Five years ago, Maybeshewill hung up their instruments for what they thought would be the last time. Now, after half a decade away, the post-rock masters are back for their victory lap, armed with the cinematic new album, No Feeling Is Final. Co-founding guitarist John Helps tells Prog the story behind their unexpected return.

Words: Matt Mills Images: Fraser West

On April 15, 2016, Maybeshewill played the biggest show of their lives. After 10 years and four albums of esoteric post-rock, never picturing an audience beyond themselves and their closest friends, they headlined London’s Koko for almost 1,500 people.

“I never imagined that we’d get to play Koko,” the quintet’s guitarist and co-founder, John Helps, cheerily recalls. “We really had to be talked into it by our booking agent. He was like, ‘Don’t worry, we can close the top two balconies; it’ll look great half-full.’ But, it sold out months in advance; it was absolutely incredible.”

By any metric, the show they played that night was a triumph. Maybeshewill serenaded the capital with their instrumental suites for around 90 minutes. Choice cuts ranged from the post-punk flurry of Not For Want Of Trying to Take This To Heart and its choir-backed grandeur, all passionately performed beneath a dancing light show.