - Bernard Butler, Bass - Nathan Fisher, Drums - Mako Sakamoto, Keyboards - Will Foster
History:
The Tears formed shortly after singer Brett Anderson decided to take a break from his band Suede at the end of 2003. He then contacted his ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler who he had not previously spoken to for 10 years and after putting their past differences behind them, they spent most of 2004 writing new songs and forming their new band. With writing completed and a bassist and drummer chosen (Nathan Fisher and Mako Sakamoto) the currently unnamed band entered the studio to rehearse songs and begin recording their debut album. When recording of the album was completed the band announced to the media that they had decided to call themselves The Tears and that they had signed a record deal with Independiente. They later announced that they would be making their live debut at a series of gigs in December with shows in London, Oxford and Barcelona.
In early 2005 it was officially confirmed that keyboardist Will Foster, who had previously only appeared with the band on tour, was now a full time permanent member of the band.
The Tears played further live shows in February and their first full UK tour in April. During the tour they performed a Suede song live for the first time in the form of classic b-side 'The Living Dead'. It came as a surprise to many as Bernard Butler had earlier ruled out The Tears playing any Suede songs during their gigs. As with the shows in February, the April tour also saw the band play a number of new songs which had not previously been performed during their earlier shows in 2004.
The debut single 'Refugees' was released on 25th April and featured some stunning b-sides including the ballads 'Break Away' and 'Southern Rain'. Both critics and fans alike saw the release as a welcome return of the Anderson/Butler partnership with the songs equalling some of their previous band's best moments. 'Refugees' entered the official UK singles chart at number 9. They followed this chart success by performing the single on the influential British music show Top Of The Pops. Further publicity followed with a number of radio and magazine interviews as well as several performances for radio stations including XFM and BBC Radio 2.
In June the debut album 'Here Come The Tears' was finally released after having been put back a month. Featuring an array of dazzling pop/rock songs ('Refugees', 'Imperfection', 'Autograph') and soaring ballads ('Apollo 13', 'The Ghost Of You', 'A Love As Strong As Death') it was described by music newspaper NME as "raw, emotionally stirring, and the best album you'll hear this year, by a mile." 'Here Come The Tears' entered the official UK album chart at number 15.
The Tears then performed as headliners on the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury Festival and followed this with the release of their second single 'Lovers' which charted at number 24.
They played further festival dates during the summer including Reading, Leeds, and T In The Park in the UK as well as shows in Spain, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Finland and Japan. During August they also played their first ever shows in Asia.
It was later announced that The Tears would be embarking on a full european tour throughout October and November. However fans initial excitement turned to disappointment when shortly afterwards an official statement was issued by the band which said that they had decided to axe the tour in order to concentrate on working on their next album.
Expectation was high that 2006 would see the triumphant return of The Tears who having released their debut album the previous year were thought to be hard at work on its follow up. However in April came the news that no fan was hoping to hear when guitarist Bernard Butler announced that the band had in fact lost their Independiente record deal 8 months previously. With Brett Anderson set to embark on his much delayed solo career and Butler busy with a variety of other projects it became clear that any new material from The Tears would be a long way off. Brett commented: "There's not much tears stuff happening at the moment to be honest but no one ever wanted this thing to get caught up within the drudgery of the whole tour/record/tour cycle anyway. It was always supposed to be something special that we did for the purest of motives so we will make a new record if and when we feel like it."
Rumours that the band had been dropped by their label had already been circulating for some time particularly after the last minute cancellation of the previous year's european tour. Their future with Independiente would have been put in further doubt after relatively low sales of their debut album, which led to just two singles ('Refugees' and 'Lovers') being released.
Despite the setback of the record deal loss it was made clear that this was not necessarily the end of The Tears and that the band had not split up.
However further doubts about the band's future arised later in the year when it was announced that their official website would be closing down. To stem any new concern about the band an official statement was released on the site which stated "to set the record straight, the closure of this site does not mean the end of The Tears. The band will re-activate when and if the members feel it is necessary." This was backed by a comment issued by The Tears guitarist Bernard Butler which read "It's been real people. See you back here when we're ready...."
Latest News:
For all the latest news on Suede and The Tears visit the Suede Music latest news section -
suede-music.freeservers.com/latestnews.html
Discography:
Single: REFUGEES (2005) Independiente. ALL SONGS BY ANDERSON/BUTLER. ALL SONGS PRODUCED BY BERNARD BUTLER. CHART POSITION: 9.
 1) REFUGEES
2) SOUTHERN RAIN
3) FEELS LIKE MONDAY
4) BRANDED
5) BREAK AWAY
Album: HERE COME THE TEARS (2005) Independiente. ALL SONGS BY ANDERSON/BUTLER. ALL SONGS PRODUCED BY BERNARD BUTLER. CHART POSITION: 15.
