Bush

The headline of the Billboard article said it all: “Like They Never Left.” The story, which ran in the Oct 29, 2011 issue, hailed the return of mega-platinum rock band BUSH, who had just self-released The Sea of Memories, their first album in 10 years and wasted no time returning to the top of the charts. In fact, they did it in grand style: the album’s lead single, “The Sound of Winter,” made rock radio history by becoming the first self-released song ever to hit No. 1 at Alternative Radio. “The Sound of Winter” also holds the distinction of being the reunited group’s first No. 1 single since 1999’s chart-topping hit, “The Chemicals Between Us.”

OFFICIAL  ::  FACEBOOK  ::  TWITTER  ::  YOUTUBE

The band (vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale, guitarist Chris Traynor, drummer Robin Goodridge, and bassist Corey Britz) supported the album with a whirlwind media blitz and tour, which included performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as concert specials for DirecTV’s Guitar Center Sessions and HDNet and a sold-out international tour.  That record, The Sea of Memories, is steeped in the notion that one has to know where they came from to know where they’re going. “We are the sum of everything we’ve done -- right, wrong and in-between,” says Rossdale. “We’re all victims, and benefactors, of our past.” And Bush should know. The British-born band has had more success over the course of their first half-dozen years than most artists do in a lifetime. From Sixteen Stone to The Science of Things, they made some of the most successful rock albums in recent memory. The seminal outfit also forged a sound that would come to characterize an entire decade.

Today, Rossdale is mining the past for clues to the future, and has come up with an album that reflects both sides of that time quotient. On The Sea of Memories, he’s resurrected the band with drummer Robin Goodridge, guitarist Chris Traynor and bassist Corey Britz. “When making music, you have a choice to repeat what you’ve done or move on,” says Rossdale. “It would’ve been safe to just rework [1994’s debut album] Sixteen Stone over and over, but what kind of life would that be? When you’re driving down the road, you’re focused on what’s in front of you; you don’t really think to keep checking in your rear view mirror. I like the idea of art changing, developing and morphing.” The Sea of Memories is drenched in Bush’s trademark intensity and driven by Rossdale’s emotive, bittersweet vocals, but it’s also infused with an immediacy that pushes the album into new, compelling directions. 

After the release of Golden State in 2001, Bush began unraveling from a grueling tour schedule and pressure brought on by their own success. Guitarist Nigel Pulsford finally begged off touring altogether, and in 2002, left the band to spend more time with his family. Bassist Dave Parsons soon followed. “There was no big bang,” says Rossdale of the break-up. “We did it in a very English way—quietly.” Rossdale spent the next eight years pursuing new projects—from forming the band Institute in 2004 (which also included guitarist Traynor) to launching a solo career in 2008. Still, a Bush reunion was never that far off in his thoughts. “My delay in reuniting the band was really waiting for Nigel to come back, but he just didn’t want to tour anymore,” says Rossdale. Says Robin Goodridge of the reunion: “I always knew Bush would make another record. It was only a matter of time before the itch got too much for some of us. When you have something that great, it never leaves you.”