After what feels like an age, Fearne are back with a sparkling 6-track EP hot off the press and a brand new line-up. The self-titled EP has been hotly anticipated amongst fans, since 2007’s stunning debut album Colour In A World of Grey. And what better way to showcase this new release than to hold the launch party at Mr Kyps? Whilst Nion Abeo and Wildfire warmed up the expectant crowd, I caught up with the band ahead of the EP’s launch. “I’m feeling really good about this EP,” expressed front man Alex Bedrijczuk. “We’re really proud of it and just want to get out there and play it for our fans.”

New drummer, Darren Barret, has been with the band since January and I was curious to find out how he was settling in, “Darren is a true professional,” continued Alex. “He came to the audition having already learnt all of our songs. We were suitably impressed. And when it came to recording the EP, his drum sections were recorded straight off – it took longer to mic him up then it did for him to play.”

So speaking of the EP, the launch is a great event for Fearne. Guitarist Adam Pulfer gave me an insight into how rehearsals had been going. “We normally only rehearse once a week,” he confessed, “but these last few weeks we’ve practised until we simply couldn’t play anymore. We’re really looking forward to tonight.”

The energy and enthusiasm of the band is infectious, and as I made my way through the crowd I couldn’t wait for the set to begin. As the anthemic ‘Sun Is Coming’ opened the set, I immediately felt that peaceful reassurance of a band who have been together for years, such was the tightness and quality of sound.

As song two, ‘Closer’ began, the crowd let the band know their intentions with unified singing and appreciative cheering. The set continued displaying new songs ‘Alive’, ‘Weigh Me In’ and ‘Throw a Stone’, resplendent with Nick Bryson’s throbbing bass. If the reaction of the audience is anything to go by, these are already set to become Fearne classics. But as classic tracks go, ‘Green Eyeshadow’ takes some beating. True to form, the band totally wowed the crowd, which contained a hardcore contingent indeed sporting green eyeshadow! The seamless transition of ‘Green Eyeshadow’ into the rocking ‘Numbers’ served to perfectly highlight the polished perfection of this tight set. The Fearne boys can rest assured that all those long hours rehearsing were well worth it.

As the beautiful ‘Lily’ began, the crowd were suitably vociferous. The layering effect of Adam, Alex and Nick’s vocals on the repeated lines “Stop, stop, stop; I’ll stop staring at you” was satisfying in the extreme. Fearne’s cover of Jamie T’s ‘Sheila’, with Adam on lead vocals, was a stroke of genius. Adam’s voice suited the cheeky chappy track to perfection and I personally preferred this version to the original. The main set ended with the bouncy ‘Weigh Me In’; the crowd enthusiastically clapping along to the thumping drum climax, superbly delivered by newest member Darren. There was a look of sheer delight on Alex’s face as he exclaimed, “This honestly might be the best night of my life!” And with an atmosphere of such electricity, it’s not hard to see why.

The band left the stage briefly, before Alex returned alone to perform a beautiful solo version of new track ‘Sophie’. This beautiful love song is my personal favourite off the new EP and has even more heart and feeling when performed live. Whilst playing the final chords, Alex walked off stage to bring the rest of the band back on. ‘Throw A Stone’, ‘Bang Bang’ and ‘Half Of You’ provided a highly energetic and satisfying encore. As Alex coyly asked, “Shall we do this again another time?” the crowd screamed their agreement in response.

A second encore ended the set with the crowd-rousing, Fearne-special, Craig David/Will Smith megamix!! This has to be heard to be believed, but trust me, this spectacle is pure genius and ensured Fearne had every last audience member wrapped around their little fingers. Thanking the crowd the band looked so humbled and grateful, yet they deserved every last cheer and applause; the Fearne boys work hard and really put on an amazing show. With a launch gig as superb as this and an EP perfect for a summer BBQ with friends, 2010 is set to be Fearne’s year.

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