Released on January 5, 2024, via Parlophone Records, "Just Another Rainbow" is the first joint single by former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher and ex-Stone Roses guitarist and songwriter John Squire. Penned by Squire, the track is a psychedelic rocker that paints a bittersweet picture of longing, disappointment, and ultimately, acceptance.
I search the sky
Just another rainbow
No pot of gold
Waiting here for me
"To me the most obvious take on 'Just Another Rainbow' is that it's about disappointment, and the sentiment is that you never get what you really want," said Squire. "But I don't like to explain songs, I think that's the privilege of the listener, it's whatever you want it to be. To me, it's also one of the most uplifting tracks we've made together, which is weird."
While the rainbow doesn't lead to riches, it serves as a catalyst for reflection and an acceptance of life's challenges.
"I live on a hill and I do see a lot of rainbows from there – when they're available," Squire told Apple Music's Zane Lowe. "Well, it just came out that I didn't have a particular urge or need to write a song that was about disappointment, but it scans that way on first listen. But I find it one of the most uplifting tracks on the album."
Though "Just Another Rainbow" marks the official debut single of the duo, Liam Gallagher and John Squire have shared a musical orbit for decades. Gallagher attributes his pivotal moment to seeing The Stone Roses when he was 16, and Squire first recognized the emerging talents of the Gallagher brothers while they were recording their debut album,
Definitely Maybe, at the same studio where The Stone Roses were working on their second LP,
The Second Coming.
Squire made a notable guest appearance at Oasis' historic Knebworth concert in 1996, joining them to perform "
Champagne Supernova." Subsequently, they worked together on the song "Love Me and Leave Me" for The Seahorses, Squire's project after leaving The Stone Roses. This collaboration marked Gallagher's first songwriting credit.
The pair started recording material following John Squire's repeat performance of "Champagne Supernova" at Liam Gallagher's Knebworth shows in June 2022. By late 2023, Gallagher and Squire were hinting at a joint album.
The two Manchester rockers demoed the album at Squire's studio in Macclesfield, UK, before heading over to Los Angeles to record the tracks. Overseeing the production was Greg Kurstin, known for his work with Foo Fighters and Paul McCartney. Kurstin has produced all of Gallagher's solo material.
For this song, Squire plays the guitar and session musician Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M) the drums. Kurstin plays all the other instruments (vibraphone, synthesizer, keyboards, percussion, drums, and bass).
Charles Mehling, who has lensed videos for The Rolling Stones and Kasabian, directed the music video. Filmed in Bury, Lancashire, the visual opens with Gallagher in a poncho traversing an abandoned tunnel, eventually leading a red-parked Squire and band through a live performance. Vibrant marbled projections and psychedelic glimpses, achieved through spinning camera and prismatic lenses, complete the visually disorienting trip.
Liam Gallagher and John Squire topped the UK Albums chart with their self-titled debut collaboration. It marked Gallagher's triumphant 14th #1 album, adding to his impressive record of eight chart-toppers with Oasis and five #1 solo LPs. For John Squire, this collaboration delivered his long-awaited first UK #1 album. Previously, Squire's highest-charting project was with his 1996-1999 band The Seahorses, whose sole album Do It Yourself reached #2 in 1997.
