Kula Shaker announce first album with original line-up since 1998

19 December 2023, 16:30 | Written by Tyler Damara Kelly

(News)

(Kula Shaker)

English psych-rock band Kula Shaker have announced their forthcoming seventh album, Natural Magik, as the first with their original lineup in almost three decades.

“This chapter in the band’s life is very much driven by live energy and that spiritual connection with the audiences which comes with it,” explains Crispian Mills of the band’s approach to the sound of the album. “We all agreed to make this album a Kula Shaker fan’s dream. It was very similar to the way we recorded K, back when we only had half an hour to blow people away, and recording much of it in-between shows while touring.”

The new album heralds the return of keyboard playerJay Darlington from a decade with Oasis and various Gallaghers, therefore reuniting all four members of the band’s classic line-up (Crispian Mills: guitar/vocals; Jay Darlington: Hammond organ/keys; Alonza Bevan: bass; Paul Winter-Hart: drums).

“It was one of those fortuitous moments of synchronicity,” says Crispian, “When we first reformed in 2007, Jay was still in Oasis, but at the end of last year the intertwining paths of fate brought us back together. Also, around the same time, our original management team of Kev Nixon (who also co-produced the album with Crispian and Alonza) and Sarah Clayman took over again and so we’ve got the whole crew back together from when we made (multi-platinum-selling debut album) K. There’s an excitement and momentum you feed off in these situations. Two days after Jay did his first official gig back with us at Shepherd’s Bush Empire last December, we were in the studio recording new songs.”

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