Kaiser Chiefs

Having recorded three albums in quick succession over the latter part of the noughties, the Kaiser Chiefs took a calculated gamble in 2009 - after playing one of their biggest shows to date at London’s Wembley Arena, they decided to regroup out of the spotlight with a now well documented self-imposed hiatus.

The rethink and withdrawal from the public eye led various members to embark on new ventures and saw Nick Hodgson and Simon Rix form Chewing Gum Records - primarily as a platform to release tracks by Hull quartet The Neat whilst Hodgson donned his production hat with The Vaccines alongside writing contributions for the likes of Dame Shirley Bassey, Mark Ronson and Duran Duran.

The recipient of various awards over the past seven years, amongst others; three Brits, Ivor Novello’s and other assorted accolades, the band have also generated in excess of six million album sales - including their debut chart topping soundtrack of 2005 ‘Employment’ - whilst cementing a worldwide reputation as a phenomenal live act: be it accompanying the likes of Green Day, Foo Fighters and U2 on worldwide tours, their two sold out shows at London’s Earls Court Arena at the close of 2007 or their historic hometown show at Leeds United’s Elland Road football ground at the close of the 2008 season.

Hodgson, meanwhile had spent some of the intervening period constructing a studio in the basement of the bands management offices, subsequently home to various new bands and utilised by the band as they worked on their return. 2011 witnessed that arrival in the shape of ‘The Future Is Medieval’.

Having been conceived sometime in 2010 the idea was devised to reinvigorate and embrace technology whilst bypassing the normal promotional avenues afforded artists both artistically and commercially. Released on a wave of excitement in the summer of last year, ‘The Future Is Medieval’ achieved Top 10 status - the band’s fourth Top 10 album in six years and saw them pick up Q’s ‘Innovation In Sound’ award and the ‘Best Artist Promotion’ award at BT Digital Awards 2011 along the way.

This year has seen the band undertake their biggest UK tour to date, appearances at this summer’s T-in-the–Park and Reading/Leeds Festivals penciled in, two Coachella Festivals shows and news of a new album ‘Souvenir’ : Singles Collection 2004-2012 in June.

A career spanning collection overseeing their singles CV from 2004-2012, the sixteen track ‘Souvenir’ collates the band’s extensive and successful singles career to date and includes no less than six Top Ten hits, numerous airplay successes and the No 1 single ‘Ruby’.

Kaiser Chiefs – past masters of writing the classic British 45 …