Keane's Tom Chaplin can't wait to be back in Cape Town
Carl Wastie was in conversation with Keane lead singer Tom Chaplin, on their long-awaited visit to South Africa for Calabash.
If you're grew up in the 'noughties', Keane's smash hit ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ was everywhere and catapulted the English alternative rock band to fame.
The band have sold 12 million albums worldwide, with their first album Hopes and Fears entering the list of 40 best-selling albums in the UK of all time.
This year marks 20 years since their groundbreaking debut album and to celebrate, the beloved rock band will be performing at Calabash South Africa.
Their enduring appeal revolves around the honesty of their songs and the emotion in the music.
In the age of Tiktok music, Keane are as relevant today as they were twenty years ago.
Known for their haunting, piano-driven melodies, Keane belt out raw, emotive lyrics.
Lead singer Tom Chaplin says this vulnerability came from a dark place he experienced as a teenager.
"I thought I could just avoid speaking and feeling the bad stuff. These things always come out somehow. And my chosen path was addiction. In a perverse way, it forced me to make a choice - carry on and destroy myself or look at whats inside me and articulate it to someone I trust. And for 15 years I've been sharing this with a therapist."
-Tom Chaplin, lead singer
Chaplin is hoping to tap into the Mother City's unique energy and spirit during his visit this week.
He last visited Cape Town during a gap year in his younger days, when he worked in Pietermaritzburg.
"Of all the cities visited in South Africa, Cape Town was the most beautiful. I'm so excited and it's long overdue."
-Tom Chaplin, lead singer
Scroll up for the interview.