Those Damn Crows’ Shane Greenhall: "Running for Number 1 is unreal, dude!"

The race for this week's Official Number 1 album is on; and Bridgend boys Those Damn Crows currently take the lead for their first-ever chart-topper.

God Shaped Hole - the fourth studio album from Shane Greenhall, Ian "Shiner" Thomas, David Winchurch, Lloyd Wood and Ronnie Huxford - is on track to surpass the band's previous Number 3 best, secured with 2023 record Inhale/Exhale.

Today, as the lads hurtle towards their first Number 1, we catch up with Shane to talk rock's chart renaissance, a stacked summer and some 'seriously messy' celebrations.

MORE: Where every Those Damn Crows song and album has charted in the UK

Hey, Shane - happy God Shaped Hole release week! How are you feeling?

It's unreal, dude. I can't get my head around it, honestly. We're travelling the UK's record stores, doing a little acoustic set, meeting the fans and just saying thank you for all the support.

Finding out we're in with a shot at Number 1 is unreal, dude!

How's the reaction from fans at the record stores been?

The hype is real, and it's amazing seeing them as excited as we are. We're all in this together. To be in amongst it with some of the names that are trying to get that top spot is ridiculous. The excitement is unbelievable.

So deserved, though. You boys have been putting the hours in...

That means a lot, man. We've been in this game quite a while, so to be in with a shot at Number 1 now is just so rewarding and a testament to the fan base. We'll keep going and see what happens.

It must be fun to celebrate release week in these record shops, almost going back to your grassroots?

100 percent. It's almost like going back in time, when there were no streams. This was the only way you heard new music; going to a store, picking up a CD, picking up a vinyl.

So to be back in there doing it, performing to those like-minded people in our fan base; it's sick, man. It's surreal. It's beautiful. It's wonderful.

11 years into your career, you're still in the running for the UK's Number 1 album. If you ever needed proof as to your longevity...

Yeah, it's our fourth album. The last album went to Number 3 in the charts, and for God Shaped Hole to still be at Number 1 midweek is just mind-blowing.

You premiered the first new track from the record at Download 2024. How's the journey to release week been since then?

We released Let's Go Psycho! as the first single off the album when we played the main stage at Download, and we finished recording back at the end of 2024, or just into 2025. It feels like it's been ages since we recorded it, and now it's actually come to fruition. Here we are in release week! What a journey, dude. From the main stage in 2024, playing the first song, to now being in with a shot for the top spot is ridiculous.

It's almost like a relief, dude. The album's out, now everyone can go and listen to it. We've had amazing reviews. Everyone's saying it's probably the most diverse album we've done to date. It's been so nice. It's been nothing but love, man, and it's a beautiful thing.

It must be quite validating for fans to notice that evolution, sonically and lyrically?

For sure! I guess you're always hoping to evolve; hoping to do something different from the last record. But there's no way on earth we could have written this record five, six years ago.

It's an evolution of where we've been. A lot of stuff has happened to us personally. We've lost loved ones and it's an amalgamation of life, isn't it?

Albums are a proper milestone of where you are in life. This is definitely the most diverse record. We've got some heavy, hard bangers in there, dude. We've got some chaotic punk rock songs, and then you've got these vulnerable, beautiful ballads. It's got everything, this record. There's no other Crows record like this one.

It's great to see a rock act doing so well right now. Are there any others you want to give a shout out to?

There aren't as many rock bands in the charts these days as there were back in the day, you know? The fact that The Darkness just picked up a Number 2 album [with Dreams On Toast] is great. They're always flying the flag. We support any band putting rock music where it should be, back in the charts. It's a brilliant thing, man. Rock music's never gone away!

Sleep Token just got their first-ever Top 10 single which feels like a milestone moment, too...

They've just blown up - they're the hottest band in the world right now! It's amazing to see. We know them fairly closely. What you think is a dream is becoming a reality for people within the industry, you know? It really inspires you and makes you think 'well, why not? Why can't we do it?' And here we are.

WATCH Those Damn Crows' Dreaming music video:

How's your summer looking? Pretty busy, we take it?

Incredible, dude. We're heading to Germany, doing some shows there, we're headlining Steelhouse Festival in Wales, then we're on our big UK headline tour in October. I think we've only got September off! It's sick, man. It's where you want to be as a band; super busy, out playing shows.

Nice! Finally, Shane, how will you boys celebrate if you bag the Number 1 spot this Friday?

Dude, it could get seriously messy! It could actually jeopardize the tour, haha. It could be monumental to the point where we can't do shows that day.

It'll just be one big party, bro! It's a success to us regardless, but if it goes to Number 1 the next two months are just going to be sheer celebration; thanking everybody that's involved. Let's get sh*tfaced!

Find out if Those Damn Crows can claim their first-ever Official Number 1 album this Friday, April 18 from 4pm BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart with Jack Saunders, and right here at OfficialCharts.com.

Those Damn Crows' God Shaped Hole is out now via Earache Records.