The wonder stuff

Nobody said it was gonna be easy, and the Charlatans have certainly had their trials, tragedy and tribulations since their emergence from the Madchester scene in the early '90's, with their distinctive mix of energetic baggy, psychedelic rock and modish sensibility. The past decade has seen their death of their keyboardist Rob Collins and some serious financial hiccups as well as huge commercial and critical success, but their new album Wonderland sees a return to the driving positive Charlatans sound, which they modestly describe as 'upbeat'.

Also forthcoming from the Charlatans is 'Songs From the Other Side,' an album of B-sides, dating from 1990-1997, which is due for release in the U.S. on May 7th, and in Europe on May 20th.

Check out our video interview with Tim and Mark, on the eve of an Irish tour to coincide with the new single 'You're So Pretty, We're So Pretty'. If you've got tickets for the shows you're amongst the more fortunate - their first Ambassador show in Dublin on February 13th has long been sold out, with tickets for shows in The Ambassador on the 14th and Belfast's Waterfront Hall on the 15th in increasingly short supply.

A tousled-haired urchin, suppin' pints and tellin' stories, Tim Burgess gives us the best of his short-attention span as he fidgets his way through our exclusive video interview.

Click below on the part you want to watch:

PART ONE 'A man needs to be told '... all about working with legendary producer and pedal steel guitarist Daniel Lanois. good quality high quality

PART TWO 'We don't imitate, we emulate' - on Tim's falsetto, acid house, and the symbiosis between The Charlatans and artists from Oasis to Al Green. good quality high quality

PART THREE 'It's disgusting, but I love it!' Why Tim feels at home in LA. good quality high quality

PART FOUR 'Time is precious' - Mark explains why the L.A./ Manchester divide helps, rather than hinders, the recording process. Meanwhile Tim's head explodes... good quality high quality