EVERYBODY'S CHANGING RETROSPECTIVE EP
UPDATE: Unfortunately, there was a slight error in the audio on a couple of the EP's tracks, but the problems have now been sorted. If you've already bought and downloaded the EP, then go back to your download 'basket' to re-download the EP. You can download it up to three times, so there should be no problem getting the new version. We also hear that a few of you have had trouble watching the video interview on Apple Macs. This problem has also now been fixed and the video is viewable for all
of those who have Windows Media player on their computers. Those with Macs who still can't see the video should try downloading this application.
We're very pleased to announce the launch of a special new run of digital retrospective EPs, which will only be available via the keanemusic.com shop. The idea is that these EPs will bring together some of the rarest Keane tracks, giving the band's most loyal fans (ie you lot) the chance to own them.
We begin with an Everybody's Changing-themed collection of songs. For £3.95, you'll get the following tracks as high-quality MP3s (which means they'll play on any player, including iPods). None of these are available elsewhere - and the video chat has been made especially.
EVERYBODY'S CHANGING EP
1. Original demo
2. Demo from July 2002
3. Fierce Panda version
4. Live version from first Lamacq Live electric session on Radio 1
5. Demo of Fly To Me (Everybody's Changing B-side)
6. Demo of Into The Light (Unreleased Song)
7. Video chat of Tim interviewed by Tom about Everybody's Changing
You can download the EP now from here, for £3.95 (it's available to km.com users worldwide).
Tim has very kindly written us some accompanying notes on each of the songs:
Original demo
I wrote Everybody’s Changing some time in early 2002. I remember sitting at the piano at my Mum and Dad’s house one evening and playing the piano riff, then writing a song to fit around the riff.
We were working on Bend And Break and some other songs at that time, and I didn’t think Everybody’s Changing was as good a song, so I didn’t put much effort into the demo. However when I played it to the Tom and Richard and our friends at BMG Publishing (who had just signed us), they all loved it, so we finished the lyrics and went to work on it properly.
Fierce Panda version
We spent the rest of 2002 playing gigs wherever we could. Everybody’s Changing developed a lot during this period. Initially we tried to make it into a very electronic thing, with a bit of a Massive Attack vibe – we were listening to Mezzanine a lot at the time (see track 2). It always felt too contrived though, and like many of the tracks that ended up on Hopes And Fears, it eventually came full circle and ended up revolving around real drums and the CP70 piano. We bought a Roland Juno 6 (an old analogue synth) from a guy in Bexhill, plugged it in and pretty much the first thing to come out of it was the synthy ‘blips’ and ‘sweeps’ you hear on the finished song.
At the end of 2002 we were feeling pretty despondent about the prospect of anyone ever actually hearing our music – we’d been turned down by what seemed like every record label in the UK! We decided to play a couple of very small Christmas shows to round off the year, and Simon Williams of legendary indie label Fierce Panda came along. He told us he wanted to release Everybody’s Changing as a single in the new year. So we polished up the demo, cobbled together some artwork (it’s a collage of two photographs – one of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, and one of the field outside my parents’ house), and handed it over to Simon. Next thing we knew Steve Lamacq was playing it on Radio 1.
Live version from first Lamacq Live Electric session on Radio 1
The Radio 1 session included here was the first of many visits to the BBC’s famous Maida Vale studios. My main recollection of the day is that we were incredibly nervous – as you can probably tell! It was a really exciting experience though, and a lot of fun. It was the first time we’d met and heard The Zutons too - we enjoyed their session so much that we asked them to open for us in America a few months later.
Demo of Fly To Me (Everybody's Changing B-side)
Fly To Me is one of my favourite Keane songs, and it always makes me a bit emotional! I did the demo for it very quickly, and cobbled together a solo using my new melodica that I’d bought in Berlin while we were supporting Starsailor. When we needed a B-side for Everybody’s Changing, we went into the old Island Studios in St Peter’s Square to add some real drums, vocals, and so on. I remember that for some reason Steve Winwood’s Hammond organ was in the studio, so we put some of that on the song. I also recall sitting on the steps of the studio desperately trying to finish the lyrics, with our allotted studio time rapidly running out. We were so short of time that we used all my rough vocals and BVs from the demo to double-track Tom’s vocal in the choruses. By a lucky chance, the combination created a really haunting vocal sound, and I think that’s one of the things that makes the song so atmospheric and moving.
Into The Light Demo (Unreleased Song)
You can tell I was listening to Air quite a lot at the time I wrote this. It’s an interesting song sonically, quite weird and ghostly. I think there’s a recognisable link to Untitled 1, although which came first I really can’t remember. Funnily enough I think the electro vibe and the sparseness are actually closer to some of the tracks on Perfect Symmetry than to the feel of Hopes And Fears, so maybe in Keane terms it was just too far ahead of its time?!
