A comeback band will headline Manchester’s Deaf Institute after a decade apart.
The London-based band iC1s will return to Manchester to perform their debut album after they first performed there 13 years ago.
The five-piece is made up of Daniel Coburn (vocals), Jesse James (guitars), John Campbell (guitars), Jacob Osman (bass), and Andy Faulkner (drums).
The group first formed in 2010 but then split in 2014 before they could release an album.
Their debut album title What Took You So Long? is a purposefully ironic title that reflects the ten years the band spent apart.
They performed live for the first time after ten years to a sold-out crowd at Camden Assembly, but now it’s the north’s turn to hear what the reformed band has to offer.
After the release of their album, they have released two singles: Outta Reach and That Was Then, which really solidify the band’s sound.
I asked them a few questions ahead of their headline gig to see how their past has helped shape them and their music, as well as their thoughts towards their show.
What were some key events that would help people to understand the band’s journey?
Daniel: We started our journey over ten years ago now – just playing little pubs and venues. As we got more established, the gigs got bigger and we were playing with bands like Stereophonics, The Charlatans, Inspiral Carpets, Ocean Colour Scene and DMAs to name a few – but it all went to sh*t and we split up just whilst we were on the cusp of bigger things.
What other artists/ bands would you most associate yourselves with? Who do you think would like your music the most?
Daniel: We’ve been described as “post Britpop”. That’s probably fair. I don’t think we sound like other bands, but you’ll definitely hear Oasis influence along with The Beatles, Nirvana and Kings Of Leon. But maybe you can tell us after the show in May
Jesse: We have a really broad range of influences. There’s a lot of Soul and Punk too. Even classical! I’ll be listening to the radio in the back of a taxi and be thinking “I like that chord progression – I want to write something like that”. So it comes from everywhere.
Can you explain what led to the band’s disbandment, especially for so long?
Daniel: That’s how long it takes to forgive me. Nah, you could say it was bad decisions on our part on who we got in to manage us and from there it all fell apart really.
Jesse: We’d been working so hard to move up to the ranks and I think everything just hit the fan at once and we imploded. A few members left and it was time to let it go.
What do you think brought you back together?
Daniel: Well, it certainly wasn’t the promise of riches. I just think we all missed it and there’s an element of unfinished business about it too. That was certainly the case for me.
Jesse: I didn’t think we’d ever reform, so I was surprised to be the orchestrator of the reunion. I’d started writing songs and sent one to Dan – he wrote and returned the lyrics overnight. I remember waking up and telling my girlfriend at the time that I think that band might end up getting back together. It’s funny because I was excited, but I was also like “Oh god, here we go again”.
How was getting back into the studio to record Don’t Change and Talking in Silence together after so long?
Daniel: It just felt normal really. Just 2 days of taking the p*ss out of each other. We must have enjoyed it as a couple months later we went in again and recorded the album. Now that was a whole week of taking the p*ss out of each other.
Jesse: It was quite natural really. It’s amazing how despite that time away – we still functioned as normal as a band. Those songs had been around since back in the day, so the process was easy and the response was great – especially to ‘Don’t Change’ – I think it’s our second most popular track on Spotify behind ‘Wack Jack’.
How did you feel at The Camden Assembly gig? To be performing live together again after a decade?
Daniel: That seems a while ago now as we’ve played a lot since then, but maybe that’s your answer – what was meant to be a one-off show has turned into us playing regularly again – which has led us back to Manchester.
Jesse: We actually recorded the whole performance. Our producer mixed and mastered the recording, and I was listening to it one morning a month or so after and it baffled me – that we get to do that, that we can do it so well and that people like it. It was a real moment of appreciation of what we have.
Do you feel as though there’s a sense of maturity you bring to the band now that was perhaps less in the past?
Daniel: I think maturity would be a bit of a push. We’ve definitely learned a lot of lessons and some of the lads have had kids and all that, which I find incredibly worrying considering some of the situations I’ve seen these guys in.
Jesse: I think we know from experience what we need to do to keep the band from imploding again. We’re not the same people we were back then, so some of that’s easy. However, there are times when you have to reel it, for sure.
How does it feel to finally have the album out?
Jesse: It’s great to have that body of music out there forever after 10 years of regret that we never did. When we meet fans at a show and we sign copies of the record, I always think “F*ck, this is the coolest thing”. Not the signature, just looking at the record itself and being like “We made that”. I should imagine it’s what having kids is like. So, I’ve started showing people a copy of the album when they show me pictures of their kids.
Daniel: It’s a great personal achievement to finally get that out after all this time. It took 10 years to get to that point and now we’re working on album number two. Which we think is shaping up to be even better than the first – which you may find an absurd thing to say but it’s true. We are cooking!
Were there any key events/ideas that were a huge inspiration for the album?
Daniel: Not really. The album is a combination of songs from what would’ve been two albums for us back then. We just voted on the best ones and made one album. I think it captures what we were about back then but at the same time it’s very now and I think in another ten years, it will still be relevant.
Jesse: It’s the story of that time – the songs we wrote, the people we know, the relationships. It’s like a time capsule for 2010 – 2014. The album title wrote itself in that way.
What are your favourite song(s) on the album and why?
Daniel: I’ve always said ‘Levitate’ when asked this question; mainly because it’s an absolute banger. But I do love ‘If You Don’t Like It You Know Where The Door Is’ as it was one of the very first songs I wrote for the band.
Jesse: ‘Growing Up Going Down’ will always be my favourite song from that period. It’s great to play live and the lyrics resonate with people at all stages of their lives.
What were your thoughts and feelings opening for bands such as Inspiral Carpets recently?
Daniel: It’s a weird one as one of the last things we did before we split was support Inspirals and then one of first things we did on our return was support Inspirals. We just picked up where we left off really.
Jesse: I’ve spoken about this a fair amount on some podcasts. These ‘legacy’ bands – for want of a better word, are the reason why we are where we are. If Noel Gallagher hadn’t had roadied for Inspirals, we wouldn’t have Oasis as we know it now. If we didn’t have Oasis, we wouldn’t have iC1s. You have to pay your dues to these bands – because they’re part of the genre’s DNA.
What are your feelings ahead of the Deaf Institute gig? It must feel different compared to the last time you performed there?
Daniel: I think it will have to be a lot tamer compared to the last time we were there, but I can’t wait for the show. I may be from London, but all my musical heroes are from Manchester – or the north in general, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Jesse: One of the most legendary nights in the band’s history was in Manchester. I think it was 2013 and we were on tour with The Family Rain. A Lot of things happened across that day and night. None of which it would be appropriate for me to mention here. But we’re looking forward to going back to such a cool city again. Manchester has always been kind to us.
Is there another album in the works?
Daniel: Yeah, I may have given that away earlier but honestly, it’s not close. We’ve got a lot of rehearsing to do but we are aiming to get it started in the summer
Jesse: Me and Dan have written a lot of it already – so we’re pulling in everyone else’s ideas now and from there we’ll have a body of work to choose from, which is pretty amazing.
Do you think you will go on a UK tour with this album or in the future with another?
Daniel: I think it’s something we all want to do and we’re hoping we will have something to announce very soon. We just want to concentrate on this Manchester show and give our all to that first.
Jesse: We’re working on some stuff in the background, but there’s something in the works that will get us back out on the road in the autumn. We’ve got everything crossed that it comes in.