Stereophonics: Son's cancer treatment inspired Kelly Jones song

Forever is "celebratory" song on Stereophonics' latest album

Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones has revealed his latest song was written about the "serious and scary" period where his first child was being treated for cancer.

The song, Forever, features on the Welsh rock band's new album Oochya!

It was written when his now-teenage son Colby was about 18 months old.

Jones rediscovered the unused track while working on new Stereophonics material during lockdown.

The melodic down-tempo song includes the lyrics "fly away forever" and "take your pain for you and release you".

Jones said he felt the sentiment would resonate with listeners today.

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"Forever was written quite a long time ago lyrically and at the time it was about being faced with something quite serious and scary in my life," said Jones.

Adam Zindani, Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics, and Kelly's wife Jakki Healy

Jones has two children with his former partner Rebecca Walters and two with his wife, MTV journalist, Jakki Healy.

Colby is the singer's eldest child.

"That song was about - my first kid at the time - going through cancer when they were like 18 months, 19 months old," said Jones, who is from Cwmaman, Rhondda Cynon Taf

"Not knowing how I was going to deal with it and trying to protect the person who was going through it.

"It became like wanting to escape, but you can't escape because you have to face whatever is going on."

The Stereophonics frontman, Kelly Jones is from Cwmaman, Rhondda Cynon Taf

Jones said he never forgot about the previously unreleased song, and believed it "fit the feeling" of the new album.

"It's about freedom and it's about escapism, but it's also about, I guess, you have to keep on keeping on through it, throughout whatever the tough times are.

"I just thought the lyric was quite... it wasn't ambiguous but it was open for interpretation.

"Because I think as much as the song was about something very, very personal, the sentiment of how the song makes you feel is quite celebratory."