“I’ve had more good luck than lots of other people” – An Interview with Rialto
There have been a number of Britpop-era bands reforming over the last few years and I was delighted to find out that Rialto were one of them and that they also had new music coming out as well. Neon & Ghost Signs, the band’s first LP in 24 years, will be released on April 25th on Fierce Panda Records and can be pre-ordered here. The excellent new record will delight original fans of the band while also winning new listeners with its mix of styles and storytelling. Opener and lead single “No One Leaves This Discotheque Alive” is a synth-driven prowl through nocturnal London’s streets while the rockabilly guitar riff that propels “Car That Never Comes” adds to the suspenseful lyrics. “Sandpaper Kisses” has a dreamy, almost easy-listening feel while “Cherry” could off a late 80’s Prince album. Mix these in with some tracks more reminiscent of earlier Rialto records (for example, the title track) and there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Rialto originally formed in 1996 when ex-Kinky Machine frontman Louis Eliot and guitarist Jonny Bull were joined by bassist Julian Taylor, keyboardist Toby Hounsham and drummers Pete Cuthbert and Anthony Christmas. They emerged and found success with a collection of songs that Eliot suggested “would sound perfect in a dilapidated theatre with torn, red velvet seats” as three singles reached the UK Top 40 (“Monday Morning 5:19”, “Untouchable” and “Dream Another Dream”). Despite this, they were dropped by East-West Records just as they were about to release their self-titled debut album which was eventually released in July 1998 (reaching No. 21 in the UK). A second album, Night on Earth, followed before the band split in 2001. Eliot went on to release a solo album in 2004 and another in 2010 as Louis Eliot and The Embers before touring extensively as a member of Grace Jones’s band.
We caught up with Louis after a successful visit to SXSW in Austin to talk about the new record.
Hi Louis. How’s everything going right now?
I’m good thanks. Sun’s out in London and it feels like Spring.
What classic album cover art is your current mood?
The Gift by the Jam . They’re pictured running on it and I’m running around quite a bit at the moment
I caught one of your shows at SXSW and had a wonderful time – it was great hearing the new tracks as well as reminiscing a bit to “Monday Morning 5:19”. Did you enjoy your visit to TX?
it didn’t start well because someone picked up my guitar at the airport thinking it was theirs. Thankfully he came back. Nice guy and Bass player with LCD Soundsystem which cheered me up. l really enjoyed Austin. I’d like to go back.
How was it performing the new songs on your own without a band behind you?
You miss a bit of the camaraderie and when you’re playing solo. But it’s also fun to let the songs speak for themselves and when they work for the audience in that stripped back form it pleases me!
I wasn’t aware that Rialto had reformed (in 2023) so did a double take when I saw the name on the showcases. Why did you get back together after more than 20 years?
I was writing songs that felt more like Rialto than anything I’ve written in a long time. My songs are usually rooted in the place they were written and I found myself in similar places and situations that inspired me first time around with Rialto. We were getting requests to play live and so it all fell into place
If you could only listen to one record, what would it be?
Revolver but I’d skip “Yellow Submarine”
Your new album Neon & Ghost Signs is out on April 25th and is the band’s first record in 24 years. When did you write and record the songs?
Most of Neon & Ghost Signs was written over the two or three years prior to recording.
The debut album was very much of its time with its 60’s influenced sound but the new record is very varied in style. Did you feel you had more freedom to let the songs take you where they wanted to go?
I let more influences in on this record for sure. But maybe that came with age and experience. Playing guitar for Grace Jones all these years may have injected a new element . It was all pretty natural, rather than a conscious decision. As long as the tracks hang together and keep you interested then the range of influences doesn’t matter to me. I definitely didn’t want to do a rehash of the first album but there’s plenty in the new album that connects it to the old records
There seems to be a lot of 90s bands getting back together recently as people remember that time more fondly and it must have been tempting to reform just to cash in. Was it important to you to release some new music as well?
I can’t envisage a future of just playing old songs . As soon as we played a couple of new ones live, I knew that was going to work
Despite having success with your early singles, Rialto were dropped by East West just before your debut album was due to be released. Did that lead you to have a distrust of the industry as part of Rialto and during your career as a solo/touring artist?
Everyone knows the music industry is a game of chances. There are all sorts of forces at play. I didn’t feel badly bruised by being dropped. I’d had plenty of falls and breaking them becomes second nature. It was inconvenient but I’ve had more good luck than lots of other people.
You’re going on tour in the UK later this year with Sleeper which should be a lot of fun as well as doing some launch shows at Rough Trade venues later this month. Are you looking forward to getting back out on the road with the new songs?
Absolutely!
What would go on your signature pizza and what would it be called?
Spinach, ham and some black olives. “The old gucci loafer”
Any other plans for 2025 and beyond?
I’m out on tour with Grace Jones between Rialto stuff. Looking forward to the American run which finishes up at the Hollywood Bowl. And there have been some offers to play outside of the UK with Rialto too, so it looks like a good year.
Rialto were a chart-topping, double-Platinum success in SE Asia and a highly acclaimed cult concern in the UK, but undoubtedly a band ahead of their aesthetic time. Following a second album Night on Earth in 2001 the band split and Eliot spread his wings. He became a regular collaborator with Grace Jones and Supergrass’s Danny Goffey; as a songwriter his credits included the Ivor Novello winning ‘Leave Right Now’ for Will Young; he released a 2004 solo album and “a very rural sounding record” as Louis Eliot And The Embers in 2010, and developed the 8,000 capacity Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall.
You can find out more about Rialto and get tickets for the upcoming shows by visiting their website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest news.
Feature Image Credit – Chris Floyd
