Richard Hughes (musician)

2.1. 1995-99: Early years and formation

The foundational members of Keane, Tom Chaplin and Tim Rice-Oxley, developed their friendship from a very young age. They both attended Vinehall School in Robertsbridge, East Sussex, where Chaplin's father, David, served as headmaster for 25 years. After Vinehall, all three future members, including Richard Hughes, attended Tonbridge School in Kent, where Rice-Oxley and Dominic Scott bonded over their shared love for music. Although Chaplin had learned to play the flute, none of the members initially considered music as a professional career path.

In 1995, while studying at University College London, Rice-Oxley formed a rock band called Lotus Eaters with Scott and invited Hughes to join as the drummer. The band began by performing covers of songs by their favorite artists. In 1997, after hearing Rice-Oxley play the piano during a weekend visit to Virginia Water, Surrey, Chris Martin of the then-newly formed band Coldplay invited Rice-Oxley to join his group. However, Rice-Oxley declined, stating his commitment to The Lotus Eaters. Following Martin's offer, and despite initial opposition from Hughes and Scott, Chaplin officially joined the band in 1997, taking over lead vocals from Rice-Oxley and adding acoustic guitar to their sound. This period also marked a name change for the band from Lotus Eaters to Cherry Keane, a tribute to a friend of Chaplin's mother whom Rice-Oxley and Chaplin had known since childhood. Following her passing from cancer, Cherry Keane bequeathed money to Chaplin's family, which Chaplin later used to support himself during challenging times in the music industry. The name was soon shortened to Keane.

In the summer of 1997, Chaplin embarked on a gap year to South Africa for volunteer work, an experience that later influenced the band's involvement with campaigns such as Make Poverty History. Upon his return in July 1998, Hughes greeted Chaplin at the airport with the news of an upcoming gig in ten days. Keane made their live debut with original material at the Hope & Anchor pub on July 13, 1998. That same year, Chaplin enrolled at Edinburgh University to pursue an art history degree, but he later left his studies to fully commit to his musical career in London. Throughout 1998 and 1999, the band actively toured London's pub circuit, honing their live performance skills.

2.2. 1999-2003: Early releases and Scott's departure

In late 1999, prior to securing a record deal, Keane independently recorded their first promotional single, "Call Me What You Like." This CD single was released under Keane's own label, Zoomorphic, and sold at their live performances in early 2000, with a limited run of only 500 copies. The EP garnered a review from Bec Rodwell of eFestivals, who highlighted "Closer Now" as the standout track. Recording for their subsequent release commenced on October 28, 2000. By early 2001, Rice-Oxley and Hughes announced that "Wolf at the Door" would be the primary recording, with drums recorded in late January and the final session in February. Mixing was completed in April, and the single was released in June, limited to just 50 copies on unlabeled CD-Rs. Both "Call Me What You Like" and "Wolf at the Door" are considered highly valuable collector's items by fans, with "Wolf at the Door" notably selling for over 1.00 K GBP on eBay. During the production of "Wolf at the Door," the band also recorded and released other demo songs, including "More Matey," "Maps," "To the End of the Earth," "Allemande," "New One," "Russian Farmer's Song," and "Live in Fear." The band has expressed no objection to fans sharing tracks not officially released on CD, such as "More Matey" and "Emily," viewing them as interesting extras.

Dominic Scott made the decision to leave the band in July 2001, a month after "Wolf at the Door" was released, to continue his studies at the LSE. Rice-Oxley later referenced this departure in the song "This Is the Last Time," which was already being rehearsed in May. In July, record producer James Sanger invited Keane to his property in Normandy, France, where the band recorded several tracks between August and November, including "Sunshine," "This Is the Last Time," a new version of "Maps," and "Happy Soldier." It was during these sessions that the groundbreaking idea of using the piano as the lead instrument began to solidify. Sanger received shared songwriting credit for four songs that appeared on Keane's debut album, Hopes and Fears, with "Sunshine" being the only track entirely composed during these sessions. The band members returned to England in November.

In April 2002, Keane signed a publishing deal with BMG, which allowed them to dedicate themselves more fully to their music, although they still lacked a recording contract. Around early 2002, Rice-Oxley composed "Everybody's Changing," which he then played for Chaplin, Hughes, and BMG representatives. The band developed the song into a demo, completed in July. They also produced a demo for "Walnut Tree" in May. The year 2002 proved challenging for Keane, as all recording and live performances ceased, and Scott's sense of stagnation began to affect Rice-Oxley and Chaplin. In December, Keane resumed live performances. A notable gig at The Betsey Trotwood in London was attended by Simon Williams of Fierce Panda Records, who had previously discovered Coldplay. Williams offered to release Keane's first commercial single, "Everybody's Changing," which Steve Lamacq designated as single of the week on Lamacq Live on April 14, 2003, and was released as a CD single on May 12. The attention generated by this release, combined with their strong live reputation built through consistent UK touring, sparked a bidding war among major record labels. The band ultimately decided to sign with Island Records in the summer of 2003. Ferdy Unger-Hamilton, Island's A&R representative, was drawn to the band by industry buzz and "Everybody's Changing" on the radio. He was convinced to sign them after hearing five "brilliant" songs-"Everybody's Changing," "This Is the Last Time," "She Has No Time," "Bend and Break," and "Somewhere Only We Know"-and seeing their "fantastic live show." Keane chose Island because they felt a strong connection with Unger-Hamilton and were confident that he would not attempt to alter their sound. "This Is the Last Time" was subsequently released on Fierce Panda in October 2003 as their final release on that label.

