As for the new single (it’s called “SCRIPTVRE“ by the way), it was produced by Pizzorno and Stormzy/Adele/Sam Smith collaborator Fraser T Smith. Pizzorno says of the track’s themes that “We all make up this narrative of who we think we are. This is about ripping that up, going against all that and no longer going with your own madness. You need to go somewhere else and re-set everything.”

Pizzorno describes the track’s overall sound as “huge“, which “came from me bouncing off Kanye and old ‘70s soul cuts from digging in crates. There’s a euphoric, beautiful arms-in-the-air moment then goes back to this ferocious, heavy beat. It’s in your face.”

It wasn’t just his own music he was praising though. He referred to his co-producer (Smith) as a “genius“, saying that “It was a great opportunity to work with someone who wasn’t so close. Making a record consumes the hell out of me and becomes this obsession. I can get so close to it that I miss things, but he would encourage me to take things further. He was an amazing foil to have.”

The Alchemist’s Euphoria will be Kasabian’s first album since 2017’s For Crying Out Loud. You can pre-order it from this link. They’ve also got a good few dates coming up around the UK and Europe, visiting the likes of Italy and Germany along the way. You can see the UK leg of their tour down below, and get tickets here.

NEW SINGLE NEW ALBUM.
The Alchemist’s Euphoria is coming. Pre-order it now and listen / watch SCRIPTVRE. https://t.co/v7162Y2e7M pic.twitter.com/1ZzriyAqmH

— KasabianHQ (@KasabianHQ) May 6, 2022

And sometimes dreams can still come true for the big and small in the industry alike, with them supporting Liam Gallagher at Knebworth this June. Pizzorno described the opportunity as “fucking magical“, remembering fondly how iconic Oasis’ 1996 Knebworth gigs felt at the time.

“They were at the top of the mountain of hysteria, and I was at the perfect age to see them rip something like that to pieces. It was so inspiring. They made you believe that you could do it yourself.”

Kasabian UK Tour Dates

28/05/2022 – Neighbourhood Weekender 2022 – Warrington
29/05 – Victoria Park – Warrington
03/06 – Knebworth Park – Stevenage
04/06 – Knebworth Park – Stevenage
16/06 – Isle of Wight Festival 2022 – Newport
18/06 – Seaclose Park – Yarmouth
26/06 – Hampden Park National Stadium – Glasgow
21/07 – Norwich Nick Rayns LCR UEA – Norwich
22/07 – Hillsborough Park – Sheffield

The short documentaries are available now and feature the appearances of emerging artists Avelino, Mysie, Joy Crookes and Easy Life. Fraser commented on the docu-series: ‘The Amazon Music ‘Produced By’ format is such a revolutionary gift, to be able to show people the process of making the record whilst making the best EP I could possibly make. Bringing these artists together for this project has been an exciting and cathartic process. I chose four artists who are going to make a huge dent in 2021’.

The artists too are mesmerized by having worked with a Grammy winning producer. For instance, North London rapper Avelino said ‘This was an overdue link up with a creative and executive that I respect very highly’ and R&B English artist Mysie though that ‘Working with Fraser has been amazing. Through our mentorship, I’ve learned so much about myself – not only as a musician – but as a human’.

Born in England’s Buckinghamshire, the fifty-year-old producer started his career by performing in local pubs as a solo musician or with different bands. In the early 2000s, Smith decided to focus entirely on his songwriting and production skills. This choice brought him nominations and successes from Grammys and Brits Awards, with the productions he worked for winning from MOBO Awards’ Best Album to Latin Grammy Awards’ Record of the Year. During the COVID pandemic, he was the man behind the scene producing the viral version of Foo Fighters’ ‘Time Like These’, featuring many internationally acclaimed artists recording from their homes.

Amazon is currently working on a full documentary on Fraser T Smith, following his process step by step and featuring interventions of Craig David, Rita Ora and more. You can find ‘Produced By’ here.

Speaking with Music Week, Smith described his excitement about working with Mysie, saying, “The decision to work with Mysie was so natural, in terms of the commitment to her artistry. Seeing her sit at the piano, and just compose melodies and lyrics as a world-class songwriter –that was something that I couldn’t ignore. Mysie’s ambitions are very important to me, because to be working alongside an artist who shares a global vision is really important. I think the world deserves to hear Mysie’s voice.”

