In a year of music comebacks, the iC1s, a London based gang of five have made a triumphant return to the limelight and seem determined to carry on where they left off over 10 years ago!
Formed in 2010 the iC1s immediately picked up attention and plaudits for their no holds barred live performances, and a debut release “Levitate” (recorded for only £50 ins a south London basement) breaking into the top 200 further enhanced their blossoming reputation. Sharing a stage with Reverend and the Makers, Carl Barat , the Blossoms, The Rifles & the DMAS, being championed by Steve Lamaq and Alan McGee, whilst selling out Londons Scala, it kept getting better!
After signing with Gary from The Libertines label it really seemed a matter of “when” not “if” for them, England’s next great guitar band seemed ready to step forward!
2014 however saw a mix of in fighting and argument’s, largely brought on by poor management saw the iC1s go their separate ways, before their debut album even got recorded, leaving a trail of memories, bar tabs and a huge sense of unfinished business!
As this year has shown with another band from Alan McGee’s playlist, it ain’t over till it’s over!
Discussions about a 10 year reunion last year led to a thawing, differences were settled, glasses were raised and even a couple of new songs were recorded. A subsequent sold out reunion gig at the Camden assembly provided further proof that the magic was still there, and that the public still wanted guitar driven British rock n roll with a soulful vocal, attitude, swagger and a self confidence that comes from knowing they are just very fucking good.
Fast forward a year and the iC1s have closed 2025 with the release of the aptly titled album “What Took You So Long” - currently sold out on vinyl in HMV & Rough trade with 100 000 plus streams. The album launch was another sellout, supported by old friends of Merc Heavyball, the iC1s showed they had lost none of their “powers”, delivering a seamless set of anthemic rock n roll to a audience who proved you can’t keep a good band down!
Merc was delighted to catch up with The iC1S, old friends Dan Coburn (vocals), Jesse James (guitar/ backing vocals), Andy Faulkner (Drums) John Campbell (Guitars / backing Vocals) and Jacob Osman (bass) to here about then, now and later!
1. What led to a band taking such a break when it appeared you were on the brink of big things?
JJ: It was a combination of different things. We were young and we didn't really know what we were doing. We'd been living in each other's pockets for 3 years trying to make it, which creates tension. When we started out, Dan & I had wanted to tour more than anything, but you could make a pretty reasonable argument now that perhaps we lent a little hard into that lifestyle when we were on the road - which exacerbated those tensions. Our manager at the time was playing games, messing us about and pitting us against each other. It all got a bit messy and John and Andy left the band. After that, Dan and I kept it going for a few months and did another project, but by then - I'd had enough and needed some time away from music.
Dan: It was never something that we wanted to happen. We were dreaming big, but a few bad decisions and a lot of bad management later we had been torn apart. We had always been a family, but we let an outsider in and he completely fucked the whole thing up I’m not feeling particularly forgiving about it, even now.
Andy: Yeah, I think we just got to a point where we weren't enjoying it anymore and it didn't look like things were getting any better. The pressure that came with trying to 'make it' and spending so much time together, began to take its toll.
2. What did you get up to during that time?
JJ: I got healthy, sold all my equipment, did some travelling and went to university. I moved to Berlin and was trying to work out what the fuck I was doing if I wasn't doing music. I got my shit together in a lot of ways, but honestly, the band cast a long shadow over me. It felt like although I'd left it alone, it wouldn't leave me alone. I'd go to weddings and tell people what I did for a living and they'd say "But you look like you're in a band!" and I'd just be like "For fucks sake, give me a break".
Dan: I went in and out of shitty little jobs. From washing pots in a kitchen, demolishing cars in a scrap yard and working in a hospital. I started as a porter and about 6 months in, as my luck would have it, the pandemic kicked off. I was taking ten bodies to the mortuary a day in those times. Like Jesse says though, you can’t just shake off the feeling that we had unfinished business. It hangs around your neck like a noose. I did some solo music, but I don’t like being solo. I like fronting a band and I have the best one of those.
3. Did you all stay in touch?
JJ: Barely. I think I spoke to Andy, John and Jacob once or twice in ten years and before we got back together, I'd not spoken to Dan in 5 years or more.
