Generation Freakshow

Recording and production

In 2010, during the Renegades sessions, a number of tracks were left off the album before then being considered for inclusion for the follow-up to that album. As there were not enough to fit on the album, more were recorded during the closing stages of the year, with the band taking a break from recording on 19 December, before resuming recording on 10 January 2011. Between 16 January and 24 January a production session began in New York City, this included overdubs, guitars and keyboards with frontman Grant Nicholas also flying over to record vocals, while some of the album was already recorded in London. On 19 January 2011 a photo of song lyrics written on a sheet of paper was posted on their official Facebook page. One song was debuted live on tour under three different working titles, with those being "Jessie", "White City Rock" and "Borders". In an interview with Heineken Music, on 27 January 2011 Grant revealed that 19 or 20 songs were in the recording stages, while the album, like Renegades, looked likely to be released domestically on their own Big Teeth Music imprint.

In an interview with The University Observer, Grant describes the album: "Its eclectic, much more eclectic than the Renegades album... "Its definitely a more commercial record. I think if you liked Comfort in Sound and you liked Yesterday Went Too Soon, then I think you’ll like this album" ... "There are some real tunes on this and some anthems; there are some rocky moments as well". There were also plans to release a single or a free track download during their February - March tour. This later went on to become "Side By Side", which was a chart-eligible paid download in aid of the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The single charted at #91, marking their first top 100 chart visit since 2008's "We Are the People", while becoming their 25th top 100 single in the process. It ultimately did not appear on the album, although was included as a bonus track on the Japanese release. During their 2011 touring, Feeder introduced drummer Damon Wilson as a live regular and session musician. On 23 September 2011, Grant Nicholas posted on the band's Facebook page that the recording of their studio album was complete with only mixing on the final song to be finalised, before mastering then began on the 30 September in New York. Feeder announced on 10 October that they were doing artwork on the album, before an announcement was made on 14 November, that acoustic versions of some of the songs were being recorded while bassist Taka Hirose was staying in Tokyo. On 29 November 2011, the sequencing process of the album began.

Feeder hosted a trailer on YouTube titled "Coming Soon" on 2 December 2011 and had a message written in Morse code as "-... --- .-. -.. . .-. ...", which translates to "Borders" in standard English. On 6 December 2011 another trailer was released, announcing "Borders" as the first single from the new album, including a four-date tour. "Borders" was released on CD, cassette and 7" on 30 January 2012, with the parent album Generation Freakshow on 23 April 2012. This was the first time Feeder released a cassette single since 2001's "Just a Day"; "Borders" went on to chart at #52. The only track from the sessions of the Renegades album to end up on Generation Freakshow, was that of "Tiny Minds".

Reception

Generation Freakshow was met with mixed reviews but was commercially more successful than their previous release Renegades. Metro describe Feeder as "keeping a steady musical pace,yet stick to the same predictable formula" when reviewing Generation Freakshow.BBC Music praised the album as "more mature,more considered and less noisy". After two weeks the album had sold 9000 copies in the UK.

Generation Freakshow received a two star rating from The Guardian being described as "solid yet uninspiring".

Drowned in Sound credited Feeder for creating another strong addition to their back catalogue. Kerrang! were also positive in their review, stating that "the 12 fabulous songs that comprise Generation Freakshow see Feeder striking the canvas with more measured strokes". In response to the critical reception, frontman Grant Nicholas commented that the band have nevertheless, never been critically well received during the whole of their career, while also not being worried about where the release charts, as long as Feeder's fans like the album. In Japan, the album was better received in the media, in the same way that Pushing the Senses was in Austria.

Despite this critical reception, the album was well-received commercially, charting at #13 in the UK albums chart being an improvement on the #16 of Renegades, which had more positive reviews. Like Renegades, this album was self-released on a shoestring budget with no mainstream radio play for any of the album's tracks, with only alternative stations playing "Borders", while "Children of the Sun" was not as well received. "Borders" also brought Feeder back into the charts after a near four-year absence, when it charted at #52 in February 2012; none of the singles on Renegades charted. The album also seen the band return to the Brixton Academy after a four-year absence, one of the UK's major gig venues. Before this, the band had returned to the smaller venues within the capital and the rest of the UK.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Generation Freakshow entered the albums chart at #57, a large improvement on the #93 of Renegades and also became Feeder's second-most successful studio album in that country. Also, Generation Freakshow is only one of a few self-released albums or singles to ever record a top 20 placing in the United Kingdom, or a top 60 placing in Japan.

Track listing

All songs written by Grant Nicholas.

Personnel

Production