Tim Geaney*
“I wanted to give [her] something more than a nice place setting of china,” Louris says of the latest offering from his upcoming solo record

After years of exploring tangled heartbreak, Jayhawks singer-songwriter Gary Louris has written the most straightforward love song of his career. “Follow,” the latest offering from the singer-songwriter’s upcoming solo album, began as a wedding gift for Louris’ niece and her husband.

“I wanted to give them something more than a nice place setting of china,” Louris tells Rolling Stone. “‘Follow’ has always been an unabashedly full-on love song. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Home only where you are/won’t you take my arm and just follow?” Louris sings in his trademark roots-pop croon.

“It is a song of commitment, of partnership,” he says, “and a realization of when two people have that magical bond that cannot truly be explained in words.”

Since writing the song, however, “Follow” has taken on a new personal significance for Louris, one that shines through in the song’s music video, which features Louris and his wife Stephanie lovebirding around in the woods.

 

“It has become ‘our’ song,” Louris says. “Steph and I have that magical connection spoken of in the song…I feel like this song was written about her from day one, even though I did not know her when I first put pen to paper.”

Louris’ second-ever solo album, Jump For Joy, will be released on June 4th.

Today, the legendary Stereophonics share the music video for their latest single ‘There’s Always Gonna Be Something’, the first instalment from their forthcoming album ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait, watch it here.’. Due for release on 25th April 2025 via EMI.

Set against the backdrop of Hampshire’s Broadlands Estate, the video for ‘There’s Always Gonna Be Something’ sees the band united, as they play together in the estate’s Orangery and grounds. The video was filmed in infrared to reveal a stunning pink tinged world.

With three decades and a wealth of record-breaking achievements under their belts, including 8 number 1 albums, Stereophonics have earned their status and respect amongst their fans, peers and artists from across the musical generations, ranging from Bob Dylan to David Bowie to Dua Lipa. In 2025, the band mark their anticipated return with ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’, a tight and heavy-hitting eight track record. Written and recorded in London, it is an album devoid of any fat or filler. It is at once clean and precise. Hopeful and joyous. It does what it says on the cover. You Laugh, You Cry, You Wait.

As with previous album artwork, Kelly has gravitated towards different art forms to influence the project's aesthetic, whether that be paintings, books or films. For “Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait”, it was a similar process, Kelly recounts.

“I went to New York, I visited some galleries, I saw ‘ART IS A GUARANTY OF SANITY’, a painting by Louise Bourgeois. She believed art was a form of mental healing and a way to process difficult emotions. The spelling caught me first, then the simplicity of the words etched onto a pink tile. So I tried scratching my title, inspired by my own art school teacher thirty years ago. And I loved it. I loved the simplicity of the pink. The pink album was born”.

With a world tour imminent this year which has already seen the band sell over 300,000 tickets, as well as play some of their biggest shows around the world to date, the band continue to cement their position as one of our most enduring and loved bands. Their knack for blending rock sensibilities with soaring melodies keeps their sound vital, while Kelly Jones’ ever-introspective lyrics continue to resonate with each passing year.

Stereophonics have never been content to rest on their laurels, and this year’s performances promise to be some of their most dynamic yet.

‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’ Tracklist:
Make It On Your Own
There’s Always Gonna Be Something
Seems Like You Don’t Know Me
Colours Of October
Eyes Too Big For My Belly
Mary Is A Singer
Backroom Boys
Feeling Of Falling We Crave

Stereophonics Live Dates:
Mar 21, 2025 Théâtre Beanfield, Montreal, QC
Mar 22, 2025 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON
Mar 23, 2025 Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
Mar 25, 2025 Brooklyn Paramount Theater, New York, NY
Mar 26, 202 House of Blues Boston, Boston, MA
Mar 28, 2025 Lincoln Theatre, Washington, DC
Mar 29, 2025 Agora Theatre and Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
Mar 30, 2025 The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL
Apr 2, 2025 Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, BC
Apr 3, 2025 Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WA
Apr 4, 2025 McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
Apr 6, 2025 The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
Apr 8, 2025 The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA
Apr 9, 2025 Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, San Diego, CA
Apr 11, 2025 Teatro Metropolitan, Mexico City, Mexico
Apr 28, 2025 Cirque Royal, Brussels, Belgium
Apr 29, 2025 Zenith La Villette, Paris, France
Apr 30, 2025 AFAS Live, Amsterdam, Netherlands
May 2, 2025 Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
May 3, 2025 Uber Eats Music Hall, Berlin, Germany
May 5, 2025 TonHalle München, Munich, Germany
May 6, 2025 Live Music Hall, Cologne, Germany
May 8, 2025 X-TRA, Zürich, Switzerland
May 9, 2025 Transbordeur, Lyon, France
May 11, 2025 Sala La Riviera, Madrid, Spain
May 12, 2025 Razzmatazz, Barcelona, Spain
May 14, 2025 Alcatraz, Milan, Italy
May 25, 2025 Neighbourhood Weekender, Warrington, England
May 30, 2025 Vestrock Festival, Hulst, Netherlands
May 31, 2025 Dauwpop Festival, Hellendoorn, Netherlands
Jun 5, 2025 Belsonic, Belfast, UK
Jun 6, 2025 St. Anne's Park, Dublin, Ireland
Jun 7, 2025 Virgin Media Park, Cork, Ireland
Jun 14, 2025 The John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield, UK
Jun 21, 2025 Isle of Wight Festival, Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight
Jun 28, 2025 Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, UK
Jul 4, 2025 Finsbury Park, London, UK
Jul 11, 2025 Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UK
Jul 12, 2025 Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UK
Aug 16, 2025, Sandringham Estate, Norfolk, UK

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