liveDaily Interview: The Coral

The Coral have only been around for a couple of years, but the U.K. band has already released four albums--and all of its members are still in their early-20s.

The Liverpool septet (yes folks, a 7-piece)--a group of neighborhood friends--began its musical voyage in 1996, when its members were in their early teens. Rather than turning to modern influences like Oasis and Blur, the lads turned to psychedelic arrangements reminiscent of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, while adding pop melodies like their mod, Merseyside compatriots.

Thanks to the buzz from high-energy shows and fun, neo-psychedelic pop singles, The Coral's self-titled debut album hit U.K. stores in early 2002. Soon after came 2003's "Magic and Medicine" and 2004's creepily titled "Nightfreak and The Sons of Becker."

Aug. 30 sees the release of "The Invisible Invasion," which presents a more mature sound, but keeps the group's basic formula intact.

Excited and eager on a short promotional U.S. tour, singer/guitarist James Skelly, organist Nick Power and drummer Ian Skelly spoke with liveDaily before their July appearance at Hollywood's Troubadour.

You've been releasing new albums at a pace of almost one per year. Are there songs still to be heard from earlier times, or are you consistently writing songs?
Nick Power: It's a bit of both really. There's a big backlog of songs, and we write new songs as well.
James Skelly: I think sometimes we've written too many tunes. We've chilled out a bit now, and [are] honing it in a bit. On tour, you can't really write, but when you come home, it's better, because you'll have a burst of creativity. You play less guitar on tour than when you're at home.

Are there any songs on 'The Invisible Invasion' that were written a while ago?
JS: [turns to Power] This album's all new. Yeah?
NP: Mostly, yeah. The oldest one's maybe a year old.
Ian Skelly: Most of the songs for this album were written for this album--all in the same style--but there's still gems there sitting and waiting to be used because it hasn't been the right time.

You recorded your first album as teenagers. How long were you writing before you recorded your debut?
JS: I wrote my first tune when I was 15 or 16, and it was possibly the worst tune of all time. I didn't write a good tune until I was 18, really.

It's been five years now since the debut album. Did you have any goals then that have changed since?
IS: I've got pubes now. [laughs]
JS: Everything's changed.
NP: We knew that you had to do about four or five good albums before you became a proper band. The surprise was the touring and the record company work.

How important is breaking into the U.S.? Would you prefer radio popularity or a popular live show?
JS: We just want people to hear our songs. I don't know about strategies or anything. If you have those and you're in a band, then you shouldn't be in a band, I think.
NP: To be honest, we came over here because the record company told us. We're not really sure why, but we're just here for a few gigs and that's about it, really. Maybe we'll get on the radio and sell 5 million albums, but I doubt it.

Your avant-garde sound seems more tuned for an older generation who's been weaned on Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa, while listeners your age may be more accustomed to pop music.
NP: I like "Pop Idol" [the British predecessor to "American Idol"], actually. It has its place.
JS: I wouldn't say we're avant-garde.
NP: We just don't want to be lumped in with other band styles that are out there. I can actually listen to "Pop Idol," and not much to these new alternative bands.

People like to say you're from the Liverpool scene, even though you're from outside Hoylake, closer to Wales. Which scene would you say you're a part of?
JS: As the crow flies, the distance is about the same, but we'd say we're more from Liverpool.
NP: There's a great thread of music from there, from The Beatles to The Bunnymen to Shack. And then us.
JS: We took stuff from Super Furry Animals, The Gorky's and Dylan Thomas.
NP: Liverpool was where we made it in the clubs and stuff. It's also where we got our record deal and met our manager.
JS: I think we've come to get more of our own sound lately, and better. We've got more confidence in our own thing since we've moved away a bit. You can get caught up in a scene, sometimes.

The song "Cripple's Crown" stuck out when I first heard it. What is it exactly?
JS: Anything you want it to be really.
NP: It's a place, but it really could be any place. Depends on what you get from it in the song.
IS: Its almost David Lynch-like, or sci-fi imagery.

