Sometime in the past 12 months Razorlight’s Johnny Borrell took a long, unflinching look at himself in a mirror and saw Pete Doherty staring back. From such moments of clarity are great pop makeovers forged. No longer content to hawk pretty-boy Oasis pastiches, the sulky-looking Muswell Hill-ian, who embodies Razorlight even if he doesn’t write all of the music, has junked the bad-boy patois and cultivated his inner Bacharach.
“I can’t believe it’s taken us this fuckin’ long to get here,” says Johnny Borrell from the Olympia’s stage. And neither can we. On the eve of the release of their second album, Razorlight have finally made it to the capital for their debut Irish headliner.
Their Live 8 appearance has elevated Razorlight to rock's top table, and Johnny Borrell is loving every minute of it. Steve Cummins meets the outspoken frontman
Razorlight are one of the best bands in the world, or so reckons their dapper frontman Johnny Borrell. In an exclusive interview, he talks about heroin addiction, his troubled friendship with Pete Doherty and explains why Arctic Monkeys are also-rans.
Razorlight have catapulted to superstar status with their No. 1 single 'America'. As they prepare to wow Oxegen this weekend, we talk to mainman Johnny Borrell about cricket, saving the planet and dating Kirsten Dunst.
Anglo-Swedish indie rock’n’rollers Razorlight are on the verge of releasing their debut album. A catchy attack on mediocrity with vocals that linger in the head.
Not content with subjecting themselves to a journalistic probing by Peter Murphy which will appear in an upcoming Hot Press, Razorlight play an intimate Dublin Olympia date on November 26.
The Hot Press Singing Tent at Oxegen will host the likes of Paolo Nutini (pictured), Razorlight, The Virgins, Fun Lovin' Criminals, The Blizzards and more...
With a career-best new album under their belts, Razorlight's Johnny Borrell talks about bling, mid-career reinvention and Britain's battle with metrosexuality.
If you’ve heard the singles you’ve got a pretty good idea of what the album is like – rock tunes driven by staccato drums and three-chord guitar, delivered with plenty of attitude and passion.
She's worked with Keane, Razorlight and Bloc Party. But young video-maker Aoife McArdle's true inspiration are the elegantly gloomy movies of '40s Hollywood.
Belfast boys General Fiasco may be one of the standout acts on the Oh Yeah showcase CD, but when HP catches up with the band, they're feeling a little, um, overexposed.
The Amy Winehouse camp claim that media reports about her health are “overblown”, and that she has no plans to pull any of her live appearances, which include Oxegen in July.
On their latest LP Cork electro-rock champs Fred channel rustic vibes and hook up with Razorlight's wingman. The resulting album is their finest hour yet.
They may not fit neatly alongside the sensations currently pouring out of London, but fresh-faced English rockers Thirteen Senses are nonetheless still brewing up a storm on the UK indie scene.
There's good news for Arcade Fire fans who failed to get tickets for their Olympia Theatre shows, with the Canadians appearing at Oxegen in a bill that's taking shape nicely.
In a highly revealing interview, Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke talks about the inspiration behind one of the albums of the year, his current listening and the band's plans for the future.
He’s spent years trying to live down his bubble-gum pop days but, two decades after the event, former hearthrob Jason Donovan is finally going back to his roots.
As Joy Division, and then New Order, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris have been responsible for some of the most spellbinding, groundbreaking and downright brilliant music of the past twenty-five years. With their new album Waiting For The Sirens' Call in the top 10, the legendary trio here sound-off about the legions of bands they’ve influenced, Madchester, Ian Curtis, 24 Hour Party People, Bez, Gwen Stefani, and why they intend to continue their quest for sonic innovation for some time yet.
The Coronas were about a week into their 2008 American tour when they realised Colonel Kurtz was driving the bus. They can laugh about it now, oh yes. Sat around a table in the Library Bar on the eve of the release of their second album, the foursome – singer Danny O’Reilly, guitarist Dave McPhillips, bass player Graham Knox and drummer Conor Egan – are still young and hardy enough to take it in their stride.
As previously revealed on hotpress.com, The Killers will headline the Tennents Vital show in Belfast this August. Now organisers have confirmed support acts, as well as a change of venue.
After years of pushing the self- destruct button, Pete Doherty has proved his detractors wrong with a solo album that's on a par with anything he did with the Libertines.
Turning 30 has made Hot Press feel a bit geriatric, but we’re mere kids compared to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year.
With bands like New Order, Nine Inch Nails, Bauhaus and Snow Parol announced for the bill, this year's Coachella looks set to blast the Californian desert
The line-up for this year's Oxegen festival is getting bigger and better with the addition of many new Irish and international acts, including UK indie kids Editors.
Having graced the Closer soundtrack and made the cut for the OC’s illustrious collection, Damien Rice is doing very nicely out of compilations these days.
As exclusively revealed last month in Hot Press magazine, Ian Brown, The Prodigy and The Streets will headline the inaugural Hi-Fi Ireland boutique festival on August 5 and 6.
Is this what we’ve come to? That Dogs’ record company think their unique selling point is Kate Moss picking one of their tunes for a cosmetics ad? Rock ‘n’ roll is dead and its corpse is starting to stink.
Heralded britpoppers arrive with surprisingly nuanced debut, awash with yearning psych rock plaintive guitar chimes and lashings of damp-cheeked wistfulness.
Damien Rice and Snow Patrol have both been confirmed for the London leg of Al Gore’s Live Earth extravaganza, which takes place in multiple locations on July 7.
Just confirmed to play support for the 22-20's, Mainline are enjoying some major label attention. Plus: Derry band Red Organ Serpent Sound sign to Universal.
HOTPRESS is encouraging the real fans of music and sport to let us know who is ripping you off! Contact us on outatout@hotpress.ie or call (01) 241 1500 to tip us off. The fans must stand up and play their part in the Out A Tout campaign. The time for complaining is over. The time for action is now.
Like their incendiary live performances, the pace is nothing short of relentless over the course of the 43 minutes or so it takes Humanzi to slash and scorch their way through this 11-track debut.
Recorded in a day across various locations by a cast of 22, Help! A Day In The Life is the second WarChild album, the objective being to raise funds for child victims of global conflict.
In the first installment of Hot Press' Oxegen coverage, Phil Udell, Steve Cummins and John Walshe pick out their personal favourites of the weekend. This Thursday's Hot Press will feature extended coverage from Kim Porcelli & Ed Power as well as more exclusive photos from Liam Sweeney, Graham Keogh & Andrew Duffy - PLUS the Phantom reports from backstage!
Online Gallery Of Live Shots Here
The Oxegen bill has just become even tastier with ten new acts being confirmed for Punchestown.
These are Razorlight, Elbow, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Pete Doherty, The Ting Tings, White Lies, Fight Like Apes, Jason Mraz, Pendulum and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Think you've got them all right? Or maybe you fancy a sneaky peak (you're only cheating yourself you know!). Either way, you've got the questions – we've got the answers....
