And the Hello and thanks for joining us for episode 224 of soda jaker songwriting. I'm Brian O'Connor and

I'm Simon Barber and our guest today is a Welsh singer and songwriter who for

over 25 years has served as frontman lead guitarist and principal songwriter of Stereophonics.

Emerging in the late 90s at the tail end of the Britpop era and powered by our guests

formidable songwriting and distinctive gravelly voice, Stereophonics have sold over 10 million albums,

notched seven number one albums, five of those consecutively,

mined, and 11 top 10 singles.

As this episode reaches you, they recently dropped their 12th studio album, Uche,

recorded in just seven days and produced with frequent collaborators Jim Lowe and George

Rachuleus.

We're delighted to welcome the fantastic Kelly Jones to the podcast.

Kelly was born in 1974 in the former mining village of Comaman near Abadir.

His parents were both factory workers but Dad Arwin also pursued a singing career and was even

signed to Polydore at one point. Kelly not only sang and played guitar from an early age but

also boxed competitively as a youngster, so whatever you do don't spill his pint.

He was also a promising footballer too. He was already making up his own tunes before he'd hit double figures

and played his first proper gig in 1987 in a local working men's club.

By 16 he was writing songs like they were going out of fashion, often while working his day job

on a fruit and veg stall at Aberdeen Market.

Kelly enrolled at Art college when he was 18

where he was able to further explore and indulge his creative urges which weren't

just limited to music worthy. No he had designs on being a screenwriter too at one point.

...