Another one, "The Operator," has a dark madness to it. What inspired that madness?
IS: [looks at James] His toothache.
JS: Yeah. Dentists. Toothaches. Punctured lungs. Films. [laughs]

The lyrics for the song "Something Inside of Me" contain the title of your album. What exactly is "The Invisible Invasion?
JS: Whatever you want it to be. Sounds good, doesn't it? It could be a comic book that doesn't exist.

It seems most of the songs convey either feelings of lunacy or love. Do you see them as the same thing?
JS: Yeah. If you rehearsed the album in the Lake District for a few weeks, I think you do go crazy because there's nobody around. You end up speaking to donkeys and horses, and then you write songs like that. Love is pretty much the same thing.
NP: I spoke to a lot of donkeys after I split up with my girlfriend.
JS: There's a bit of love in the madness of a donkey, yeah?

Has Liverpool become this new hotbed of music? Does its new moniker, "The City of Culture," fit?
IS: That's the official name it's been given so it can get money.
JS: Then those people can buy extra cocaine. That's it really.


Was there a different approach to recording this album than your debut?
NP: It's pretty much stayed the same, but we've just got a bit better at arranging songs.

Do you prefer stadium shows, like your upcoming Oasis opening slots, or club shows?
IS: It depends on what the day is like, really. I've had great gigs in little clubs and I've had the same for bigger, festival shows. For me, it depends on the sound and the crowd.
JS: Usually, if you've had a good day, the gig will be crap, and if you've had a crap day, the gig will be good.

How do you see yourselves alongside all these other British bands making waves over here, like Bloc Party and The Futureheads?
NP: I don't have MTV and don't really follow that stuff.
JS: Who was that you mentioned earlier, the Computerheads? Oh, The Futureheads. They're obviously too futuristic for me.

Taken from liveDaily

CD Rewiew: Billy Corgan "TheFutureEmbrace" (Warner Bros.)

Whatever the name he's recording under, Billy Corgan takes risks, and doesn't particularly care what others think of his efforts. On his debut solo album, "TheFutureEmbrace," the king of poetic inner fury doesn't change that successful formula.

Don't think Corgan is all about the rock rage that dominated the best-known Smashing Pumpkins tracks. The former Pumpkins leader knows that emotion can be expressed with more than just hard guitars and primal screams. As he did on the Pumpkins' "Adore," Corgan--who supplies the majority of instruments and vocals on "TheFutureEmbrace"--moves away from the hard riffs and toward moody electronics, simple guitars with echo pedals and layered vocals, thanks to some great production by former Nitzer Ebb associate Bon Harris.

The tracks come from all musical directions. "Mina Loy (M.O.H.)" evokes an early-Depeche Mode atmosphere, "Pretty, Pretty STAR" is a paean to the early Gary Numan band Tubeway Army and "DIA" sounds like a song that could have been released during the Pumpkins era, but would have been ahead of its time. All the songs spotlight Corgan's naked voice, which, as usual, displays his heart on his sleeve.

taken from liveDaily

Album Review: Embrace, "Out of Nothing" (Lava / Atlantic)

Due to the recent success of other mid-tempo U.K. bands like Coldplay, Travis and Starsailor, Embrace might be dismissed as a yet another copycat act. That's a shame, because Embrace drew up the blueprints for this musical style.

"Out of Nothing" is Embrace's fourth album, but only the second released by a U.S. label. And it's filled with dazzling, dramatic melodies that can stand on their own.

Starting with the opening track, "Ashes," singer Danny McNamara pleads, "Now watch me rise up and leave / all the ashes you made out of me," among building guitar parts and a choir of vocal support all, with a rock edge. The second track, "Gravity," shows a definite Coldplay influence with its opening piano and longing lyrics, but that's a given: the track was co-written and donated to Embrace by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who deems the band a significant influence.

