It’s not without good reason that Liverpool was declared by UNESCO as a city of music, but the phases in which that music has gone through are not static by any means. Starting around 1976, a new music scene began to emerge in the port city, after an almost barren decade for mainstream pop in the Merseyside region. The growing desire to create and discover something beyond the ever-looming shadow of The Beatles saw a new wave of determined youth eager to shake things up and break away from the stereotypes of Liverpool music. At the forefront were such bands such as Big In Japan, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes. Another of their peers, who is much less heard of, having disbanded in 1985, is the post-punk / new wave outfit The Room.
Finally, after a lengthy hiatus, the band is back to release their first new recording in 38 years. Originally formed in 1979 by singer Dave Jackson and bassist Becky Stringer, their new ‘Restless Fate’ LP was recorded and mixed at Ark Studios in Liverpool. Co-produced by Steve Powell (Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band, Autour De Lucie, Echo & The Bunnymen), the album was released on 9×9 Records. Today we present the full album, as well as the video for the lead track ‘The Drift’, created by Mark Jordan. Inspired by long peaceful walks during lockdown, contrasted with a sense of inevitable drifting apart and loss, Jackson reflects on how people come and go from our lives over the years in a beautiful melancholic tale of slow loss.
Stunning, catchy, memorable and long-awaited, we stand with those commending the return of this fundamental band in the history of the Liverpool music scene. At present, we are also fortunate to hear about them on North American shores thanks to the power of the internet. ‘Restless Fate’ picks up where the band left off. At times shimmering, at times haunting, their melodic blend of progressive, alternative pop and sultry post-punk is just as relevant and captivating now as when they broke up in 1985. An exploration of man’s search for meaning and the dysfunction of the human condition, there is still a relentless optimism at the core of this record.
The Room earned the support of John Peel, with whom they recorded four sessions (Strange Fruit eventually released ‘The Peel Session’), an appearance on ‘The Whistle Test’ show, and production support from Television‘s Tom Verlaine and John Porter (Roxy Music, The Smiths, Billy Bragg, Microdisney) on their ‘In Evil Hour’ LP (1984). Recordings from their two sessions for Janice Long’s BBC Radio One programme and Saturday Live would be used for the band’s final release while together – the ‘Jackpot Jack’ EP (1985). In 2004, the LTM label released the ‘No Dream (Best Of)’ compilation, followed by the ‘Indoor Fireworks’ LP, recorded in 1982 and released via Red Flame Records in 2005.
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Past members include Robyn Oldlum, Clive Thomas, Alan Wills, Paul Cavanagh and Peter Baker. Having toured the UK and the USA, The Room has performed with The Fall, The Birthday Party, Bauhaus, Southern Death Cult, Violent Femmes, Tom Verlaine, John Foxx and The Red Guitars.
Following the band’s split, Becky and Dave went on to form several other bands: Benny Profane, Dust and Dead Cowboys. Dave has also recorded under his own name and, most recently, he issued a string of releases as The Room in the Wood (with Paul Cavanagh).
Once lockdown began, Dave and Becky reunited to record their new album under their original name, joined by guitarist Darren Brown, Becky’s son Ethan Kyme on keyboards and drummer Tom McCabe.
“It’s great to be working with Becky Stringer again and the infusion of new blood has produced an album we’re proud of. Live reaction to the new songs has been amazing. A recent trip to Manila to perform old songs by The Room with Filipino musicians at Sneak Attack was the first time I’d sung them since 1985. It’s great to revisit old stuff, but writing new songs as The Room is where the excitement really lies. New Dreams from an island cursed by Restless Fate,” says Dave Jackson.
“‘Sleepless’ is about addiction to media that keeps us on our phones and obsessed with trivia. ‘Red Admiral’ is a reflection on childhood with an implied murder mystery hidden in the picture. ‘Kingdom’ is an atheist’s hymn. ‘Crying Face’ is about a Facebook troll I know. ‘Bull in the Doorway’ is about the paintings of Francis Bacon. ‘Mirror World’ is an oblique response to misinformation in the media. ‘Cursed Islands’ is about an island off the coast of Napoli and also the redundant World Islands in Dubai. ‘Time Comes’ was another response to lockdown. ‘The Reeds’ is about a bereaved swan on Prince’s Park Lake.”
The ‘Restless Fate’ album is out now, available digitally across fine music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify andAmazon. It can also be obtained on CD and as a vinyl record via Liverpool-based 9×9 Records.
CREDITS
Written by Dave Jackson, Darren Brown, Becky Stringer, Ethan Kyme
Recorded at Ark Studios, Liverpool
Recorded and mixed by Steve Powell
Produced by Steve Powell and The Room
Dave Jackson – vocals
Becky Stringer -bass
Darren Brown – guitar
Ethan Kyme – keyboards
Tom McCabe – drums
Released on Liverpool’s 9×9 Records
‘The Drift’ video created by Mark Jordan
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