Dan: We all spoke once about doing a reunion. Either side of that meeting it was radio silence. I mean, I don’t blame them. Being on tour with me is no easy ride. The party just seemed to follow me - or I followed the party!? So I’m sure they were all glad of the peace. But of course, they’ve lost that again now.
Andy: Some more than others! But there was never any animosity!
4. What led to the band getting back together?
JJ: We met up in December 2019 with the view to maybe playing a 5 year reunion show. We had a bit of an all day session, but it wasn't meant to be. A couple of months later the pandemic happened. It was almost as if the notion of iC1s reforming had brought about the end of the world. In the back of my mind I was thinking "I'll try again in 5 years time".
Jacob: Before that thought, I saw Jesse outside my house when I was putting the bins out! A ‘What are you up to these days?’ led to ‘Don’t you just miss being on stage?’ Then it went from there. Although the reunion didn’t work out in 2019, had I not been putting my bins out…
JJ: In 2023, I started writing songs in my head until I caved in and bought a guitar and a small studio set up. I started demoing some songs - one of which was 'Soul on Trial' and I thought fuck it, so I reached out to Dan for the first time in years with it. By the next morning he'd written and recorded lyrics for it. From there - Dan asked Jacob, Jacob asked Andy, Andy asked John and here we are 1 year later having recorded an album, played a few sold out shows and are joining Inspiral Carpets for some dates on their tour. Pretty wild.
Andy: Yeah, when we spoke about potentially reforming - there was a mutual recognition that what we had together was quite a unique experience and that we were extremely lucky. Also, there was a longing to hear a room full of grown adults screaming "I’m a little bit Wack Jack" back at us. Who wouldn’t want that?
Dan: In hindsight now, I think our return was inevitable. Jesse was at the forefront of our reconciliation. He didn’t need to convince me. I was playing a solo show in Farringdon and low and behold what twat was in the crowd? Jesse. I saw him and dedicated ‘Levitate’ to him. We had a chat after the show and the next day I got the call about reforming. I’m not sure if seeing me live forced that call, or that was always his plan but either way, he knew my arm wouldn’t need to be twisted. I’m all in.
JJ: It wasn’t my plan at all, but I came home and was just like “Fuck. We’re gonna have to put the band back together”.
John: I actually found out only recently I was the last to be asked! I guess the thinking was if everyone's in then I'd find it harder to say no! But it wasn't a difficult decision to say yes.
5. How did it feel when you all got back in the same room for the first time?
JJ: We all walked in, said hello, had a hug. All very civil stuff. Then we plugged in our guitars and went straight into 'Levitate' and it was like those 10 years apart hadn't happened. As soon as the drums dropped in I thought 'shit, here we go again'.
John: It was like nothing had changed. We were bang on just like the old times.
Andy: We just let the music do the talking. We went straight into ‘Levitate’ and we knew from then that we'd made the right decision… and there was probably no going back!
Dan: It felt good, you know? Like ten years had just flashed before our eyes and there we were again. A bit older, a bit wiser, a bit better looking.
6. Were you worried that your fanbase may have moved on?
JJ: It's something I thought about when we booked the show. It’s like ‘maybe everyone's moved on - had kids, got married and moved away’. But we sold it out and that's what spurred the album on. It was like - this is bigger than it was before, we should probably do that album now ay lads.
Dan: Personally, I wasn’t worried about the fanbase moving on. It was as much unfinished business for them as it was for us. We have the best fans going. They’re part of the show. My performance is always based on theirs and they’ve never let us down. So making the album was for them too. ‘Thank you for your patience - here’s something that will melt your face off’.
7. What took you so long (blinding name for an album title given the back story) features reworked classic iC1s tunes alongside new material like “Soul on Trial” - was there rustiness when you got back to writing and recording?
Dan: I don’t think there was too much rustiness. It may have been a long time since we recorded anything, but it just felt like the easiest process. Our producer Michael Smith, creates a great vibe in the studio. You spend a lot of time there, so you want to be comfortable and free to express yourself without prejudice.
JJ: Not really for me. I'd been writing and recording for a few months before, so I was ready to go. You'll have to ask the others. I know John rocked up to the first rehearsal having only just got his guitar out of the garage.
John: From a writing point of view, no. I wrote some of these songs years ago, so it was a relief to know they would finally see the light of day. In terms of recording, we were in very safe hands with Michael Smith, our producer.
