After all the rumors and Instagram posts, the wait, it seems, is over. “Just Another Rainbow”, the first single from “Manc Indie Supergroup” Liam Gallagher and John Squire will drop on January 5, 2024, with “more new music to follow.”
The announcement came via social media and a press release on December 21. The guitarist and singer both uploaded identical videos to their Instagram pages, showing vintage clips of each of them, followed by a short burst of the new single, in which the former Stone Roses guitarist’s instantly-recognizable psychedelic-tinged guitar dominates.
“I got a call from John saying that he was writing songs again and would I like to get involved,” says Liam on the video. “I said as long as there’s lots of guitars on it, I’m in. I was planning on taking a year out after Knebworth, but when rock ‘n’ roll calls, you gotta pick up the phone.”
Squire adds: “Liam Gallagher is one of the all-time great rock ‘n’ roll voices. I put him in the same class as Dylan, Lennon, Jagger and Rotten.”
Listen to a snippet of “Just Another Rainbow” below.
In a press release accompanying the social media posts, both men talk about the influence each has been on the other – as well as the new music they have made together.
“Everyone always bangs on about him as a guitarist, but he’s a top songwriter too, man, no two ways about it as far as I’m concerned,” said Gallagher. “There’s not enough of his music out there, whether it’s with the Roses or himself. It’s good to see him back writing songs and f***ing good ones.
“The melodies are mega and then the guitars are a given. But I think even when you take all the f***ing guitars off, you can play the songs all on acoustic and they’ll all still blow your mind.”
As well as the “passion, personality and utmost conviction” the former Oasis frontman brings to their first single together, Squire describes the track as “uplifting”.
“I don’t like to explain songs, I think that’s the privilege of the listener, it’s whatever you want it to be,” he said. “To me, the most obvious take on ‘Just Another Rainbow’ is that it’s about disappointment, and the sentiment is that you never get what you really want… [but] it’s also one of the most uplifting tracks we’ve made together.”
John Squire has been described by Gallagher as "the best guitarist of his generation".
Gallagher has previously spoken about the role the Stone Roses had on him wanting to form a band, describing their music as “another dimension”.
“I remember our kid having ‘Sally Cinnamon’, but it was ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ that first got me,” Liam told NME Gold, as reported in 2017.
“That music was like another dimension. I remember seeing them at Blackpool, Spike Island, and it was just… you look back and nothing will ever compare to it.”
The pair first met in 1993 when Oasis and the Stone Roses were both recording in Wales on what would become Definitely Maybe and The Second Coming… but it was not until the guitarist joined Gallagher at his 2022 Knebworth Shows to play “Champagne Supernova” that speculation grew of a collaboration. Liam later tweeted “Super group incoming LG JS”.
Rumors grew in October this year, when Gallagher replied to a question on X (formerly known as Twitter) with a picture of the pair together and the message: “It’s the best record since Revolver”, and in December a website appeared confirming they had teamed up. Visitors to gallaghersquire.com are now met with artwork from “Just Another Rainbow” and a link to pre-order a limited 7” single.
Liam Gallagher and John Squire's debut single will be released on January 5, 2024.
It has now been confirmed that following the 2022 Knebworth shows, Squire sent Gallagher three new songs to work on, before they began to formally write together – first in Squire’s Macclesfield studio, and then over three weeks in Los Angeles. Those sessions were produced by Greg Kurstin, who has previously worked with the Foo Fighters and Adele and also plays bass on the record, with drummer Joey Waronker (who has played for Beck and R.E.M.) completing the band line-up.
Perhaps most excitingly for fans, the press release also confirmed that “there will be much more new music to come – and there could well be shows, too”. Secret Glastonbury appearance, anyone?
The Gallagher/Squire collaboration promises more new music... "and there could well be shows too."