Elements like the string sections in "Looking as You Are," the stunning background chorus amid the wall-of-sound guitars in "Someday" and the spiritual space-jam element to "New Life" show that Embrace is still a step ahead of the followers.

Taken from :
liveDaily

CD Review: The Go-Betweens “Oceans Apart” (Yep Roc Records)

In the 80’s, when alternative rock was dominating mostly college radio and the occasional breakthrough station, Australia dominated the scene thanks to the singer/songwriter duo of Grant McLennan and Robert Forster with ther band The Go-Betweens and their jangly, rootsy guitar pop. Though the band split up at the end of the 80’s, they reformed in 2000 and have been re-making the music again with their third “reunion” album, “Oceans Apart.”

McLennan and Forster are a blueprint in terms of writing romantically ironic pop songs that contain many musical dimensions. The use of acoustic guitars, brass, keyboards and electric guitars combined with Forster’s dreamy vocals make mellow songs like “Finding You” and “Lavender” sit well alongside more rigid songs like “This Night’s For You” and “Statue” and folk-twinged bits like “Born of a Family.” Like their native (and slightly more popular) neighbors, The Church, McLennan and Forster embrace some of the same passionate styles but with a lighter, more wistful tone.

The Go-Betweens are a model of diverse creativity having a welcome rebirth among newer acts like Wilco, Belle and Sebastian and Hefner who embrace the same literate songwriting and classic composition.

CD Review: New Order – “Waiting for the Sirens’ Call” (Warner Brothers)

Thanks to the influence of New Order, we’d never know what would have become of today’s bands like Interpol, Bloc Party and The Killers. Twenty-five years since their first release after the disbanding of their original Joy Division, the influences remain intact and shine a light on how post-punk music should be done.

Opening with the track “Who’s Joe,” the band bring out a clear return that sends them back to their basics with Peter Hook’s unique bass technique, Bernard Sumner’s boyish voice and guitar hooks, and Stephen Morris’ electronic-yet-live drumming.

“Waiting for the Sirens’ Call” is a good showcase for the still-unconvinced fan that wavers between their electronic classics like “Blue Monday” or their pop gems like “Love Vigilantes.” The original “Manchester Band” still moves on strong with their original dance-rock on songs like “Krafty”, “Dracula’s Castle” and “Jetstream” (featuring Ana Matronic from The Scissor Sisters). Almost every song is a lesson in blending electronics, alternative pop and rock star attitude.

New Order has released some great, inspiring albums in their long career. Fortunately, their latest public offering shows them back in their best form they could possibly craft.

Live Review: Kasabian in Los Angeles, CA

Kasabian --which has been working hard this year to break through to U.S. audiences as an opening act and with a well-received appearance Southern California's Coachella festival--brought down the house Tuesday (6/8) during the group's first Los Angeles headlining appearance.

Wrapping a U.S. tour in support of its self-titled debut, the quartet played its signature blend of dance rock to the Henry Fonda Theater crowd with that swagger that only a Brit can pull off. Singer Tom Meighan knows how to command the crowd like a young Mick Jagger, utilizing some good, snake-like moves and exercising authority over the audience for some sing-along moments. Songs like the opener, "I.D.," as well as "Lost Souls Forever" and "Processed Beats," sound just as rock-and-rave as they do on Kasabian's debut album.

Other songs performed during the 75-minute set--including "Reason is Treason," "Cutt Off," and "Test Transmission"--spanned genres ranging from punk to trip-hop, and even jam-rock. All were delivered with enough passion and verve to occupy a full stadium's attention. Guitarist/singer Sergio Pizzorno would take over vocal duties on some songs, and even exchange lead spots mid-song with Meighan.

Kasabian's sound is difficult to pin down, as it spans so many genres. But it's not about genre. The members of Kasabian clearly see themselves as rock rebels who want to shock the system.

