TIMES change and people move on but often the music we listen to remains a constant in our lives.

That is something that Northern Irish band Therapy? know better than most as an album they released two decades ago still resonates with people more strongly than any of their other work.

Troublegum from 1994 is about a confused, angry teenager trying to make sense of his life.

Now the rock trio have been exploring where that character might be 20 years later with the 'sequel' Disquiet.

Bassist Michael McKeegan said: "We wanted to do something a bit more direct, straight forward, upbeat and melodic which is more in line with Troublegum.

"Troublegum is written from the point of view of one person who is a confused, angry teenager. I suppose it was an exaggerated version of how we felt in those times when you’re working out your identity.

"So we thought it would be interesting to look back at that character 20 years later and obviously there are the parallels of what has changed for us.

"It’s a loose concept. It’s not like War of the Worlds or anything like that!"

So what has Troublegum's protagonist learnt in that time?

Michael said: "I think it’s probably the way he deals with things and processes things and maybe accepts certain things.

"He has a bit more empathy for other people and their situations and has a bigger world view. I wouldn’t say the character is any less annoyed by things but he can process them better."

But making an album in the vein of Troublegum is a tall order. It sold more than one million records and reached number five in the UK album charts.

Michael added: "I would love to say it was my master plan and we’re all evil geniuses but honestly it was just us trying to make the best record we could.

"I never could have imagined we’d get to the 20th anniversary of that record and people would still be singing all the words and going completely bananas during the songs.

"It’s really flattering and humbling that this record means so much to so many people.

"It’s only a few years later that you get the chance to process it all.

"I think people always imagine that when your single’s in the charts you’re in the hot tub drinking champagne.

"But it’s not like that. Less than eight months later we were already demoing a new album so there wasn’t really that moment of sitting back thinking: ‘We’ve arrived’.

"One of the most surreal moments was when we played at the MTV Awards in Berlin. That was just really odd as we were all in the same hotel and we were sitting there having a drink in the lobby and it was like: 'There’s Aerosmith, there’s Bono and there’s Take That'."

- Therapy? play at Manchester Academy 2 on Saturday

DAVID MORGAN