In 2009, Big Big Train released an album that would finally bring them to the attention of a wider audience. A decade on, The Underfall Yard has now been repackaged and reissued on vinyl. Greg Spawton, David Longdon and Nick D’Virgilio recount the making of a record that almost broke the band… and Prog gets the lowdown on their upcoming new recording.

Words: Dave Ling Images: Sophocles Alexiou

First-class: Greg Spawton and David Longdon today, and, right, as seen in  Prog issue 6 back in 2010.

“We were in the black, but it could have gone either way. I figured that if this was going to be my last hurrah then we should really go for it and make something that would be astonishing to listen to.”

David Longdon

Big Big Train do detail like few others. In repackaging their sixth album the group’s goals were twofold: to make a ‘coming of age’ release available on vinyl for the first time and, coincidentally, to commemorate its 10th anniversary. Alas, BBT became so consumed by the minutiae of their objective that the deadline came and went. Two years later than planned, a deluxe reboot of The Underfall Yard is now ready to be wheeled out.

“We’re a fussy band,” admits bassist, guitarist and keyboardist Greg Spawton with a degree of understatement. “We could’ve just pressed The Underfall Yard onto vinyl from the masters but we said, ‘Why not tweak and improve it and add some extra value?’ And then when tours – remember those? – and other things got in the way and it became obvious we had spectacularly missed the anniversary, we decided to spend some time on it.”

The Underfall Yard was an album of many firsts for BBT. It marked the debuts of lead singer David Longdon and of Nick D’Virgilio, the drummer who had played as a guest on its predecessor The Difference Machine, as well as presenting future member Dave Gregory of XTC fame on guitar. Incorporate the fact that the album dared to introduce a brass band for the first time, and its importance grows.