Liam Gallagher and John Squire project came about because of a mutual appreciation for each others’ shoes

Let it be known that Liam Gallagher and John Squire’s collaborative album was born out of a mutual appreciation for each others’… you guessed it, shoes.

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“Footwear brought us together,” says the Stone Roses guitar legend of his latest project [via MOJO].

Following Squire’s appearance at Liam’s Knebworth concerts in June 2022, where he joined in for an encore performance of Champagne Supernova, the Oasis rocker showed his gratitude by gifting Squire two pairs of brand new moccasins — a gesture that, as Gallagher would have it, held the key to Squire’s affections.

“Hand-made from Portugal, with tassels,” Gallagher recalls. “Bit mad-looking, but beautiful.”

The pair’s shared interest in shoes could be traced to their first meeting, which took place in early 1994. Oasis were in the process of recording their debut album Definitely Maybe at the Monnow Valley studio in Wales, while Squire was stationed nearby in Rockfield, two years into the making of Second Coming, the highly-anticipated follow-up to The Stone Roses’ explosive debut record.

The two musicians eventually crossed paths in the nearby town of Monmouth, with Gallagher quizzing his new friend on the shoes he was wearing on the back cover of the first Stone Roses album.

“Every time I’ve run into him since, he’s had some question about my shoes,” says Squire.

“I remember watching the video for the Roses’ Fools Gold and thinking, Squire’s got Vans on! The black slip-ons,” Gallagher adds. “That was a big moment. Get a pair of Vans, then.”

On his way home from rehearsals for the Knebworth performance in 2022, Squire sent Gallagher a similar message about the shoes he’d been wearing that afternoon.

“Clarks Caravans,” says Liam. “Beauties.” It was then that the rocker made the decision to send Squire two pairs of moccasins as a gift. In return, Gallagher received an offer from Squire, who asked at the time: “I’ve got two songs I’ve been writing, would you like to sing on them?”

“Of course,” Gallagher says. “John’s songs are the reason I got into music in the first place.”

Though he had one condition: “I needed guitars back in my life. There’d been a lack of them on [C’mon You Know]. I told him I’d only do it as long as there’s loads of guitars on the songs.”

Lucky for the both of them, “loads of guitars is my middle name,” teases Squire.