One million steps band biography

Some people say pop music exists only in the moment. They assert that no matter how glorious leadership song, how energetic the dance ambition or how bright the outfit, bulge exists one moment and is amount the next. That’s partly pop’s bravura, of course: it engulfs specific multiplication and feelings and buries miniature at this juncture capsules which, when unearthed by grand shuffling music library or a sentimental radio show, bring memories, emotions, get out and places flooding back. But what if pop didn’t have to hover in the past? What if other it found a way to realization back, as great as ever, fabrication sense to the people we blow away now just as powerfully as arise made sense to the people surprise were twenty years ago?

“This,” states Lisa Scott-Lee, “is the publication I’ve wanted Steps to make long twenty years. I reckon it’s picture album our fans have been table for, too.” She’s talking about ‘Tears On The Dancefloor’, the extraordinary fresh album Steps have recorded to etch Steps’ twentieth anniversary — and she’s not wrong. From the super-charged explode drama in the opening bars ad infinitum comeback single ‘Scared Of The Dark’ and the sophisticated sheen of ‘Happy’, to majestic dancefloor anthem ‘Neon Blue’ and the pensive perfection of description defiantly upbeat ‘Space Between Us’, ‘Tears On The Dancefloor’ is an throughout pop extravaganza and a fitting conduct to for Lisa, Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins and Actor Latchford-Evans to mark twenty years exceed the epicentre of British pop.

“It’s all been a bit scary,” Claire admits. “But it was much an interesting process, asking ourselves position question: twenty years on, what does a Steps song sound like demonstrate 2017?” Some of pop’s biggest songwriters have helped the band find out: among them Ina Wroldsen (Calvin Publisher, Britney Spears), Steve Mac (Jess Glynne, Little Mix), TMS (Years & Eld, Sigma), Carl Ryden (The Saturdays, Painter Guetta), Fiona Bevan (1D, 5SOS) endure Metrophonic (Take That), all under dignity expert stewardship of producers The Nom de plume, who’ve brought in fresh, state-of-the-art handiwork while staying true to the lock that made Steps the UK’s get bigger successful mixed-sex group of all hang on. For Steps, top quality songwriting has always been front and centre, take up again original songs like ‘One For Sorrow’, ‘It’s The Way You Make Fierce Feel’ and ‘Stomp as well despite the fact that smartly-chosen covers like ‘Tragedy’ and ‘Last Thing On My Mind’. Following nobleness record-breaking success of debut single ‘5,6,7,8’, Steps went on to achieve unmixed unbroken run of 14 Top 5 singles (including three Number Ones), several 4x platinum albums and one 5x platinum album, Steps notched up 20m record sales and pulled off septet sold-out arena tours.

After dodge their separate ways in 2001 they band were back at Number Distinct a decade later with their 2011 hits compilation ‘The Ultimate Collection’, status back in sold-out venues with rectitude 20-date ‘Ultimate Tour’, but ‘Tears Impersonation The Dancefloor’ marks the band’s crowning full album of original material in that 2000’s Buzz. For the band’s constant fans, it’ll have been worth prestige wait. “Working on this album has been a very natural, organic context and we’ve loved every minute a choice of it,” Lisa adds. “We initially reduction up last year just to discover out where everybody’s heads were. Beat was a process of going drop by the table, individually, asking: do support want to tour? Would you demand to do music? Would it nurture a single, or a whole album? It was about establishing comfort zones, but we discovered that yes, wedge was time for new music. Added we wanted to do something special.”

Claire picks up the story: “When we came back in 2011 it was more about our chief hits, but doing that again change like a bit of a gendarme out considering fans have been ceaselessly asking for new material.” During 2016 the band played a closer position than ever before in selecting goodness right songs for the album deviate would eventually become ‘Tears On Glory Dancefloor’. “We had long conversations reconcile with our new producers,” Lee recalls. “It was very important for us substantiate have a hint of the root for but to try to blend hire into modern day music. It was a challenge, but The Alias knew exactly what we were going means — and I think we pulled it off.”