2.3. 2004-05: Hopes and Fears and breakthrough

With the release of their first major singles, Keane began to gain significant recognition in both the United Kingdom and the United States. In January 2004, the BBC's Sound of 2004 poll named Keane as the band most likely to achieve success in the coming year. This period is widely regarded as one of the most vibrant years for new British music. A month later, Keane's debut release on Island, "Somewhere Only We Know", soared to number three on the UK Singles Chart in February 2004. On May 4, a re-release of "Everybody's Changing", featuring new B-sides and a refreshed cover, reached number four on the UK Singles Chart.

Keane's highly anticipated debut album, Hopes and Fears, was released in the UK on May 10, 2004, coinciding with the eve of their first world tour. The album immediately debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and went on to become the second best-selling British album of the year. It has since been certified 9x platinum in the UK. While widely successful, the album received mixed critical reception. Drowned in Sound, for instance, gave it a 5 out of 10 rating, accusing Keane of overly imitating Coldplay and criticizing the album as "stylistically all over the place" with "immature" and "cringe-worthy" lyrics. However, the review did acknowledge the album's "fine moments," specifically praising the lead single "Somewhere Only We Know" as "breathtaking."

Globally, Hopes and Fears has sold approximately 5.5 M copies. In the UK, it maintained a presence in the top 75 of the UK Albums Chart for 72 consecutive weeks, re-entering the chart in its 115th week. Following the album's release, the band issued several singles: "Bedshaped" on August 16, "This Is the Last Time" (an Island Records version) on November 22, and "Bend and Break" on July 25, 2005. Keane received two prestigious awards at the 2005 BRIT Awards in February: Best British Album for Hopes and Fears and the British Breakthrough Act award, as voted by listeners of BBC Radio 1. Three months later, Tim Rice-Oxley was honored with the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year.

As active members of the Make Poverty History campaign, Keane performed "Somewhere Only We Know" and "Bedshaped" at the Live 8 concert, which took place in London on July 2, 2005. Keane also serves as patrons of War Child. In September 2005, they recorded a cover version of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" for the charity album Help: a Day in the Life. Prior to this, the band had recorded a cover of the Walker Brothers' "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore", which was released as a 7" single and distributed as a gift to members of the Keane emailing list. During 2005, the band gained minor recognition in the U.S. through extensive touring, including a series of performances as the opening act for U2. The group was subsequently nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best New Artist category, alongside Sugarland, John Legend, Ciara, and Fall Out Boy.

2.4. 2006-07: Under the Iron Sea

In April 2005, amidst the Hopes and Fears tour, Keane commenced recording their second album, Under the Iron Sea, collaborating once again with producer Andy Green, who had worked on their debut. The band later brought in Mark "Spike" Stent for mixing. Recording sessions took place at Helioscentric Studios, where Hopes and Fears was recorded, with additional recording completed at The Magic Shop in New York City. The album's release was preceded by "Atlantic", a download-only music video, and the lead single "Is It Any Wonder?", which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. "Is It Any Wonder?" also received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 2007.

Under the Iron Sea saw a worldwide release in June 2006 and held the number one position on the UK Albums Chart for its initial two weeks. By May 22, 2007, it had sold over 2.2 M copies globally. The third single from the album, "Crystal Ball," was released on August 21, 2006, reaching number 20 in the UK Singles Chart. The fourth single, "Nothing in My Way", released on October 30, 2006, achieved particular success on Mexican commercial radio, charting in the Top 3 by January 13, 2007, and remaining on the chart for a month. The band also released the single "The Night Sky" to support the charity War Child.

