The English piano-rock band Keane formed back in 1997, but it wasn't until 2004 that the group's album Hopes and Fears took off on the strength of the smash single "Somewhere Only We Know." A Best New Artist Grammy nomination followed, and in the years since, the group has released three more albums: 2006's Under the Iron Sea, 2008's Perfect Symmetry and this year's Strangeland.
Unlike many of its contemporaries, Keane swaps out guitars for piano and synthesizers as its lead instruments, which lends the band's songs a distinct sound. Keane is currently touring the festival circuit, but took a moment off to stop by World Cafe and talk to host Michaela Majoun about fame and the making of its new album. And, of course, it plays a batch of songs from Strangeland.
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