Resurgent rockers Starsailor set sail for Sheffield

Rockers Starsailor are making the most of All This Life as they enjoy a second lease of life.
Starsailor are, from left, drummer Ben Byrne, keyboardist Barry Westhead, guitarist and vocalist James Walsh and bassist James Stelfox.Starsailor are, from left, drummer Ben Byrne, keyboardist Barry Westhead, guitarist and vocalist James Walsh and bassist James Stelfox.
Starsailor are, from left, drummer Ben Byrne, keyboardist Barry Westhead, guitarist and vocalist James Walsh and bassist James Stelfox.

The Wigan-based quartet – frontman James Walsh, drummer Ben Byrne, keyboard player Barry Westhead and bassist James Stelfox – shot to fame with their debut album Love Is Here in 2001.

Featuring top-10 single Alcoholic and top-20 tracks Fever and Good Souls, the album was released to critical acclaim and reached number two in the UK album charts, going on to sell more than half a million copies in the UK alone.

Second album Silence is Easy also reached number two, with the title track reaching number nine on the singles charts in 2003.

However, after fourth album All the Plans only reached number 26 in 2009, the band went on hiatus.

They reunited six years later, but it has taken until now for a new album – the critically acclaimed All This Life, which reached number 23 in its release last month.

James says: “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.”

First single from the album was Listen To Your Hear, which James describes as an “energetic, emotional song”.

“I think in doing what we do, you have to be emotion and instinct-led,” he says. “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.”

Talking about the title track, the second single from the album, James says: “All This Life came about quite quickly and effortlessly even down to the main lyric. I think that’s why it has an upbeat fresh sound to it.

“It’s about how easy it is to get weighed down with all the seriousness in life and how important it is finding joy and humour in people and things as much as you can even in small doses.”

And now on they are taking the album on the road with a tour arrives at Sheffield’s The Leadmill on Wednesday, October 18.

“We’re looking forward to it,” says 37-year-old James, promising old favourites, tracks off the new album and even “some more obscure songs” when they take to The Leadmill stage next stage.

And he is hoping to continue the trend of attracting more younger people to see the band when they perform, adding: “When we first started gigging again in 2014, the audience was age was definitely mainly 35-40 and that still makes a large part of the audience, but we are finding quite a few younger people in the crowd now.”

Starsailor play The Leadmill, Sheffield, on Wednesday, October 18.

For tickets, see leadmill.co.uk