Jacob: I don’t know lads, there was from me. My ‘One Take Jake’ nickname is long gone.
8. What’s the recording process like for the band?
JJ: We all got together for a weekend and laid down some guide versions of the songs. At that stage, you don't have your full set up - it's just about getting something together that Andy and Jake could use to put the Drums and Bass down. After that John and I spent 4 or 5 days putting guitars down. Then Dan started putting vocals down. That's the easy bit. The hard part is working through the mixes and trying not to piss off our producer Smithy. Thankfully, he's known us for a long time, so he can tell us when we're being dickheads and obsessing over little bits that don't matter. Me and Smithy actually used to be mortal enemies back in the day. I was the guitarist in iC1s and he was the guitarist in 12 Dirty Bullets. That's enough to start a war. But time moves on. We put our egos to one side and now we're great friends. Working with him was an absolute joy and he's part of our family now.
Dan: Well first of all, you need to know if it’s Belgium buns or donuts that day. Once that’s sorted, you can start doing guide tracks. As the singer I do my bit last, so for me, it’s a lot of waiting around. Guitar, after guitar, after fucking guitar. It’s a long process, but the rewards are obvious. I couldn’t be more proud of this album. It’s the best album this year. Hands down.
9. iC1s have a reputation as a band that gives everything live - how did it feel to be back up on stage at a sold out Dingwalls for the album launch?
Dan: That reputation is correct. As a live band, we are on point. I’d love to go to one of our shows. There’s no dancing or stage gimmicks. No fire eaters or trapeze artists. It’s just rock n roll. Five lads playing the music they want to listen to. Being on stage is why you do this shit. There’s no feeling like it, no drug that can ever give you a high like that. If rock n roll is a drug, I’m a fucking addict.
JJ: Well, we had the worst soundcheck in the history of soundchecks. It was the soundman's first day at school and it showed. So I was worried we were going to fall at the final hurdle. When you're up there, you don't always take it all in. It wasn't until afterwards when I saw peoples videos from the crowd that I realised what we'd actually achieved. Selling out Dingwalls after 10 years away, without management, without a label, without any promotion or clout. That's no small feat. Now I just want to do it again. There's a Bukowski quote "Find your love and let it kill you". I'll be happy to be on stage until the lights go out.
Andy: I still haven’t fully processed the album launch. It was a huge night for us. We knew we had a fanbase, but it was amazing to see so many new faces at the show.
John: Playing live was always my favourite thing to do. Recording is fun, don’t get me wrong, but nothing beats performing live. That will never grow old. But I was less nervous than I thought I would be, so that helped!
10. What were your standout memories of the gig?
JJ: People singing along with us. Especially to 'Beautiful Ugly'. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Also seeing old faces, people had travelled from all over to be there after all that time away. It's humbling that our music still matters to people.
Jacob: For me it was when we were eating before the gig in Shakeshack. We looked out of the window and noticed the queue from the door of the venue up to the main road. I remember thinking at that moment - this is going to go down.
Andy: I actually don't get to see much sitting at the back. But I looked out during wack jack and saw a wave of people absolutely losing their minds. It was a very special moment.
Dan: It’s all a bit of a blur. As soon as you’re stepping on, you’re stepping off. I don’t know what I’ve said or done. It’s like I’ve been in a trance. But seeing videos after of everyone singing the words back at me. It’s a fucking special feeling. I wrote those lyrics on my bed at home and now a full house is singing them back at me. Not many will experience that. It’s quite humbling.
John: ‘Beautiful Ugly’. The crowd got their phone torches out and that was quite a view from the stage. I don’t think I’ve experienced a better moment on stage.
11. What’s on the playlist before you take the stage to get you in the zone?
John: Nothing! We mostly just pace up and down, chat nonsense, search for bottle openers and fight for the mirror. It’s all very rock n roll.
Dan: In the build up to the show, I was only listening to our album. I wouldn’t allow myself to get out of that zone. On the day of the show I didn’t listen to anything. The only thing I put on my headphones was a vocal warm up video. Yeah, I’m that guy now!
JJ: Yeah, nothing immediately before the show - however I was listening to a lot of punk in the run up to get into the zone. The week of the show I was listening to The Ramones on repeat.
