The Replacements’ manager says the band will eventually produce an album “you wouldn’t believe” – despite some false starts in the studio.
Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson are currently touring the US after reuniting in 2012 and playing some festival shows the following year.
They’ve recorded twice with guitarist Dave Minehan and drummer Josh Freese, but the results haven’t yet met the band’s standards.
Exec Darren Hill tells Billboard: “The good news is that the band is really gelling, and that’s got to translate when they go back in the studio.
“It’s just a question of what the band wants to ultimately do.”
He adds that Westerberg has a collection of material “you wouldn’t believe” while Stinson has “tons of great songs.”
The Mats also suffered from poor audience response at their Coachella appearance in 2013. Hill says: “I was broken after that. Kids would rather be in an EDM tent tripping on Ecstasy than seeing one of the best rock bands in the world.
“That wasn’t our scene. That’s why we decided to do this tour – we needed to play to our fans and do our own show.”
He reports that almost every show on their Back By Unpopular Demand journey has sold out.
The group are working on a biography called Trouble Boys while a documentary is under negotiation, along with another project Hill says is “huge.” Two vinyl box sets are planned for later this year. An album box set was launched earlier this month. The Mats return to the UK in June for their first appearances in 24 years.
