Chris Braide and Dean Johnson, who first collaborated in the late 1990s, have reunited to release a remixed version of their 2005 album The Upside. The album, originally recorded at Virgin Townhouse Studio, is set for release on April 23, 2026, via Upside Records. Their partnership, formed by chance, endured despite diverging careers in the music industry.
Chris Braide, a songwriter and producer from Warrington, and Dean Johnson, a lyricist from Birkenhead, met around the turn of the millennium through an introduction by Chris Difford, with an indirect link to Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze. This chance encounter led to their invitation to a songwriting retreat in Devon, where their shared northern roots fostered a creative bond. Braide's melodic pop style complemented Johnson's sharp lyrics, sparking a partnership that began with songs written in 1998.
In the pre-internet era, Johnson sent lyrics from Birkenhead via fax or post to Braide's London flat. Using spare studio time, they recorded material equivalent to three albums by 2005 at the historic Virgin Townhouse Studio. The first, The Upside, was privately distributed to family and friends, capturing their early output. However, career demands halted their collaboration.
Braide relocated to the United States, achieving success with artists like Hans Zimmer, Beyoncé, and Sia, including co-writing the hit 'Unstoppable.' He co-founded the Downes Braide Association with Geoff Downes and released solo albums. Johnson, meanwhile, built a live performance career, opening for acts such as Bryan Ferry, John Martyn, Nils Lofgren, The Doobie Brothers, The Beach Boys, Loudon Wainwright III, and Bill Wyman. He released numerous solo albums, completed an unfinished George Harrison song in 2009 for Beatles biographer Hunter Davies, and staged the 2011 musical Bullets & Daffodils about Wilfred Owen, narrated by Christopher Timothy with input from David Gilmour.
Now, over two decades later, the duo has reconvened. Chris Braide said, “There are collaborations that happen for momentum, and there are those that happen because you’ve finally come full circle. Working with Dean again belongs to the latter. We wrote our first songs together in 1998 — two people chasing sound and emotion with nothing to prove, just instinct. Twenty-plus years later, we opened those notebooks again and the songs still breathed.”
Dean Johnson added, “As a solo artist, you can easily paint yourself into a corner. Mine and Chris’s careers have been so far apart that it makes working together such a joy, because we never step on each other’s toes. Chris’s natural ability as a singer and instrumentalist seems to elevate my lyrics to another level.”
The rerelease features extensive remixing and overdubs, including drums by Ash Soan (Snow Patrol, Squeeze, Downes Braide Association) and acoustic guitar by Sean O’Hagan of The High Llamas on 'Made Your Life Hell.' Braide and engineer Ben Wood used a vintage Neumann microphone to preserve the original warmth. The album draws from classic pop/rock, 1970s singer-songwriter influences, and English quirkiness, with a prog element reflected in their Roger Dean-designed logo. Future releases include remixed versions of Stone Cold Grace and Monochrome England.