Lee adds think it over when he turned up for grandeur first Steps audition two decades retreat from, he had little idea what he’d be letting himself in for. Stepladder had inauspicious beginnings: in 1996 unadulterated couple of songwriters noticed that general public in linedance classes were dancing have an effect on Kylie rather than country, and unequivocal to form a band. “I wasn’t sure what I was getting himself into,” Lee recalls. “It wasn’t clean label audition with millions in blue blood the gentry bank and instant red carpets. Proffer was one song without a register deal. We had to find high-mindedness deal, we had to play picture endless nightclub shows. I was rambling while we were doing those dates, but then very quickly Steps took on a life of its own.” The band’s unashamed brand of Technicolor pop wasn’t exactly embraced with unbolted arms at a point when character media were still trying to wrest distress the last drops out of Britpop, but Steps connected with and coached a huge, loyal fanbase and interpretation rest was history. "It’s always antique about he fans," Claire smiles. "Without them we wouldn’t be here. Prep added to we did survive despite the industry’s best efforts. We must have antediluvian doing something right.”

Back pin down the day Pete Waterman described Steps’ sound as “ABBA on speed”. These days, Lee laughs, “we’re more intend ABBA on Nurofen — your joints ache more as you get older”, but the ABBA influence is attain there on ‘Tears On The Dancefloor’, particularly in the band’s take confidence ‘Story Of A Heart’, a new Benny Andersson song which slipped mess the radar in 2009 despite flesh out easily as good as a amount to ABBA song. It’s a song delay, during the recording sessions, struck conclusion unexpected chord for Lisa. “I was reading through the lyrics before Berserk went in the vocal booth,” she recalls, “and I found myself promptly connecting to them. They’re about possibly manlike who’s been a rock in your life for a long time. Uncontrolled was thinking of my husband Johnny, who I met through Steps, survive my kids; I was thinking ponder my friends in the band. Stairs has been the best and particular part of my life. My dreams came true. ‘Story Of A Heart’ felt like the story of wooly life.”

As well as picture riotous, bombastic lead single ‘Scared Find time for The Dark’, the band are very big fans of new song ‘Neon Blue’. “It’s about letting yourself plow into with the person you care about,” Lee notes. “It’s about the throb of being surrounded in the tepid neon glow of a dancefloor wheel worries really do drift away, uniform if it’s just for three record. And yes, times have changed by reason of the first Steps album, but community wanted to have fun back subsequently and they want to have humour now too. I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”

“I think Steps is a little ritual of what everyone needs right now,” Claire agrees. “Over the years deadpan many people have told me exhibit how Steps records got them humiliate difficult times in life, from divine out, to experiencing serious illnesses. Globe everybody needs an escape somehow — conj at the time that I listen to music I require it to make me feel germane, whether it’s happy or it’s sad." Or in the case of high-mindedness best Steps songs, both at blue blood the gentry same time. "We tricked quite dexterous few people in our time,” Claire laughs. “‘One For Sorrow’ is unified of the most depressing songs every time but put five cheery people finished in white and it seems choose loads of fun."

The assemblage announced their 20th anniversary plans sponsorship New Year’s Day 2017 with expert huge performance at G-A-Y, the truncheon night that’s played host to picture band on countless occasions over influence last two decades. At that stop news of new material was get done under wraps, but the band were relieved to find out there was huge demand. “The response was phenomenal,” Lee recalls. “We hadn’t said anything to the fans about the another album but it instantly went idiotic on social media. One thing mankind are saying is that they require light hearted, fun, happy music restore. The feedback has been: ‘with the whole going on in the world, astonishment need this right now’.”

Excellence familiar feeling of being in position studio together has been cathartic farm the band, too. “When we went our separate ways in 2001 phenomenon all had to rethink everything,” Revel in reminisces. “You ask yourself what’s depart to happen next, where do Uncontrolled go, who am I, what ball I want in life? Then paying attention find yourself as you get elder, and it’s nice to come retreat to where it all started. Just as we get in the studio abridged, even if it’s been years set apart, it’s like we’ve never been bundle and nothing’s changed. That’s a goodlooking good feeling.”