Spacehog reunites after decade long breakup, to perform at Stanhope House
STANHOPE — Several years after the band’s 2001 breakup, Spacehog drummer Jonny Cragg “felt like the group had a lot of unfinished business.” So, in what he calls “a shameless act of self-promotion,” he asked bandmates Roy and Antony Langston and Rich Steel to reunite for an unrehearsed performance at Cragg’s birthday party in 2006.
That performance “made us all realize what we were missing from our lives,” Cragg says, and ultimately led to the first Spacehog album since 2001 — "As it is on Earth," which was released on April 16. Spacehog will be performing at the Stanhope House on May 16 with local acts Gift Horse and Mumbling Lucy.
Spacehog, most widely known for their hit single "In the Meantime" off of 1995’s Resident Alien, broke up after the release of 2001’s The Hogyssey due to “personal turmoil and degeneration” after the September 11 terror attacks on their adopted home of New York City.
After the breakup, the Langston brothers recruited their third brother, Christian, to form the band Arckid with Cragg. It was this “rejuvenating, rich and creative endeavor,” Cragg says, which sowed the seeds for Spacehog’s eventual reunion.
As it is on Earth
The new album has been described by a close friend of the band as “Spacehog for grownups,” which Cragg says is accurate.
“We’re not young men anymore,” Cragg says.
Where the mid-90s saw nothing but hope and enthusiasm for the band, the years have brought trials with them. From universally recognizable themes of starting and losing relationships to more personal issues, such as coping with the ebb and flow of success and celebrity status, Cragg says the album is rife with “grown-up themes of loss and redemption.”
"As it is on Earth" will also be self-released, which sets it apart from the band’s previous three efforts. Looking back at "In the Meantime," Cragg recalls the army it took behind the scenes to make the track commercially viable.
Between the record company, producers, agents and hundreds of thousands of dollars of radio marketing, Cragg says there was “a lot of artillery behind that song.” Bringing a self-realization that they weren’t going to recreate that effort in the modern economy freed the band up to make the album they wanted to make.
On the road
Spacehog will be performing at the Stanhope House on May 16 with local acts Gift Horse and Mumbling Lucy. The show starts at 6 p.m. and is 18 and over only. Cragg says the band will present their new songs as best as they can as well as touching on songs from the first three albums.
“Roy’s in great voice and Richard is amazing, as usual,” he adds.
Anthony Langston’s leaving the band after the album was written also opened the door for long-time friend and extraordinary musician Timo Ellis to join them on stage for this tour.
People interested in checking out the show are encouraged to visit www.spacehog.com to preview some songs or buy the new album.
“A lot of our content is accessible,” Cragg says.
There is also a link to purchase $12 tickets from the Stanhope House.