 1) REFUGEES
2) AUTOGRAPH
3) CO-STAR
4) IMPERFECTION
5) THE GHOST OF YOU
6) TWO CREATURES
7) LOVERS
8) FALLEN IDOL
9) BRAVE NEW CENTURY
10) BEAUTIFUL PAIN
11) THE ASYLUM
12) APOLLO 13
13) A LOVE AS STRONG AS DEATH
Single: LOVERS (2005) Independiente. ALL SONGS BY ANDERSON/BUTLER. ALL SONGS PRODUCED BY BERNARD BUTLER. CHART POSITION: 24.
 1) LOVERS
2) SONG FOR THE MIGRANT WORKER
3) LOW-LIFE
4) THE PRIMITIVE
5) BECAUSE YOU'RE WORTHLESS
Promo Video: REFUGEES (2005) Independiente. WRITTEN BY ANDERSON/BUTLER. PRODUCED BY BY BERNARD BUTLER.
DIRECTED BY Alex Large and Liane Sommers
Watch 'Refugees' promo video at You Tube - Refugees - 35013 views
Promo Video: LOVERS (2005) Independiente. WRITTEN BY ANDERSON/BUTLER. PRODUCED BY BY BERNARD BUTLER.
DIRECTED BY Scott Lyon
Watch 'Lovers' promo video at You Tube - Lovers - 12021 views
So far there have been no official releases of The Tears on video cassette or DVD. However you can view footage of The Tears promo videos and live performances at the You Tube website -
You Tube - The Tears
Albums
(2005) - Here Come The Tears
"Despite the tune's familiar feel, 'Imperfection' works wonderfully, as Anderson catalogues and celebrates a lover's seeming shortcomings in apparent homage to Shakespeare's Sonnet 130. 'The Ghost Of You' scales magnificent musical heights, with a simple, quiet opening building to the heights of past Suede mini-epics, Butler strongly asserting his role, working with keyboardist Will Foster to create mountains of sound for Anderson's voice to climb over. Similarly epic is 'Apollo 13', another grower that slowly unfolds over the course of nearly six minutes like some outtake from second Suede album 'Dog Man Star'. The dramatic, fashion-forward 'Brave New Century' brings forth a sea of bile from the singer, who menacingly throws forth lines like "Religion breeds like a disease while people spit on refugees" and "We sit and choke on magazines and worship shit celebrities" to the band's acidic accompaniment. This is a compelling debut/reunion, with the two men seeming to push each other far more than any of their recent collaborators have." - Review by Steve Gozdecki for Neumu.net.
"It's cinematic and bright, lush and passionate, halfway between the incessantly catchy pop that wound up on 'Coming Up' and the sighing romanticism and larger-than-life sweep of 'Dog Man Star'. It's easy to listen to the album and just coast along on the elegance of its sound, which is a pleasure in and of itself, yet this album isn't just about the surface. Anderson and Butler also reinvigorate each other as composers, and they come up with 13 strong songs here, ranging from such surging anthems as 'Refugees', 'Two Creatures', and 'Lovers' to brooding ballads like 'The Ghost Of You' and 'A Love As Strong As Death' to slow, churning minor-key rockers as 'Brave New Century'. All of these songs have familiar antecedents in the Suede catalogue, but they don't feel recycled: they feel like a continuation of the duo's best work. And while 'Here Come The Tears' does lack the vibrancy of the era-defining 'Suede' and the majesty of 'Dog Man Star', it does stand proudly next to those two albums as a terrific pop record. It's so good and assured that it confirms the suspicion that Anderson and Butler were destined to be collaborators. They bring out the best in each other and, with any luck, there won't be another 11-year wait for their next album of new material." - Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine for All Music Guide.
"'Here Come The Tears' sounds like the best album that Suede never made, full of romantic, smouldering pop songs with a soaring depth to them. The creative tension that made the first two Suede albums so good is obviously still there in spades. 'Lovers', 'Autograph' and 'Beautiful Pain' are all instantly likeable gems, enlivening by some awe-inspiring guitar work from Butler and given an epic scope by other band members Will Foster, Nathan Fisher and Makoto Sakamoto. Anderson also sounds reinvigorated, with his voice sounding stronger than it has done for years. The more 'Here Come The Tears' is listened to, the more impressive it reveals itself to be. The closing two tracks, 'Apollo 13' and 'A Love As Strong As Death' almost match Dog Man Star's 'The Asphalt World'/'Still Life' double whammy, the former being a particularly breathtaking piece of work. Even better, the best appears yet to come, as anyone who has seen their live show will attest to - fans favourite 'Europe After The Rain' is nowhere to be seen, and obviously being saved for the follow up. That sense of unfulfilled potential is now gone and Anderson and Butler can reclaim their position as one of the country's great songwriting teams. 'Here Come The Tears' is a real treat - hopefully they can stay together for more than two albums this time." - Review by John Murphy for musicOMH.com.