Prior to the album's release in May 2006, Keane had already embarked on their second world tour. However, due to the demanding touring schedule, lead singer Tom Chaplin announced on August 22, 2006, that he had admitted himself to a clinic for problems with drinking and drugs. This led to the initial cancellation of three gigs and the postponement of their September tour. The entire North American tour was subsequently canceled outright to allow Chaplin to continue his treatment. Consequently, the upcoming UK and European tours, scheduled for October and November 2006, were considered for possible postponement depending on Chaplin's recovery. Chaplin left the Priory Clinic in London on October 6, though he continued to receive treatment. The tour later expanded to South American countries for the first time, including Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, and marked the band's third visit to Mexico in late April with four dates, including a performance at the downtown Zócalo in Mexico City, along with their inaugural visits to Monterrey and Guadalajara. On July 7, 2007, Keane participated in the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, a series of concerts similar to Live 8 aimed at raising awareness about the threat of global warming. They performed "Somewhere Only We Know," "Is It Any Wonder?," and "Bedshaped." The Under the Iron Sea tour concluded with performances in Oporto, Portugal, and at the Natural Music Festival in El Ejido, Spain, on August 3 and 4, respectively.

In 2008, a poll conducted by Q Magazine and HMV voted Under the Iron Sea as the 8th best British album of all time. In early October, Concert Live announced the release of Live 06, a limited edition nine-CD set encompassing every Keane live performance in the UK during October 2006.

2.5. 2008-11: Perfect Symmetry and Night Train

In a March 2007 video interview, Tom Chaplin and Richard Hughes expressed a desire to adopt a more "organic" approach for their third album. However, they downplayed suggestions about extensive guitar use, referring to it as merely "a fun part of the live set" at that time. Despite this, their cover of "She Sells Sanctuary" became the first song recorded since "The Happy Soldier" (2001) to prominently feature the instrument. Photographic updates on the Keane website further indicated the increasing use of guitars during the album's recording sessions. During this period, Jesse Quin officially joined the band as a permanent studio and live member, contributing bass, percussion, guitar, synthesizers, and backing vocals. On August 25, 2008, Keane appeared as studio guests on BBC Radio 6 Music with Steve Lamacq, where three new songs from Perfect Symmetry-"Spiralling," "The Lovers Are Losing," and "Better Than This"-were publicly aired for the first time.

The album Perfect Symmetry was released on October 13, 2008, and quickly ascended to number one on the UK Albums Chart by October 19. It also achieved success in the United States, reaching number 7 on the Billboard 200 chart. In December 2008, Q Magazine, Q Radio, and Qthemusic.com collectively voted Perfect Symmetry "Best Album of the Year," with the title track, "Perfect Symmetry," being named best track. The band commenced their Perfect Symmetry World Tour in November 2008. On April 2, 2009, Keane made history by becoming the first band ever to broadcast a live show in 3D. This groundbreaking event was filmed at Abbey Road Studios, a historic location where the Beatles had conducted the world's first satellite broadcast. To enhance the experience, Keane fans were encouraged to purchase 3D glasses alongside the new 7" single "Better Than This" or even create their own.

On May 10, 2010, Keane released the EP titled Night Train, which, by May 16, became their fourth number one album in the UK. Night Train was recorded while the band was on the Perfect Symmetry World Tour. Initially referred to as a mini-album, its designation was later changed to an EP, though Tim Rice-Oxley commented that it was "pretty much an album." The EP notably features collaborations with Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan on the songs "Stop for a Minute" and "Looking Back." It also includes a cover of the Yellow Magic Orchestra song "You've Got to Help Yourself," featuring vocals by Japanese funk MC Tigarah. Additionally, the track "Your Love" features Tim Rice-Oxley on lead vocals. The song "My Shadow" was later featured in the Season 6 episode "Shiny Happy People" of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Night Train received a mixed critical reception, though Ryan Brockington of the New York Posts PopWrap hailed the work as "game changing" and described the lead single "Stop for a Minute" as "just as brilliant" as the album itself.

In support of the Night Train EP, the band embarked on the Night Train Tour, which began with a performance at The Fridge in Brixton, London, on May 12, 2010. The tour included a special homecoming show at the Bedgebury Pinetum, located near the band's hometown of Battle. Following festival appearances across Europe, the tour continued with a leg in North America, culminating in a performance at the Mile High Festival in Denver.

2.6. 2011-13: Strangeland

Following the conclusion of the Mt. Desolation Tour, an alternative project led by Tim Rice-Oxley and Jesse Quin, both returned to join the other band members for the pre-production phase of Strangeland. On February 3, 2011, the band officially announced on their website that Jesse Quin had become an official member of Keane, recognizing his contributions since 2007. Keane performed a concert in Beijing, China, on April 13, 2011, at the invitation of the fashion company Burberry, and also held an acoustic session at the Great Wall of China. The band completed the recording of their fourth studio album on January 12, 2012, and finished mixing the record on February 10. The album was recorded at Tim Rice-Oxley's Sea Fog Studios in Polegate, East Sussex. The Strangeland Tour commenced at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, on Friday, March 9, 2012.

