Feeder just might be the most savagely overlooked band of the Britpop era.
When Oasis and Blur were duking it out on the charts, and Jarvis Cocker was wiggling his butt in the direction of Michael Jackson at the BRIT Awards, the Welsh indie rock band was quietly kicking goals.
Not the flashy stuff, but serious, consistent strikes.
The numbers tell part of the story. Eleven Feeder albums have impacted the top 10 on the Official UK Albums Chart, including their most recent set, 2024’s Black/Red, a double album that peaked at No. 8.
Two of those titles narrowly missed out on the top spot: 2005’s Pushing The Senses and 2006’s career retrospective The Singles, both of which reached No. 2.
Also, 20 Feeder songs have made their way into the UK top 40, including top 10 entries for 2001’s “Buck Rogers” (No. 5), 2003’s “Just The Way I’m Feeling” (No. 10) and 2005’s “Tumble And Fall”.
The lads have landed in Australia for a national tour that starts Saturday, April 5th at Perth’s The Rosemount. Expect a mix of those classic Feeder anthems and some Black/Red album cuts, singer, songwriter and guitarist Grant Nicholas tells Tone Deaf.
“We are tweaking the set as we go along and alternating a few songs here and there,” he explains. “There are definitely some heavier Feeder moments in the set as well as the more anthemic and indie rock bouncy stuff.”
Formed in Newport in 1994 by Nicholas, bass player Taka Hirose and late drummer Jon Lee, Feeder has stayed true to their independent roots since day nought.
Staying in the indie lane has “maybe given us more freedom to make the music we like and have a bit more artistic control of how that’s done and presented,” Nicholas explains. “I do however think some of our albums could maybe have done better with a major label push behind them and bigger platform. I definitely feel we’ve not compromised our music over the years and it’s always been about the songs rather than the trends and hype for us”.
Perhaps a major would’ve help convert those hits into No. 1s, though 20 million-plus worldwide sales suggests they’re doing just fine.
Nicholas and Hirose will go coast to coast in support of Black/Red, their 12th studio effort. Dates follow in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and wrap-up Friday, April 11th at Brisbane’s The Triffid.
Will the lads return to the studio for a lucky 13th album anytime soon? Yes and no. “We already have an album worth of material ready from all the stuff left over from the Torpedo and Black/Red recordings and I’ve also written some more songs over the past month or so, to add to these”, Nicholas confirms. “The next album will probably be a slightly different vibe to the previous two, but still undeniably Feeder.”
The next step, however, is to re-release the 2002 LP Comfort in Sound this September and complete a small UK jaunt of six exclusive shows. The album has been re-mastered for a limited-edition coloured vinyl and the CD format is accompanied with a bonus disc, that houses 13 extra tracks. Those include a re-worked “Godzilla”, titled “Godzilla 2”, Nicholas explains, plus bonus tracks from the original album release, as well as all the b-sides from that era and three orchestral, stripped-back mixes of some of the album tracks.
All of that is to come. For now, Nicholas and Hirose are amped for another Australia run, and some winter sun.
The extra-curricular action “depends on our time frame and travel schedule as it’s pretty full-on. The overall plan is to enjoy the great food and sites and hopefully soak up some good weather”, he enthuses. “The vibe in Australia feels super relaxed and friendly as always.”
Feeder 2025 Australian Tour Dates
Saturday, April 5: The Rosemount, Perth (supported by Death By Denim)
Sunday, April 6: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide (supported by Sunsick Daisy)
Wednesday, April 9: 170 Russell, Melbourne (supported by Pisco Sour)
Thursday, April 10: Manning Bar, Sydney (supported by Satin Cali)
Friday, April 11: The Triffid, Brisbane (supported by Dopamine)
Tickets from ThePhoenix.au
