The New Music

No surprise here, The Verve have broken up for the third time. And this time it’s for good. Okay, who knows really.

According to the Guardian, the “northern souls” haven’t spoken since last summer, when they played the V Festival in England. Guitarist Nick McCabe and bassist Simon Jones are said to be no longer talking to singer Richard Ashcroft.

Back in April, McCabe blogged on MySpace about the band’s communication breakdown. He wrote: “The Verve seem to be on holiday and show no sign of not being on holiday. I’ve been hesitant to breach Official Secrets-style policy with any missives from the, well, from any front, basically. [But] don’t ask me anything about the big V.”

Following the V appearance, the band apparently held a “crisis meeting” to discuss their future, primarily McCabe’s drinking problem.

A source close to members of The Verve told UK paper the Sunday Mirror that “as far as Nick and Simon are concerned the Verve no longer exists. They think Richard was just using the reunion as a vehicle to get his solo career on track.”

Judging by the lacklustre response to their lacklustre reunion album, Forth, it appears Ashcroft’s plans have failed him.

But it appears McCabe and Jones could have the last laugh, having already formed a new band under the name The Black Ships. Featuring Davide Rossi, violinist for Goldfrapp, and a drummer named Mig Shallice, they’re currently working on a debut album that is said to be full of “Krautrock-style excursions … and maybe, just maybe, the killer pop record we’re toying with making.”

Tags: the verve

Posted on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 12:52 pm by Cam and is filed under News.

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