n the surface , it ’ s difficult to believe that 13 long years have crept by since brainy producer / multi-instrumentalist Ian Broudie released Four Winds , his last picture-perfect pop album as The Lightning Seeds , a dormant period the Brit is finally breaking with the shimmering new See You in the Stars , out last month . And when he stops

recognizable banner , and instantly regretted it . “ So I definitely didn ’ t want to make another Lightning Seeds album until I had some songs – if ever – that felt like they were Lightning Seeds songs . Uhh , whatever that is .”

What was so unusual and awkward about the Four Winds tracks ? “ I felt like it was just sad ; it was just like a sad feeling ,” the composer appraises in hindsight . “ And I think Lightning Seeds is inherently positive , and although some of the words are sad , some of my sadder songs can be really elating , like a vitamin C tablet . Then a couple of years ago , I wrote some new tunes , and I felt like they did fit into that world .” The wait was worth it . Only one Stars number could be considered a bit lyrically glum – the conversely jangling title track , an elegy to a good friend of the singer ’ s that passed away during lockdown But the rest – from the foot-tapping " Losing You ” opener through an orchestral “ Sun Shine ,” an

Ian Broudie ( photo Tim Oxley )

to consider it , he ’ s a tad aghast himself . “ But time just flies , doesn ’ t it ?” he notes , chortling . “ But after I made the album Tilt , about 20 years ago , I stopped for a while , and then I made a solo album , and then I was going to do another one .” The songs he ’ d written then were too personal and specific to make a traditional dreamy and nebulous band effort , a la its definitive Cloudcuckooland debut in 1990 . But label execs pushed for Lightning Seeds material , so he compromised , issued Four Winds under that more

organ-powered “ Fit For Purpose ,” the echoey chimer “ Green Eyes ,” and a swaying , aptly-named pop ditty dubbed “ Great to Be Alive ” – it ’ s a feelgood recording , from top to bottom , and a perfect beckoning sonic beacon to turn to as our world grows increasingly dark and dismal . Broudie paused to illuminate his own technique for an informative half hour ….

IE : So See You in the Stars kind of declared its

arrival to you , then ? IAN BROUDIE : It ’ s an abstract idea , you know – will I write an album ? Will I write a song ? Because you ’ re not emotionally attached to it . But as soon as they become songs that you ’ ve written , and you think , “ Oh , I like these ! I ’ d like people to hear them !” Well , then you start really thinking , “ Well , if I want people to hear them , I need to record them , and then I ’ ll need to record some more .” So that was the beginning of me recording this album . That was three years ago when it started , but I did a lot of it during the pandemic .

IE : Who were you in quarantine with ? IB : For a lot of it , I was on my own . But in the beginning of it , my son Riley , his mom , lives in Spain , in

Barcelona – a very beautiful city with a lovely climate . But when it actually hit , we were just starting to do a few gigs , and I was in Glasgow , and I traveled home . And I don ’ t know if it was the same in America , but over here , that bit when it hit was seriously scary – it felt like one of those zombie films where society totally breaks down , and you ’ re like , “ What is going to happen ?” So I was worried about her being in Barcelona , so I phoned her and said , “ Why don ’ t you come and stay with me ? It ’ ll probably only be a couple of weeks , you know ?” So she managed to get back to the UK , and then she ended up staying with me for a couple of months , so it was good because neither of us were on our own . And then she went back to Barcelona , so the rest of the time , I was pretty much on my own , which I didn ’ t