Back in Glasgow to see his folks and to promote his 15th studio album, Graffiti Soul, Simple Minds front man Jim Kerr also took the chance to wax philosophical about life on the road, typing and air conditioning in Italy. Interesting guy.
Out on May 25, the new album has, says Kerr, a zest about it that the band weren’t expecting: “The new album has gone beyond our beliefs. It has an energy about it that shouldn’t be there for people that have been around the block as many times as we have.”
The album’s headline single, Rockets, still captures the essence of the Simple Minds sound, and the video highlights long-lived Jim’s ability to dance around while pointing at the camera in his own inimitable way. I love that. That’s the way videos should be.
Born and raised in Toryglen in Glasgow (join Jim for a tour), he’s been off touring with the band for over 30 years now, taking in the highlights that the sparkling world of music has to offer. Now he even runs a hotel in Sicily where his air conditioning and typing skills come into play. But Jim insists that it’s still Scotland he that draws him back after all these years.
“It’s home in every sense,” he says. “People who know Simple Minds and know my story know that I’ve lived and travelled abroad. But I never remember any night where I’ve packed the bag and said Cheerio to Glasgow.
“We kind of went out hitchhiking and ended up in a band and went on tour but always the link has been back here. The bond has never felt broken in any sense.”
Simple Minds Graffiti Soul is out on May 25.