While their album may demonstrate that Kasabian is influenced by the dance rock of Primal Scream and the trippy swagger of Happy Mondays, their live set adds a space-rock, instrumental-jam element that's reminiscent of early Pink Floyd.

As the set came to a close with the album's opening track, "Club Foot," Meighan gained complete control of the crowd, which was jumping in unison at his command and singing to the tune's signature wailing chorus. Soon after, the sweaty masses departed, fully appreciating the power of sound plus delivery.

Taken from: liveDaily

CD Review: The Tears "Here Come The Tears"

Before Oasis and Blur brought about the Britpop revolution of the ’90s, Suede ruled the UK airwaves. The group’s self-titled debut gave us glam guitar hooks from Bernard Butler and the sultry voice of Brett Anderson. After two successful albums and accolades from every UK music press outlet, however, it became clear not all was pretty for Suede, as Anderson and Butler were newly dubbed the “Morrissey and Marr of the ’90s.”

Anderson and Butler’s relationship grew sour during the recording of Suede’s sophomore effort, Dog Man Star, and Butler soon left to embark on a solo career. Instead of breaking up the band, Anderson kept the Suede name, brought on guitarist Richard Oakes and kept issuing more Suede releases with its remaining members, bassist Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. However, those subsequent Suede albums didn’t quite hit the mark. The same could be said for Butler’s solo career, which spanned two mildly lauded albums.

After the release of Suede’s fifth and last album, A New Morning, the band broke up. Then rumors surfaced that Anderson and Butler had buried the hatchet and were talking about recording together again. Fans rejoiced at some recent UK shows, and now the fruits of this duo’s labor have arrived in the form of The Tears—and their arrival is more than welcome.

But was the return of Brett and Bernard worth the wait? It depends on how you look at it. Since they are the only remaining Suede members on this release, some might view it as a Suede album, despite the Tears namesake. Judgment of Here Come the Tears will certainly differ for the hardcore fan versus the casual listener.

Opening song “Refugees” features the signature Brett/Bernard sound with its glam slide guitars, string sections and Anderson singing, “You are the dust and I am the rain/Let’s go out in the rust and let’s gather the change,” with as much theatrical adoration as on Suede’s debut.

Other songs have similar melodrama, such as the opening symphonic chords in “Imperfection,” the sadness conveyed in Brett’s voice during “The Ghost in You” and Bernard’s dark guitar handiwork in “Brave New Century.”

The album continues with more of the same lush style fans have come to expect from this dynamic duo, and the songs are beautiful in their own right, but the punch has lost some of its power. Here Come the Tears is a good release with some beautiful moments, yet marred by some flaws. The reunion might have come too quickly, but hopefully, it holds strong and their musical palette remains colorful. If the next release has a little more effort, the real gifts can be bestowed upon the masses.

Rating: 4.5 out of 6 stars

Taken From: http://www.ambitious-outsiders.com/reviews/thetears.html

Interview: The Prodigy

When Liam Howlett started The Prodigy in the late '80s, the teen from Essex, U.K., wanted to mix the sound of the growing breakbeat/electronic scene with the music of bands that influenced him: ska groups like The Specials, rap acts like Public Enemy and punk bands like The Sex Pistols.

Fortunately, he found three other mates--dancers/MCs Keith Flint, Maxim Reality and Leeroy Thornhill--who shared the same interests. After some remix work by Howlett in his basement, The Prodigy emerged at the right time, with the right sound and attitude.

The group's first album, 1992's "Experience," was released at the peak of rave culture, and featured electronic dance anthem after anthem. Its second release, 1995's "Music for the Jilted Generation," wasn't as warmly received, despite The Prodigy's breakthrough integration of punk samples and breakbeats.

It was 1997's "The Fat of The Land," with its many singles blending punk-rock and rave energies into one exciting combination--that lifted The Prodigy out of cult status. The band suddenly received backing from MTV for its classic-yet-controversial video for "Smack My Bitch Up," which carried the album to a No. 1 debut on Billboard's U.S. album chart.

