WHILE Kiss front-man Gene Simmons recently doubled down on his statement that "rock is dead", perhaps he is unaware of The Answer. The Co Down band built up a global following upon the release of their debut long-player Rise, putting them firmly on the map with the rock community.
They soon had invites to support heavyweights including Aerosmith and AC/DC while Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page declared himself a fan.
Talking to me down the line, while driving to Dublin, front-man Cormac Neeson remembers Boston's Aerosmith inviting The Answer to play at Hyde Park being a pivotal moment.
"It was really early in our career and we didn't want to stop and think about it," he recalls.
"We were going on before Aerosmith in front of 75,000 at London's Hyde Park and it turned out to be one of those landmark moments for the band.
"We really enjoyed it and it was where we realised, 'We can do this, we deserve to be here, let's do everything we can to keep doing it'".
The band were soon requested to support both The Who and The Rolling Stones. "We played with the Stones in Belgrade in front of 90,000 fans, they invited us into their travelling Rattlesnake Lounge, and we got handed a drink and met the band. They were very sociable, Mick Jagger came in and said, 'Are you Scottish guys?'. When we explained we were Irish, he was like, 'It's just a joke'...
"What an inspiring thing to watch Mick Jagger do his thing up close, what an experience."
The band continued to support the titans of rock building up a strong bond with AC/DC and their audience during the Black Ice Tour.
"It was unreal, a year of our lives I'll never forget," confirms Neeson. "We got to know the band and their families really well.
"It was 120-plus shows and they took us under their wing. Malcolm (Young, who died in 2017) was pulling the strings and making sure we were comfortable and treated well.
"Often there would be a knock at the door and Brian (Johnson) and Cliff (Williams) would be there with a bottle of wine - they seemed to enjoy the craic travelling the world with four Irish boys.
"Malcolm and Angus (Young) were big fans of Father Ted so there was a lot of Father Ted-related craic with those two. We got to know the band's kids well because they were around the same age as us, while they (AC/DC) were getting showered after the show their kids would all hang out in our dressing room and have a bit of a party. It was like one big family with the band, the travelling party and the crew."
The tour rolled on, taking in iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden and Giants Stadium in New York.
"That was amazing because we played The Late Show with David Letterman around the date of the MSG show - we didn't think about it at the time; if you did your mind would be blown," says Neeson.
Seven years is a long time in the life of a band; Neeson explains that after finding success, The Answer needed to take a break.
"It was a conscious decision after Solas (2016). We experimented quite a bit on that record and it pushed us into a different place," he explains.
"We had come off a year-and-a-half touring that record so the time was right to take a break. We didn't want to keep going for the sake of it.
"You need that raw passion in a band to make the good stuff happen, it would never work if you were bound to record through a contract or just had nothing else to do, we didn't want to get caught up in this hamster-on-a-wheel mentality."
While The Answer were on hiatus Neeson decided to record his 2018 solo album White Feather in Nashville.
"I was part of a group of songwriters from Belfast, it was an exchange-type situation and I ended up making an album there," he explains.
"The others benefited from the break as well, Micky (Waters, bass) began to write for television and film and Paul (Mahon, guitarist) did his own stuff at a studio in Paris.
"We've all continued making music but come back to this with a refreshed love for what we do together. To be in a band like The Answer is a great experience, they are all amazing players and we are great friends, so to return to this seven albums down the line is a powerful thing."
The Answer harnessed a sense of that renewed vitality on the lead single from Sundowners. Blood Brother was a reminder of the band's potency.
"We enjoy making music and haven't done it in a while, it was more acute. There was something special about getting back in the studio," says Neeson.
"We were enjoying each other's company and a sense of getting back to the identity of the band. We didn't take anything for granted and savoured every moment - you can hear that we are happy to be back together in a room.
"The narrative of the album is very positive. It's feel-good rock music designed to help people forget the day-to-day and forget whatever stresses of the moment might be eating away at them."
Of the new single Want You To Love Me he adds: "When a friend asks me to give them a sneak peek of what this new album of ours sounds like, the first song I play them is Want You To Love Me.
"I just sit back and watch their heads start to bob up and down. This song is what we're all about right now - dirty blues rock that hopefully makes you feel pretty damn good."
Conor's two young sons have also been introduced to The Answer. A particular favourite is the catchy duet Nowhere Freeway with former Saint Jude singer Lynne Jackaman, recorded for third album Revival.
"It's my little boys' favourite song. We knew Lynne from her former band, Saint Jude. She thrashed that one out in an afternoon, she brought such a good feeling and is an amazing singer. We were challenging each other a bit - another great singer does that and keeps you on top of your game, it was a fun experience."
:: Want You To Love Me is released on January 13 2023. Sundowners will follow on March 17 2023.