12. What does an iC1s rider look like?
JJ: Absolutely nothing like it used to! Personally, and I don't want to be thatguy, but I don't really drink anymore - so it was a few 0% beers for me. For those boys, there were 3 cases of beer - which I'm confident were polished off before the show even started.
Dan: If I had my way, it would include curry and beer. Everything should include curry and beer really. Going to watch football? Curry and beer. Off to the show? Curry and beer please. Visiting a friend in the hospital? Curry and beer. Actually, I haven’t eaten today, so…
13. How has “what took you so long” been received?
Andy: Much better than we could have imagined really.
JJ: Yeah. It’s been received really well. It had over 100,000 streams in its first month. Louder Than War covered it on its release and we supported The Rifles the day it came out. We got some good steer because we sold dozens of copies of it on vinyl that night - it was weird watching people dancing to The Rifles while holding a copy of our album.
Dan: People are really into it. The vinyl has been flying off the shelves. I honestly think it’s one of the best albums right now. It’s what has been lacking in the industry. A proper rock n roll album. I’ve been dying to hear something like this myself for years. If you want a job done properly, do it yourself. Dan: People are really into it. The vinyl has been flying off the shelves. I honestly think it’s one of the best albums right now. It’s what has been lacking in the industry. A proper rock n roll album. I’ve been dying to hear something like this myself for years. If you want a job done properly, do it yourself.
14. What’s next for the Band ?
JJ: We've got some shows with Inspiral Carpets on their winter tour and some Northern gigs in the works. But the main focus now is going to be album 2. We've got about 30 new songs ready to go, so we need to figure out what 2026 looks like. But it looks good!
Dan: There’s loads in the pipeline. Everything we do seems to move up a level. That’s thanks in no small part to Jesse, who really has spearheaded this whole operation. 2026 will be another big year for us.
15. Describe the iC1s in 3 words:
Andy: Loud. Passionate. Emotive.
JJ: Punk. Gang. Spirited.
Dan: The.Best.Band
John: Anthemic. Infectious. Aspirational
Jacob: Heavy. Emotional. Unfiltered
Quick fire fives
5 favourite album
JJ: iC1s - What Took You So Long?, Nirvana - Bleach, AFI - Answer That & Stay Fashionable, Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Kings of Leon - Comearound Sundown
Dan: Oasis - Definitely Maybe, The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses, The Beatles - Rubber Soul, The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead, iC1s - What Took You So Long?
Andy: Oasis - Definitely Maybe, Oasis - (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, Arctic Monkeys - What People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks,Nirvana - Nevermind
Jacob: Oasis - Be Here Now, Smashing Pumpkins - Adore, Ride - OX4 The Best of Ride, The Verve - Urban Hymns, Shame - Songs of Praise
John: Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town, Oasis - (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, The Beatles - Rubber Soul, Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home, Otis Redding - Otis Blue
5 favourite films
JJ: Terminator 2 Judgement Day (x5). They stopped making films after that I think!?
Dan: Dead Man’s Shoes, Apocalypse Now, Goodfellas, Friday, Finding Nemo
Andy: Goodfellas, Wolf of Wall Street, Quadrophenia, Lock Stock, Happy Gilmore
John: Godfather I, Godfather II, Fight Club, Usual Suspects, Parasite
Jacob: Alife (Original with Michael Caine!), Mean Streets, Die Hard With a Vengeance, Flight of the Navigator, The Man With The Golden Gun
5 favourite items of clothing
JJ: I just bought some Clarks desert boots and it's like wearing a pair of dreams. Other than that, I'm a big fan of a long coat. This year I got a green checkered one from Toast and if you took away all of my positions I'd be fine, just leave me that fucking coat.
Dan: Adidas originals windbreakers, Adidas Gazelles, Fred Perry jumpers, Spurs shirt, Everything Merc… of course.
John: Flat cap, White Tee, Charcoal Jeans, Boots, My old man's leather jacket from the 70s!
5 favourite songs
JJ: I actually can't answer this. Know that I tried.
Dan: The Smiths - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, Stone Roses - This Is The One, The Beatles - In My Life, iC1s - Levitate, Oasis - Some Might Say
Words by Richie Kyle
Photos by Neil McCarty and Marek Puc