As the band reached peak momentum, Howlett released the mix album "The Dirtchamber Sessions, Vol. 1," showcasing his wide variety of influences. Soon after, the band seemed to disappear. Dance-music culture was slowly waning, and The Prodigy became a 3-piece with the departure of Thornhill. Though the trio released the single "Baby's Got a Temper" in 2002, the song was soon renounced by Howlett himself.

In 2004, Howlett returned with a new Prodigy album, "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned," turning his focus back to beats, energy and samples. Flint and Maxim weren't present for the recording of the set, which relies on cameo vocals from Kool Keith, Juliette Lewis and Liam Gallagher (to name a few).

Flint and Maxim are still official members of The Prodigy, and the group recently made an appearance at Southern California's Coachella festival, playing to a welcoming, high-energy crowd. liveDaily interviewed all three members of the group at their hotel prior to their show.


So, is Coachella a warm-up to a full-on tour?
Liam Howlett: Well, from last year--when we released the new record--we just got back on the road again. We're not like a normal band where we tour for a period of time and then we stop. We'll do two or three gigs, go back home, then do two or three gigs somewhere else--that type of thing.

Is there an American tour coming soon?
LH: We need to get a new record label sorted out before we do any more tours over here, because Maverick has sort of screwed us over.
Keith Flint: We've got lack of support over here. It's hard for us to come across to the states when your label does not support you. We're men enough to do it ourselves, but we need some form of support. It's the other entire infrastructure around it, like the right press, etc.
Maxim Reality: We really want to come here, you know? We really want to bring the music back to America.


So how is the live show this time around?
MR: I think the show has really developed compared to a few years ago. It's really good. I think we've improved.
KF: We don't do stuff that's really planned, other than making sure it sounds as good as we can. We want to give the audience as much as we possibly can, sonically and with our energy. We don't think we should come on in some big pink Cadillac that explodes and then turns into a mirror ball where some chicks come out fiddling with their t---. That's not our vibe. We're the core elements, and we gotta make sure our roles within it are at its top. That's the main thing that goes into it. Having a new album and new songs for us is really refreshing. In the past, we're touring and new songs are put in as we go along, and it's a really good testing ground. Now we're into a whole new album and a whole new set. It's really exciting to be rocking back out on the road. The people are still there, and we've still got the new blood coming in. For us, to see the look of people experiencing The Prodigy for the first time is really cool, and it fills you full of enthusiasm. This is why I do it--so people go home and say, "That was well worth my night out," instead of, "Why did I do that? I may as well have got a burrito."
MR: There are still so many places in the states we haven't been where we'd love to take our music and the show. For me, it's taking the performance around the world so people see what the band's all about.


So where would you like to go in the U.S.?
LH: Albuquerque [laughs]
MR: I mean, we have played a majority of the states in America to properly penetrate it.
LH: When we released our last record, we did six gigs and the album went to No. 1 because we had MTV behind us. We really felt like we had taken the p---. Another band lately, Kasabian, has been here for two months just to try and make some impact. It's just a shame we haven't gotten any support from a label.

Electronic music has evolved over the years from rave to techno to the latest trend of mash-ups and electro-clash. How do you feel the music has moved on?
LH: It's always been moving along so quickly. We don't really get that involved in the music-trend thing. I mean, the whole bootleg/mash-up did slightly inspire me with the new record, along with electro-clash, but I never did get entirely into it. I just took pieces here and there, and tried to be original. We've kind of got our own sound, and it's not a pure sound--its Prodigy, which is a mixture of English punk rock and American hip-hop beats.
MR: I mean, if you're following trends, you're just following sheep. When they change to something else, what are you going to do, follow them? It's not what we're about.
LH: The thing about trying to do something different all the time is, like, you ride a wave where you're always good with the press, then bad with the press. It's especially in England, where everyone's cynical. It's like, when we released our second album, people were like, "It's f---ing s---," and then we come out with a couple of hits. It's the same with this album, where you're riding a wave, and you battle through it and come out the other side, and write another album.

