Shed Seven have landed their second Number One album – in the same year as their first.

The York band’s latest release Liquid Gold has gone straight to the top spot on the Official Charts after being released last Friday (September 27).

It features reworked hits released at the time of Britpop – Chasing Rainbows, Getting Better, Going for Gold – accompanied by an orchestra.

The album being Number One means the Sheds join a unique list of musicians – including the Beatles and Elvis Presley – to have two albums top the Official Charts in the same year.

“We can’t quite believe we are writing these words, but we’ve only gone and done it again,” the band wrote on social media. “Our second number one album this year.

“Liquid Gold is the official UK Chart number one album beating new releases from major artists including Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga!

“Firstly, thank you to everyone who has bought the record — you truly are the best fans.

“Also, a huge thanks to all the amazing people we worked with on the album, and for helping us create the most beautiful record.

“Thanks to Cooking Vinyl for believing in us.”

They added that it was a “massive win for independent music”.

Speaking to The Press earlier this week, Shed Seven frontman Rick Witter said it was “absolutely amazing” to be leading the midweek charts.

“To potentially have two Number One studio albums within nine months of each other, with two different releases – it’s kind of unheard of in this day and age.”

Success hasn't come without hard work

In January the band landed their first Number One album with A Matter of Time, almost 30 years after forming.

And, six months later, they headlined Museum Gardens as part of two sold-out homecoming gigs.

“It’s amazing to say we’ve been going for 30 years and, I think, we’re having the best year we’ve probably ever had, which is crazy,” reflected Rick.

Rick Witter on stage with Shed Seven at Museum Gardens in JulyRick Witter on stage with Shed Seven at Museum Gardens in July (Image: David Harrison) But the success hasn’t happened overnight, he added. “We’ve put an awful lot of groundwork in over the last 10 years, really. We’ve always been a popular live band… but we kind of accidentally started writing some new material in about 2015 – and realised we’re still quite good at doing it.”

Liquid Gold’s release came as the 30th anniversary of the Sheds’ debut album Change Giver loomed.

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Rick said the band, now with independent record label Cooking Vinyl, “had a good idea” that one or two ex-labels might want to re-release a greatest hits package.

Instead of “re-releasing original compositions with brand new artwork”, he said, they “wanted to do something special for our hardcore fans – and anyone else who might want to get involved”.

“We thought, why don’t we get back in the studio and revisit a handful of our back catalogue – and stick a big orchestra over it.”

An orchestra brought new life to the songs, Rick explained.

Using it allowed them to rework Going for Gold, which he felt was previously very “brass heavy”.

They also felt it time to rework Chasing Rainbows.

Rick admitted they were nervous to do this, given that it’s the Sheds’ most well-known song.

“People have said to me: ‘We buried our friend to that song’ or ‘we buried a family member to that song’ or ‘it was our first dance’ – so yes, we knew we couldn’t go wild with that particular song,” he said. “But I think we’ve done it justice.

“We’ve made it feel fresh and up to date. And we’ve actually put more emotion into what was, already, an emotional song – we’ve doubled the emotion.”

Fans understood this, he added. “Everyone just seems to be loving it.”