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Friday, November 14, 2008, 07:30
DESPITE Mercury Prize and Brit Award nominations, it was probably a combination of a Peugeot TV ad and Amy Winehouse that made The Zutons a household name.
The Liverpool band's debut album Who Killed The Zutons?, released in 2004, was a slow-burner that peaked in the charts a year after its release and earned them that Mercury nod of approval and a Brit Best British Breakthrough Act nomination.
That got the attention of the real music fans but when Peugeot used the track Confusion for a memorable ad for its 307 model, the nation started humming Zutons songs.
"When the album came out it stuck around 50,000 sales," says the band's bassist Russell Pritchard. "Then we got the Mercury nomination and the telly ad took it on several levels. It was all good really and we are not adverse to doing commercials or anything like that. It was a bit of luck and it was a good album and the song got into people's heads."
The Zuton's second album, Tired of Hanging Around, came out in 2006 and they scored a Top 10 hit with their single Valerie. Amy Winehouse loved the song so much that she recorded it with Mark Ronson and Valerie not only charted again but became one of the best selling tracks of the year.
"They just asked if they could do a cover of it," says Russell. "Amy had already done it on the Live Lounge in a different style which was really good and we all liked that. It was obvious she really liked the song, she was very genuine. It just shows the song is a good one, especially as it was a big hit twice in year and I don't think that usually happens unless it's a quirky version like Mike Flowers' Wonderwall.
"It was kind of odd but good as well. I first saw the video on Channel 4 late one night and it seemed kind of funny: strange someone else doing what we had done and done so successfully."
This year The Zutons returned with their third album You Can Do Anything and a new lead guitarist, Paul Molloy,
Russell says: "It was a bigger thing than we anticipated changing the guitarist and the band had to settle down again. It took nearly a year for things to gel even though Paul was always a part of the band from the start.
"Every band that lasts, every good band, has to evolve, has to change and try different things. You can't be safe but have to push the band."
In the summer, The Zutons played in the UK's forests in a series of seven outdoor festivals,
"We knew Paul Weller and Pulp had done the forest thing and it always sounded interesting," says Russell. "We were worried about the weather because it was not so good this year. If it has been raining all day people have to stand in a muddy field for four hours but we only had one bad weather day and a good showing at all of them."
Now the Zutons are set for an autumn tour of their own with a date in Derby on Monday.
Russell says: "It's really exciting as we haven't had a chance to tour this album yet. We played the singles and a couple of album tracks at the festivals but in Derby we will play more off the album as well as all the old ones.
"It's much more your show when you are on tour on your own as opposed to a festival."
Now firmly established, The Zutons have come along way since emerging from the thriving Liverpool scene of the early millennium.
"That scene is dead. It came and went pretty quickly," says Russell. "It was The Coral, The Bandits and The Stands and before it got national exposure also The Big Kids, a band me and Sean (fellow Zuton Sean Payne) were in.
"That was a really good time in Liverpool and for all of us personally as we were all the same age. But once we all got deals we moved our separate ways and now it feels quite a long time ago."
The Zutons, Derby Assemby Rooms, Monday, November 17. Tickets £20. Call 01332 255800.
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