The pair came into contact with each other after Mysie entered and won the ‘Rising Star Award with Apple Music’ in 2021. Having selected the nominees from the public submissions of songwriters and composers under the age of 25, this was the first time that the Ivor Novello Awards Academy had awarded the honour. The award included a year-long mentorship programme from an established Academy member, which, in Mysie’s case, was Fraser T. Smith.

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A post shared by Mysie (@mmmmysie)

Having now signed to Smith’s label, Mysie will be in very good hands indeed. The Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter has played a big part in many iconic projects in recent years, including Stormzy and Dave’s respective debut albums: ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’ (2017) and ‘Psychodrama’ (2019). Notably, Smith also joined Dave on stage for the rapper’s powerful, politically-charged performance of ‘Black’ at the BRIT Awards in 2020.

Discussing the opportunity to work with Smith through the mentorship scheme, Mysie said to Music Week, “We’ve been doing FaceTime pretty much every week. Today actually marks the day that we started our mentorship. But it doesn’t even feel like it’s been a year, it feels like it’s been a lifetime. I feel like I’ve known Fraser for so long. It was a great process, because I actually got to know Fraser more as a person before we got to know each other to make the music. So when it came to making music, it was just honest, open and comfortable. I felt like I was in a safe space with Fraser.”

Mysie’s musical style is undoubtedly unique, combining elements of pop, soul, and R&B to create atmospheric tracks that often defy a single defining genre. Now having combined her natural talent with the musical expertise of Fraser T. Smith, Mysie is undoubtedly set to leave her mark on the UK music scene in 2021.

Fraser T.Smith is an esteemed producer and song-writer. He has worked alongside huge stars, and has used his contacts to flood ‘12 Questions‘ with famous featuring artists. The likes of Stormzy, Kano, Ghetts, Idris Elba and Arlo Parks appear on the album.

Smith grounds ‘12 Questions‘ on twelve interrogative sentences that he asked the project’s ensemble of stars. He then converted their responses into the album’s tracks. Smith labelled ‘12 Questions‘ as ‘the most ambitious, exciting and terrifying I’ve ever done‘.

Smith released the dual single ‘Do We Really Care? pt.1‘ and ‘Do We Really Care? pt.2‘. to accompany the announcement. The former features Tom Greenan and Tia Carys, whereas the latter draws upon the poetic skills of Simon Armitage. The conjoining tracks are enthused with frantic beats, poignant lyrics and expressive production.

Fraser T.Smith’s ‘12 Questions‘ looks set to be the year’s most creative album yet. Smith’s wealth of connections, as well as his endless talent as a producer, will illuminate the conceptual project. If the conjoined single ‘Do We Really Care’ is anything to go by, Fraser T. Smith may just inspire a new wave of free-thinking creatives.

The track-list is below:

1. Fear Or Faith Pt.1 feat. Alysia Harris
2.Promised Land feat. Mikky Ekko
3. Fear Or Faith Pt.2 feat. Idris Elba
4.How Much Is Enough? feat. Kojey Radical
5.Million$Bill feat. Kojey Radical, Easy Life
6.Do We Really Care? Pt.1 feat. Tom Grennan, Tia Carys
7.Do We Really Care? Pt.2 feat. Simon Armitage
8.What’s In A Name? feat. Bastille
9.Why Are We So Divided, When We’re So Connected? feat. Es Devlin
10.Children Of The Internet feat. Dave
11.How Do We Find Our Truth? feat. Stormzy, Beatrice Mushiya
12.What’s The Cost Of Freedom? feat. Albert Woodfox
13.Freedom feat. Kano
14.Mountain Girl feat. Ruelle
15.Is It Too Late To Save The Planet? feat. Katrin Fridriks
16.What Happens Next? / Way Back When feat. Lafawndah
17.Nature or Nurture? feat. Jelani Blackman, Ghetts
18.What Matters Most? feat. Arlo Parks
19.Stranger In The Night feat. Arlo Parks
20.What Is Love? feat. Duckworth
21.Fear or Faith Pt.3 feat. Alysia Harris