IT’S exactly one year since much loved Huddersfield band Far From The Dance called it a day.
The announcement shortly before last Christmas came out of the blue only a few months after the band announced they had signed a new management contract.
Having decamped to London in early 2009 the four-piece had attracted some label interest and seemed on the cusp of bigger things.
But 12 months on three members of the band are firmly back in Huddersfield and have reformed as three piece Sons of Mischief.
Singer Alec Townsend said the split had come from their desire to move home to save more cash.
He said: “We decided we wanted to do something different and go back to our roots, a bit more short tempo, faster, shorter songs.
“It meant leaving London and relocating up here to go to Jake’s other home for a few months and just lock ourselves away.
“Adam (Jogee) didn’t want to do that so we decided to do it as a three piece.”
Bassist Jake Miller said living in the Big Smoke had been good but they had all agreed they needed to move in a new direction.
He said: “I loved it to be honest, the two years I was down there it was really refreshing and really buzzy but it did get to the point where it wasn’t working for the band and that is what we were essentially down there for.
“You’ve got to do what’s best for the music which was to come back and save money.”
Added Alec: “We were all getting wound up in our own little lives down there and we weren’t concentrating on the band, we lost a bit of focus.”
The trio have already written ten songs and have been rubbing shoulders with indie icons Elbow while recording at Manchester’s Blueprint studios.
“We wanted to go somewhere out of Huddersfield and do something new,” said Alec.
“It’s one of the only studios I can think of up north that had any credibility of that sort for bands that we really love.”
“It’s a lot more connected with people involved in the Manchester music scene,” says drummer Thom Thornton.
“While we were there we met the Smiths’ drummer, we had a little chat with him, and Elbow were in all the time we were there, so it just felt like we were part of something.”
The studio has been used by a host of top northern bands including The Courteeners and The Coral and Alec said they were really pleased with the four tracks they’d recorded.
“Fred (the producer) has been really enthusiastic.
“He’s one of the main men there.
“He’s tried not to touch it too much, he said he wanted to keep it live because he thought it sounded energetic.”
“He wanted it how it is when we play it live and I think we’ve captured that,” said Thom.
“We’ve done this so many times, going into the studio, doing a demo, coming out and listening to it, and then months down the line you’re picking bits out of it you’re not quite happy with.
“It’s early days yet but we’re a lot happier with it.”
Said Jake: “It’s one of the recordings we’ve done that I’ve been really quite happy with, rather than looking back and thinking we could have done this differently, shame we didn’t do that.
“It’s straight up kind of fun rock with no rubbish.
“You literally get in there and let the drums and guitar and bass sound as nice as they are and as big as they are.
“There’s not that much studio trickery at all.”
Sons of Mischief’s debut EP is set to be released on Christmas Day and the trio are hoping to hit the road for a 14-gig UK tour and have plans to head into Europe for the first time.
But first up is the matter of playing their first major comeback gig.
To check them out get down to Bar 1:22 on New Year’s Eve.