The album's lead single, "Silenced by the Night", was released worldwide (excluding the United Kingdom) on March 13, 2012. Keane performed "Silenced By the Night" live for the first time on March 12 on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The song was subsequently sent to U.S. adult alternative radio stations on March 26, 2012, with its UK release following on April 15, 2012. The single "Disconnected" was initially released on April 20, 2012, in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, followed by its official worldwide release on October 8, 2012. The single "Sovereign Light Café" was released on July 23, 2012, with its accompanying video filmed in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, England.

2.7. 2013-19: The Best of Keane and hiatus

Keane released the compilation album The Best of Keane in November 2013. This album included two new songs recorded during the Strangeland sessions: "Higher Than the Sun", released on September 28, 2013, and "Won't Be Broken", released on January 20, 2014.

On October 20, 2013, several media outlets, including The Sun and Digital Spy, reported that Keane intended to disband following the release of The Best of Keane, claiming the band members were "taking a break...to pursue their own projects." However, on October 21, 2013, Tom Chaplin clarified on Real Radio Yorkshire that the band was not splitting up but merely intended to "take a bit of time out from being Keane" after a busy period.

During the band's hiatus, individual members pursued various solo and side projects. Tom Chaplin released his solo album The Wave on October 14, 2016, followed by a Christmas-themed second album, Twelve Tales of Christmas, on November 17, 2017. In late 2017, Chaplin remarked in an interview with a correspondent from The Sun that he felt "too old to reform and relaunch the band." Meanwhile, Rice-Oxley and Quin continued with their side project Mt. Desolation, releasing the album When the Night Calls on May 25, 2018.

Despite the hiatus, the band reunited for performances on three occasions. On August 8, 2015, Chaplin and Rice-Oxley performed a Keane setlist at the Battle Festival. On September 11, 2016, the band released a music video for "Tear Up This Town", a song they had written and recorded for the film A Monster Calls.

2.8. 2019-present: Return and Cause and Effect

Toward the end of 2018, Keane began posting a series of cryptic images on their social media accounts, hinting at their return to the studio to work on new material. On January 17, 2019, an article from The Sun confirmed the band's plans for "a comeback after six years away," quoting a source close to the rockers who stated the band was ready to work together again after "putting their differences to one side." On February 6, Keane posted an image of the band members across their social media platforms. This was followed by a series of announcements on their Instagram and Facebook pages regarding various festival appearances, including Cornbury Music Festival (July 6, 2019), 4ever Valencia Fest in Spain (July 21, 2019), MEO Marés Vivas in Portugal (July 19, 2019), Noches del Botánico in Madrid (July 20, 2019), and Hello Festival in The Netherlands (June 9). On March 15, 2019, Keane performed their signature song "Somewhere Only We Know" on Comic Relief's Red Nose Day on BBC One with the London Contemporary Voices choir. On March 26, 2019, Keane officially announced their new album on their Facebook page, stating, "We've been desperate to tell you that we're busy making another album, which we'll be releasing later this year."

On May 17, 2019, Keane released an EP titled Retroactive EP1, which featured "our favourite archived live performances, older demos and random treasures." On June 6, 2019, the band unveiled the first new single from Cause and Effect, titled "The Way I Feel." The album's songs were primarily written by Rice-Oxley during his divorce, and after discussions with Chaplin, he decided to proceed with recording them for the album. On June 16, 2019, Keane performed a set at the Isle of Wight Festival, serving as the closing act of the event. The second single, "Love Too Much," was released for streaming on August 8, 2019, and debuted on The Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2. Cause and Effect was officially released on September 20, 2019. Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic provided a positive review, noting that while not a "game-changing comeback," the album marked "a satisfying return to form that manages to gracefully age Keane by invigorating a familiar formula with wisdom and honesty learned over a dramatic, life-changing decade." Following the album's release, the band embarked on the Cause and Effect Tour, spanning Europe and Latin America, before the remainder of the tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 9, 2021, Keane announced via their social media platforms their participation in Record Store Day 2021 Drop 2 on July 17, with a special early release of their Dirt EP on 12" vinyl. This EP featured four previously unreleased tracks from the Cause and Effect recording sessions. On July 17, coinciding with the limited early vinyl release, the music video for the EP's title track was made available on YouTube and Apple Music. This also brought the announcement that the full digital release of the EP would take place on August 13, 2021. The band performed a limited number of shows that year, including an appearance at the TRNSMT Festival in Glasgow.

Keane undertook a brief tour of the UK in June and July 2022, which included a performance at Belgium's Rock Werchter festival. Later that year, Tom Chaplin released his third studio album, Midpoint, in September 2022. In an interview with Retro Pop magazine, Chaplin stated that he "doesn't know" if Keane will reunite to make another record, saying he would "just see how I feel."

In September 2023, the band announced a major tour across the UK, Europe, and the Americas in 2024 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hopes and Fears. The tour is scheduled to commence in May, coinciding with the album's reissue, and will continue through September.