John Squire of The Stone Roses has shared his struggles following an injury that threatened his ability to play the guitar. Speaking to The Guardian, Squire said, “It did panic me.”
Squire detailed the incident, sharing that he broke his wrist back in 2020 when playing basketball with his son. His thumb on his dominant hand was affected, leaving him unsure of whether his guitar-playing days would have to be put behind him. He said, “There was a question mark over whether I would get full use of it back.”
Fortunately, Squire has been able to regain his abilities through a rigorous regime of physiotherapy. The incident ultimately “didn’t just force him to play again; it reignited his desire to do so.”
Squire has recently collaborated with Liam Gallagher on a much-anticipated single, “Just Another Rainbow.” Speaking on the collaboration, Squire shared, “I think we were both surprised at how complementary my guitar tone is with his voice and how the songs I’ve written worked for him.“
Gallagher and Squire have hinted that this will be the start of an ongoing musical relationship, with Gallagher commenting, “If John comes up with another load of songs that are banging, they’ll get it as well. Squire’s got a lot more in him. People look at John as this guitar hero, but he definitely knows how to write a fucking song.”
Squire also reflected on the Stone Roses reunion back in 2016 which ultimately fell flat. The iconic 80s Manchester group came together to put out two new singles, “All For One” and “Beautiful Thing” but a new album never came to fruition. Despite selling out stadiums across the UK and headlining numerous festivals, Squire said, “the general feeling was that nobody was that into even being in a band together, never mind making an album.”
The Stone Roses ultimately disbanded again, leaving a lull in Squire’s music career. Instead, he turned to visual art, co-creating the artwork for “Just Another Rainbow.” He said, “It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, or whether it’s visual or sonic. What makes me tick is creating.”
When questioned on any regrets he may have had within his music career, Squire shared, “There’d be a trade-off. I might not be married. I might not have as many children and I might not have seen as much of them. I don’t feel like I’ve massively fucked up.”
Squire has hinted at more upcoming tracks and has teased some potential tour dates, though nothing has been confirmed as of yet.