HOME      EXCLUSIVES    FEATURES    MOVIES    REVIEWS    CONTESTS    TALK TO US    SUBSCRIBE  Band members: James Walsh - singer James Stelfox - bass Barry Westhead – keyboard Ben Byrne – drums All About: Starsailor’s eagerly awaited second album, ‘Silence Is Easy’, is an album of revelation, both musically and personally. But the journey has not been easy. Thrust from a run-of-the mill life working in off-licenses, funeral homes and call-centres in Lancashire to selling a million albums in just a few short months, there’s bound to be a period of adjustment. Principle songwriter, James Walsh, knew that when the touring ended in Spring 2002 the pressure would be on to at least match his first batch of songs. Could he do it? He wasn’t sure. "We had a couple of songs ready for the new album at the end of the last tour,” he says, “but there was a period when I wasn’t sure what was going to come next. There’s that bit after your first album when you think, ‘we haven’t got any more songs!’.” But we realised that we were doing something satisfying, we weren’t working in a factory or struggling to get a deal. We were in the band that we’d always wanted to be in and we just got on with it” It was this realisation that spurred the group onto the album’s defining song, the title track ‘Silence Is Easy’. Soon songs of a similarly personal nature were piling up; songs informed by the birth of James’ daughter Niamh, songs about love and identity. “The last album was written from the perspective of four people who had shit jobs and went to the same pub every week, so it was very aspirational. Now three of us have our own places, I have a baby, we’ve all been around the world and the songs draw on our experiences.” Another defining moment in the songwriting phase was when James delivered ‘Music Was Saved’, a great tub-thumping, anthemic rallying call. “When I heard that” says bassist James Stelfox, “My head nearly came off! I thought, ‘Right, this is special.’” Pretty much what everyone else is saying about them too! Did you know: • Before the band took off James Walsh could be found busking Oasis songs or singing songs at family get-togethers. • James Stelfox is the bands oldest member and had been playing bass with drummer Ben Byrne for over 10 years. • Keyboardist Barry used to play for weddings, funarals and worked at a crematorium. He was also taught piano, organ and keyboards and had just taken up Tai Chi, but stopped it so he could join the band. You can read the complete special feature in the February 2004 issue of The Record Music Magazine available at your local newsagent. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: The Record has been around since 1998. Do you have every issue of your favourite magazine? to order back issues Would you like to have your favourite music magazine delivered directly to your doorstep? Website: Thrillpill Design © THE RECORD MUSIC MAGAZINE. All Rights Reserved.