AFTER their longest break ever, Stereophonics are back with their eighth album, Graffiti on the Train.

It was largely inspired by a real-life event, says frontman Kelly Jones: “It was summer 2010 and I kept hearing footsteps on my roof when I was in bed. I was worried someone was trying to break into the house, but this one night I shouted out to them, you know, ‘What the hell are you doing on my roof?’ kind of thing, and they said they were just trying to get to the railway line across the trees to spray graffiti on the trains.

“I understand kids are bored out of their minds. We all want to find a way to express ourselves and leave our mark on the world, and I was lucky enough to have music. I ended up thinking about someone who might be leaving notes for his girlfriend on the morning train.”

As the album progresses there’s a marriage proposal, a Romeo and Juliet-style romance and, ultimately the death of the protagonist.

Their sell-out tour this month will see the band performing in smaller venues than usual, including Portsmouth Guildhall tonight. They return to Bournemouth International Centre on their arena tour in November.