Haircut 100’s New Album 'Boxing the Compass' Marks a Triumphant Return

Haircut 100’s new album 'Boxing the Compass' reunites the band’s signature pop and jazz sound after 44 years, blending nostalgia with fresh energy.

A Long-Awaited Reunion for Haircut 100

It’s hard to believe that the last Haircut 100 album featuring Nick Heyward was released 44 years ago! Back in 1982, the band dropped their debut album Pelican West, a record that defined their bright, catchy sound and launched hits like “Love Plus One.” After Heyward’s departure to pursue a solo career, the band released a follow-up album without him in 1984, titled Paint and Paint, but it never captured the original magic.

Fast forward to 2022, and the original lineup—Heyward, bassist Les Nemes, and guitarist Graham Jones—came together again to celebrate Pelican West’s 40th anniversary with a deluxe box set reissue. This special collaboration reignited the band’s spark, leading to a reunion performance on BBC Radio 2’s “Piano Room,” a triumphant concert at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, and an 18-show run with longtime drummer Blair Cunningham. Fueled by this momentum, they embarked on recording their first album together in over four decades: Boxing the Compass.

Holding It Together: The Role of a Manager

Reunions aren’t always easy, and Haircut 100’s history reflects that. Although there were reunion attempts over the years—including a 2004 comeback for VH1’s Bands Reunited—lasting cohesion proved elusive. Nick Heyward candidly admits, “We could get back together, but staying together is really hard, especially in today’s world.”

What changed this time? The introduction of Melvyn J Taub, the band’s manager, was the secret ingredient. Taub, who sadly passed in 2024, brought the stability and vision the band lacked in their early ’80s heyday. “It was a combination of Melvyn and the universe,” says Nemes. According to Heyward, Taub had a bold plan to take the band beyond their previous successes.

Boxing the Compass: Navigating New Directions with Classic Flair

The album’s nautical-inspired title, Boxing the Compass, perfectly captures the band’s journey—a course correction and fresh direction after a long hiatus. Remarkably, despite the decades that have passed, the album sounds as if no time has elapsed, delivering that unmistakable blend of pop, soul, funk, and jazz that made Haircut 100 a standout.

The opening track, “Come Back to Me,” picks up right where Heyward’s last song with the band, 1982’s “Nobody’s Fool,” left off. Inspired partly by a line from the 2007 film Atonement, the song takes listeners on a nostalgic journey back to the post-war 1960s and ’70s, complete with vintage vibes evoking Vauxhall Vivas and dreams of eternal youth.

Throughout Boxing the Compass, Haircut 100’s signature beat-shifting sound shines through on tracks like “Vanishing Point” and “Soulbird.” The dancefloor-ready “Raincloud” actually dates back to 2008, showing how the band has been simmering ideas for years. The pace slows for the mellow “Sunshine,” but picks back up on the playful “The Unloving Plum,” the oldest tune on the album, initially demoed in 1999.

“Well, it’s a book, isn’t it? ... The best albums do that.”
— Nick Heyward on Boxing the Compass

The closing track, “A Wonderful Life,” drenched in soulful saxophone jazz, is another gem from the archives, recorded back in 2008. Heyward eloquently compares the album to a book, with each song serving as a chapter that tells a story, a concept dear to fans who cherish the immersive journey of a great record.

Studio Magic with Sean Read

Recording for Boxing the Compass took place in East London under the guidance of producer and musician Sean Read. Known for his work with Dexys, Soulsavers, Beth Orton, and more, Read helped the band tap into Heyward’s old demos while nurturing fresh creativity.

For bassist Les Nemes, the real magic happened during band rehearsals when ideas flowed freely and the music was made up on the spot. “We’d go in and make stuff up,” recalls Heyward. This spontaneous jamming birthed several new tracks, including “Someone,” “Sunshine,” “Vanishing Point,” and “Come Back to Me.”

Nemes is eager to capture this live, organic feel on future projects, hoping their next album will be recorded mostly live with minimal overdubs—just the band playing together in the moment.

Heyward paints a poetic picture of those sessions: “It was just like rolling mist down the river, maybe late September when the river has a mist on it, and you get spiders, webs, foliage.”

A Touch of Humor and Dreams of the Future

The band doesn’t take themselves too seriously, often joking about their next creative ventures. They’ve even toyed with the idea of diving into prog rock, with Nemes quipping, “And we’ll all wear wizard hats and capes.” Heyward added with a laugh, “And we’re dressed as spiders.”

The album almost had an alternate title: Boxing the Compost, a playful nod to their witty spirit.

Revisiting the Early ’80s Energy

Listening to Boxing the Compass takes you right back to 1982, when Haircut 100 first burst onto the scene with infectious energy and charm. The band still captures that joy as they prepare for their fall 2026 tour supporting Squeeze and Adam Ant—two names intertwined with their early history. Remember, they shared the Top of the Pops stage with Squeeze in 1981 and even appeared as a comic strip alongside Adam Ant in Look In magazine.

The band also harbors a utopian dream of building a live-in studio on a cliff edge in Cornwall. By day, guitarist Graham Jones would run it as a bed and breakfast; by night, Haircut 100 would record their music. This echoes their early ’80s lifestyle when Heyward, Nemes, and Jones shared a flat above a flower shop in London, living and breathing music together.

Wisdom With Age and Friendship

As they’ve grown older, the band has gained a fresh perspective on life and music. Heyward reflects on the lessons learned: “Most things really don’t matter. How many times have you put yourself through something, then thought, ‘What a waste of time and energy that was?’ Nothing is ever as bad as you imagine.”

Nemes adds, “We don’t have knee-jerk reactions anymore. You spend your whole life looking up at the stars and thinking you’re just this tiny speck in a massive universe. You shouldn’t get upset about what someone said the day before. Just let it go and move on.”

Now, more than ever, they’re true friends. Heyward sums it up perfectly: “Best friends play, and they bicker, and they fall out, and then they fall back in.”

A Pandemic Perspective and Serendipitous Reunion

In 2021, during the pandemic, Heyward watched Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary Get Back, which struck a chord. “Our dreams were taken away for a while. It was a whole new world, and nobody really knew what was happening. I thought, ‘All they had to do was turn up to the studio, and that’s what we were doing.’ We keep turning up because we’re too old to split up.”

Their reunion almost feels destined. Heyward reflects, “We didn’t do anything. It all landed at our feet. People approached us so many times that after a while, we just thought, ‘Maybe the universe is telling us all you have to do is turn up, and I’ll arrange everything else.’ So we just went along with it and kept turning up. And we’re still turning up.”

FAQ

• How long has it been since Haircut 100 released an album with Nick Heyward?
  It’s been 44 years since the band’s debut album Pelican West in 1982, featuring Heyward.
• What inspired the album title Boxing the Compass?
  It's a nautical term referring to changing direction, symbolizing the band's fresh musical journey and course correction.
• Who joined the band as a manager to help keep them together?
  Melvyn J Taub became their manager and helped stabilize the group during their recent reunion phase.
• How did the band describe their recording process for Boxing the Compass?
  They embraced spontaneous jams and rehearsals, creating songs live in the studio with minimal overdubs.
• What are Haircut 100’s plans for the future?
  They plan to tour in fall 2026 and even dream of building a live-in studio in Cornwall to continue creating music together.

For fans who cherish the vibrant spirit of Haircut 100, why not bring a piece of that joy home? Shop your favorite album cover posters and celebrate the band’s legacy in style at our store here. It’s a warm way to keep the music close and the memories alive.