We knew we were going to reunite at some point: The Cranberries
After almost a decade-long hiatus from the music scene, Irish rock band The Cranberries is finally back with their sixth studio album "Roses".
The quartet, consisting lead vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler, rocketed to international fame in the 1990s with monster hits such as "Zombie", "Linger" and "Dreams".
However, after selling more than 30 million records, achieving four Top 20 Billboard albums and releasing eight hit singles, the members eventually got jaded from the endless cycle of recording and touring and went their separate ways in September 2003.
"(The situation got) very stale… you could tell that nobody really wanted to be there," explained guitarist Noel Hogan to Yahoo! Singapore in an exclusive interview. "We just started talking about how we would rather be doing other things right now and so we decided that if nobody wants to be there, it's time to call it a day."
But the 40-year-old stressed that despite the break, the members remained on good terms and kept in touch which made it "easier coming back together".
The band's decision to return to the music industry was made after a successful sold-out reunion tour in 2010, where they found time to exchange ideas and melody hints in search for fresh songs from that distinctive Cranberries sound.
When asked how it felt to perform together on stage again, Hogan's excitement was clear through the phone call from Sydney. "The chemistry is there when the four of us are together… we've been doing this together for so long, it's literally like riding a bike."
'We've embraced technology'
Despite being a traditional rock band where guitars and drums are heavily featured in songs, Hogan praised today's technology that has helped the band expand their music creativity.
"We've kept our sound… but technology has changed the way I started writing. I brought in all these other elements and I found I could do so much more," said Hogan, who is also the band's songwriter along with O'Riordan.
"Years ago, it would have been just a cassette, an acoustic guitar and a whole bunch of ideas and you would pick some and wait for it to develop. Whereas now, I can send her (O'Riordan) something from my laptop which is almost a finished piece. Technology gives a clearer idea of the way I envision a song," he continued.
Although technology has its many benefits, Hogan noted that he is not a fan of autotune -- an audio processor to alter vocal performances -- a practice which is rising in popularity amongst pop singers.
"A lot of the songs you hear on the radio are the bigger pop songs and the problem is that… when they tour and do a gig, it becomes very apparent."
"To make a living out of this… we have to tour and got to be able to play live," he added. "If you cheat in the studio to the point that no one's really playing or singing, it shows very quickly when you are doing a gig and you're in trouble then."
Hence, it is with Hogan's reassuring confidence on the band's ability to play live, that there is little doubt that fans can definitely look forward to a rousing and rocking performance by The Cranberries when they take the stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium next Monday.
Watch the video of their first single "Tomorrow" from their latest album.
The Cranberries LIVE in Singapore 2012 will be held on 2 April, 8pm at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets ranging from $98 to $198 (excluding SISTIC admin charges) are available at all SISTIC counters