Gigs
(2004) - Live at Oxford Zodiac (First ever gig)
""This is a song about a doomed relationship," Brett says coyly. Bernard is smiling. It's called 'Apollo 13' and it's fucking amazing. How good? Well if it was on the first disc of 'Sci-Fi Lullabies' it would be the best song there. "If you follow me/I will follow you" Brett sings, voice soaring and it's here, almost at the end of the set when you finally realise they're back! And they matter! The place goes wild as they finish and even the band look surprised. Keep in mind that it's the first time all these people have stood on stage together and you can't help thinking how good they'll be by the time they tour properly next year. If there's one thing you're left with as you take the bus back to the station it's the certainty that, in a year that already promises some classic debut albums, there'll be at least one record out in 2005 that will keep the upstarts on their toes." - Review by John Winters for drownedinsound.com.
(2004) - Live at London Heaven
"The chemistry between them is so exciting. They look like they were born to be on a stage together, Anderson bashing nonchalantly at a tambourine while a brash Butler mounts the monitors, thrashing at his guitar as if his whole body were plugged into it. On song after song, Anderson's vocal rides the melody of Butler's guitar lines smoothly, to grand effect on the very Suede-like romanticism of the set's centrepiece song, 'Apollo 13'. It sees Anderson finding his way with an easy melody again, each song thwacking you with suave hooks, loping melodies and affecting lyrics. Every track sounds utterly, effortlessly fresh, an impression enhanced as Butler's formidable playing makes them crackle with life. The most exciting new band in Britain, twice? Now that would be a coup." - Review by Kevin Harley for The Independent.
(2005) - Live at The Fez, Reading
"Opening with glam-pop upcoming single 'Lovers', they start on a euphoric note that continues for twenty minutes or so, bashing out uplifting harmonies and shiny music with freshness and enthusiasm. Dressed all in smart dark blue, Anderson immediately connects with the crowd - within seconds of his entrance he sonically catapults every note their way while leaning with one foot on the feedback amps. Meanwhile shaggy-haired Butler jutters about like a loose puppet, jerking his neck left and right as he grinds into his guitar, squeezing out those delicious licks while darting lopsided looks into the audience. He heads for the keyboards however for their new track, the spartan yet theatrical 'Song For The Migrant Worker', slowing bearing down on plaintive chords while Anderson mesmerises the completely silent crowd with lyrics such as: "We hide in your shadows, you don't know our names as we take your trays." It's another plight of the underclasses song, hanging alongside first single 'Refugees' and new melancholy song, 'Europe After The Rain' which features more drama-laced imagery such as: "There's cardboard-filled windows and boarded-up doors, and families are scattered on stations." Who says that social conscience can't be mixed with atmospheric beauty? It's 'Here Come The Tears' indeed, and hopefully this time Anderson and Butler will stay together and stick around." - Review by Linda Serck for bbc.co.uk.
Lyrics:
A Love As Strong As Death: "We're all looking for a love as strong as death, that's part of our minds and part of our flesh"
Apollo 13: "Your lazy words blow like confetti in the wind, in the wind"
Autograph: "And the night before the neon lit our fate. And our shadows painted many different shapes"
Beautiful Pain: "And I cling to my pillow. And scratch at my veins. You kiss like a killer. Such a beautiful pain"
Branded: "She simulates the poses. She imitates the dream. Page after page that shows the imagery of jealousy"
Brave New Century: "Religion breeds like a disease"
Break Away: "Let's break away tonight, there's a place where we can meet. Let's slip into the night, the planet's at our feet. Let's break away tonight, you and me"
Co-Star: "Like ice in the sun we'll melt into one"
Imperfection: "Your imperfections are so beautiful, I can't control, my animal soul"
Refugees: "Let's take to the streets, you and I we're life's refugees"
Song For The Migrant Worker: "We drift like a landslide, with our almond eyes, like a human tide"
Southern Rain: "Her love was a lullaby. There was something deranged in her eyes. And her sugary skin was hungry for change"
The Asylum: "If they burned my brain away would you understand? If they tried to hold me down would you hold my hand?"
The Ghost Of You: "I threw out the photographs, like yesterday's flowers. I try to erase the past, but it won't go away"
Two Creatures: "We'll fly over the endless ocean. We're heading for the winter sun. 'Cos you and me we're just two creatures on the run"
 Unreleased Songs:
The Tears performed a couple of new songs during some of their gigs that didn't feature on their debut album and were subsequently never released. These songs are listed below with a sample of their lyrics.
Berlin: "You roll those eyes and flick that mane and use their weakness for political gain"
Europe After The Rain: "There's cardboard filled windows and boarded up doors and families are scattered on stations"
Official Website:
The Tears official site, www.thetears.org, has now closed down. When the site was still in existence it featured latest news, a biography, band member profiles, tour dates, forum, photo gallery, discography and links.
|
