Starsailor return with new album

Indie-rock four-piece Starsailor’s new full-length All This Life hit the shelves on Friday as the band announced a string of high-profile live dates for next month.

The group, made up of James Walsh on vocals and guitar, James Stelfox on bass, Barry Westhead on keyboards and Ben Byrne on drums, is releasing its first album since 2009 following a hugely-successful comeback over the past few years.

The new album’s tracks can also be heard by the band’s legions of fans on a 12-date headlining jaunt across the UK taking in Manchester’s O2 Ritz.

The group, which originally formed at Wigan and Leigh College, has been making waves with the songs making it onto matchday playlists at Premier League football grounds.

Frontman James has also been spending time in his hometown, performing solo at the Wigan 10k and also attending the Warriors’ return from the Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

The new album opens with lead track Listen to Your Heart and James says he is delighted both with that as an introduction to All This Life and with the recording process as a whole.

He said: “Listen to Your Heart is an energetic, emotional song. I think in doing what we do, you have to have emotion and instinct lead. If every decision was sensible, practical and mulled over, we’d never have done anything or got anywhere. It’s not always easy, so you have to keep reminding yourself.

“Recording the album was an intense and rewarding experience and we’re excited to get it out there. There’s a good mix of the aspects of the band people know and love, and a few changes in direction.”

The new album is the band’s fifth and finds Starsailor buoyed by their performance at this year’s Isle of Wight festival, where they debuted a track from All This Life in front of an ecstatic crowd at the packed Big Top Stage.

The band also played British Summer Time at Hyde Park alongside the likes of Phil Collins and Blondie as well as Hope and Glory Festival in Liverpool in August.

Listen to Your Heart has been whetting appetites for the album as fans who pre-ordered the full-length have been able to get the song as an exclusive download.

Starsailor have sold millions of albums with their sophomore effort Silence is Easy making the band a household name.

Further albums On The Outside in 2005 and All The Plans in 2009 followed, with the band chalking up 10 top 40 hits before going on an extended hiatus to explore other projects and then returning to the scene in 2014.

All This Life by Starsailor is out now. To find out more visit www.starsailorband.co.uk