Song Stories: Royal Blood: Typhoons

Three albums in Royal Blood headed in a new direction. The Brighton duo's appeal and brilliance was centered around two elements, Bass and Drums. It saw the band release two brilliant albums and become one of the biggest bands in Britain. Moving further up the bill at festivals, supporting Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters and making the jump into arenas. 

With album number three though, they mixed things up a little. The album had more of a shimmer than the previous two efforts. Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher became more transparent in more ways than one, they were more explicit with their influences and in particular their lyrics. Frontman Mike Kerr found himself burned out from a life of rock’n’roll excess, with all the shame and regret that comes with it. He started on the long and difficult road to living without drink or drugs. 

He told the NME that “without sobriety, this album or this band wouldn’t exist”. Kerr bares his thoughts and feelings bare, on the albums title track 'Typhoons' with a vivid picture being painted: “Because all these chemicals dancing through my veins, they don’t kill the cause – they just numb the pain” whilst being backed up by a feral dance rock beat. 

This is still firmly Royal Blood, but it feels different, more sleek more chic, dare I say it more universal. Royal Blood weren't trying to be the saviours of rock anymore they instead wanted to lead us to the dancefloor. 

The band broke down barriers that they had set themselves, and let a little light in. By doing this the result was a bold leap forward. It's an album that sees the band party in terms of the music they are creating. Whilst reigning in their rock n roll excess. 

Without the rock n roll excesses, the band loosened up and went into the studio first with Josh Homme, where they would record 'Boilermaker'. That was the catalyst for 'Typhoons.' 

“Looking back, it was a really pivotal moment,” says Kerr. “I got sober that week and ‘Boilermaker’ was the first thing we tracked for the record, but we also walked out of that session with the bar raised really high. I said, ‘I’ve only just got sober so I need to go sort my shit out, but when we come back we’ve got to match this’.”

Embracing a new sound saw Kerr embrace a new style of songwriting, his vulnerabilities were laid out. Not just on the title track but also on 'Limbo' which tackled the after effects of his drinking and drug taking, wake up every morning, almost surprised I survived”.

It's one of the most important moments within the bands discography. This song and album opened Royal Blood up to a whole new audience, and it also reinforced them as one of Britain's most important guitar bands. 

Thank you for reading 

Jack