Why Liam Fray thinks Courteeners' St. Jude still connects with their fans

2 April 2025, 18:08 | Updated: 2 April 2025, 18:39

Liam Fray - Not Nineteen Forever

The Courteeners frontman explains how the band's debut album resonated with young people in the '00s.

By Radio X

The Courteeners' debut album St. Jude was released on Monday 7th April 2008.

The first outing for the Middleton band included tracks such as Cavorting, What Took You So Long? and the anthemic Not Nineteen Forever.

The album was a critical and commercial success, taking Liam Fray and co to number 4 on the UK Album Chart.

Why was St. Jude so well-loved and received at the time? And how much of the album can they thank for their loyal fanbase? The frontman has an idea or two. Find out what he thinks here.

VIDEO: What Is The Story Behind Courteeners' Cavorting?

Liam Fray in Manchester, December 2008. Picture: Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage/Getty Images

Why does Courteeners' St. Jude still connect with their fans?

Speaking to Radio X ahead of the album's 10th anniversary in 2018, Liam Fray told John Kennedy: "I don't know why, but we did somehow connect with people on that record."

The Middleton rocker added: "And I don't know why, but If you connect with people when on the cusp of adulthood, you know like 18,19, 20. If you can connect with people at that age and you can really talk to them through an album, then I think you can hang onto them."

Liam Fray on how Courteeners have changed in 10 years

If it isn't down to their age, it could certainly be down the album's true-to-life lyrics.

Speaking specifically about Not Nineteen Forever, Fray said: “It’s about, I guess, growing old, not wanting to grow up."

Hinting at Britain's binge drinking culture, the frontman mused: “Well, the first lyric is: ‘She tried to peel me off the pavement,’ so if you want to know why it’s connected with the British public I would guess… [it's because of this].

"I don’t know if that’s a great representation of who we are, but maybe. I guess there’s a lot of honesty.”

Liam Fray on Cavorting by Courteeners

And when it comes to Cavorting, Fray admitted their first single was directly inspired by what they were seeing on the Manchester music scene at the time.

“Cavorting is actually us taking a pot shot at the guys that we knew that were in bands in Manchester that were strutting round thinking they were the dogs," he told John Kennedy.

"They were perhaps treating people [...] like they could just do what they wanted cos they were in a band."