FORMER Verve bassist Simon Jones, still feels the hurt following the demise of the heavyweight indie band but now he's back with a new group - and his passion for making music rejuvenated.

Jones said: "It was a painful split and I still need some distance from it. I spent about six months brooding and was very down in the dumps but even then I still carried the burning desire to make music." He is still not on speaking terms with his former singer Richard Ashcroft

So when legendary Stone Roses guitarist John Squire phoned with the offer to work on one of his post-Seahorses projects it was a call the bassist couldn't decline.

He said: "John had been a big influence on me when he was in the The Stone Roses and when I look back that call really was the turning point."

Focused once again on making music, Jones worked with Squire for eight months before calling it a day.

"My heart wasn't really in it," said Simon. "I just didn't have the feeling for it, so although it was a good experience, we wound it up and I started jamming with Simon Tong the former Verve guitarist and drummer Mark Heaney."

Undecided as to whether to go through the band thing again, or simply write film music, their minds were made up when young singer Duncan Baxter and guitarist Dan MacBean came on board - and The Shining were born.

Locking themselves away under a railway arch in London's East End, the new band wrote more than an album worth of material before finally re-emerging.

Jones said: "We didn't want to come back half-cocked and try to cash in on the success of The Verve. It was about getting the whole package in place and making sure the music was right."

How this band will stand alongside the mighty Verve only time will time will tell. But there is no disguising his enthusiasm for the project.

Building the band around classic noisy guitars, accessible melodies and the attitude of frontman Baxter looks an irresistible combination.

Looking forward to two low-key tours and then the festival season, Simon wants the lads to earn any praise through merit and not his history.

He said: "We don't want any favours for being two ex-members of The Verve. If we have to play early morning spots at the festivals then so be it.

"For me the most exciting thing about being in a band is actually getting to the top and not being there.

"OK in the Verve we didn't really have much time to savour the success but this band is equally as exciting for me."

The Shining release their debut single Quicksilver on Monday and play at Manchester University on Tuesday night.