Today, the legendary Stereophonics unveil their new single ‘Seems Like You Don’t Know Me’, which received its first airplay this morning on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show with Scott Mills. Listen here. The track is the second instalment from their highly anticipated forthcoming album ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait, due for release on 25th April 2025 via EMI – pre-order here
‘Seems Like You Don’t Know Me‘ is a brand new sonic superstar welcomed into the massive arsenal of bangers in Stereophonics’ third decade. It mashes up nostalgic synths and drum machines with acoustic guitar lead breaks, glued together with a spacious yet demanding vocal, offering questions on relationships and how much we really know one another.
Kelly Jones comments on the song: “It always had a great melody, but in the studio I took it through three or four different versions, from very complex busy drumming refs to the finished, very sparse drum machine and Juno synth version on the album, which I love. That atmosphere and the lyrics match so well together. Relationships are complex. Communication is so often broken.”
With three decades of groundbreaking achievements under their belts, and a legacy of eight No.1 albums, Stereophonics have earned their status and respect amongst their fans, peers and artists from across the musical generations, ranging from Bob Dylan to David Bowie to Dua Lipa. In 2025, the band mark their anticipated return with ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’, a tight and heavy-hitting eight track record. Written and recorded in London, the album is lean, direct, and free from filler. It is at once clean and precise. Hopeful and joyous. It perfectly embodies the emotions captured in its title. You laugh. You cry. You wait.
As with many of his previous projects, Kelly has often gravitated towards different mediums of artwork, whether that be paintings, books or films and tied the specific album artwork to that specific thing. For “Make ‘Em Laugh, Make ‘Em Cry, Make ‘Em Wait”, it was a similar process, with Kelly plucking influence from a Louise Bourgeois postcard he saw in New York’s Modern Art Museum gift shop, “[It was] on a pink background that said ‘Art Is The Guarantee Of Sanity’”. Scribbling the words of the album title onto his own pink background, here now lies ‘the pink album’.
With a world tour set to kick off this year, already selling over 300,000 tickets, as well as playing some of their biggest shows around the world to date, Stereophonics continue to solidify their place as one of the most enduring and beloved bands in rock. Their ability to seamlessly blend rock sensibilities with soaring melodies keeps their sound fresh and relevant, while Kelly Jones’ ever-introspective lyrics continue to resonate with each passing year.
Stereophonics have never been content to rest on their laurels, and this year’s performances promise to be some of their most dynamic yet.
‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’ Tracklist:
- Make It On Your Own
- There’s Always Gonna Be Something
- Seems Like You Don’t Know Me
- Colours Of October
- Eyes Too Big For My Belly
- Mary Is A Singer
- Backroom Boys
- Feeling Of Falling We Crave
Stereophonics UK & Ireland Live Dates:
May 25, 2025 Neighbourhood Weekender, Warrington, England
Jun 5, 2025 Belsonic, Belfast, UK
Jun 6, 2025 St. Anne’s Park, Dublin, Ireland
Jun 7, 2025 Virgin Media Park, Cork, Ireland
Jun 14, 2025 The John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield, UK
Jun 21, 2025 Isle of Wight Festival, Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight
Jun 28, 2025 Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, UK
Jul 4, 2025 Finsbury Park, London, UK
Jul 11, 2025 Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UK
Jul 12, 2025 Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UK
Aug 16, 2025, Sandringham Estate, Norfolk, UK