The latest album sounds like it's got more of an organic feel to it. How was it building that?
LH: It's cool, man. It was probably the most enjoyable album I've ever written. I guess it was more of a personal album to me than a band album. When I was done, I felt we had to perform at least 60-70% of the songs live, and the other tracks--which were more of the collaboration tracks--just kind of stay home.
KF: We always knew where Liam was. He always kept us up to speed with where it was going. Some people wonder, since we're not on the album, what that's all about. This album didn't just appear and we thought, "Hey, we're not on it." We understood the importance of making this right, and as Liam said it's his influence and what he's all about.
LH: It's also going back to the roots of what The Prodigy is all about, and the sample culture. We didn't want to make "The Fat of The Land: Part 2." We could have done that two years after we released the last album. I wanted to reset and go back to what it was originally about, then put the band back together [and] go on tour with the DJ roots, like what we had in the beginning. It's like a fresh start. The next record will be the three of us together. It's given each of us some breathing space.

You released the single "Baby's Got a Temper," and it never made the new record. Is it because it sounded too much like a track from "The Fat of The Land"?
LH: Yeah, that record was in sort of a time period when my head was in "The Fat of the Land' times. I feel I've given myself a hard time with that record. Listening to it now, I feel it doesn't have the kind of energy of my stuff right now, but it reflected the mood of the band at the time.
KF: The lyrics sat within the time frame, and it got the spotlight it didn't really deserve. It's just the [timing] of that record was not right, more than anything else.

The latest record has some vocal help from Juliette Lewis, Liam Gallagher and Kool Keith. Is there anyone else you wanted to collaborate with?
LH: Well, the collaboration days are almost over, you know? Basically, when I did this album I didn't really think I wanted to collaborate with this person or that person. I was thinking of it more like collecting samples for a record. I'd take my record collection out and try for this voice and that lyric for that song. I wasn't necessarily trying to create whole songs with artists. That's why Kool Keith was used in a minimal way--and Juliette on "Spitfire"--[their] vocals almost add a secondary part to the song. I think the collaboration thing in the future will be minimal because we're back together as a unit. The collaboration thing makes it difficult to perform the tracks live.

Most electronic music these days is being composed on laptops rather than old-school decks. Do you have a preference?
LH: Laptops, absolutely. I mean, the whole album was written on a laptop. That was my problem--why I was mucking around for two years at home, sitting in this room and feeling the pressure that I had to write music. It was the same old walls, same old equipment, and it got really claustrophobic. My mate said, "You've got to get a laptop and get out of there." So then I'd sit in the garden in London or anywhere with this laptop and be really free to put ideas down. I'm not really into the technology side of things, but I found this program that let me put my ideas down in 15 minutes. That's my way forward now. I've brought that element into the live show, with two laptops on stage. It looks a bit geeky; it's not very rock and roll. [Smiles]
MR: It's definitely improved and brought the band to the next level. I remember the stage when Liam was toying with different technology, and I'm like, "You've got to learn this, you've got to do that." He wasn't much of a technology person. Getting a laptop has gotten him out of the studio.

Some electronic acts, like Moby, have lately released albums that weren't much electronic at all, and more of a rock style. How do you feel about that?
KF: I heard [Moby] on the TV the other day and I just didn't understand. It's not that I liked it or didn't like it. It was nothing. I would have liked to have hated it and given a proper response, but it was like a flat line.
LH: It was kind of like, "Whatever." It's not like we're taking things too seriously. We can't be accused of that. I just think he's thrown away what was good about him. He's sort of normalized himself. We're not scared if electronic music is going into the pan.

What's the album title ("Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned") all about?
LH: It's typical, defiant Prodigy style. We feel like we're still in a gang. When I saw The Specials and the album cover on the back when I was 12 in a record shop, I said, "I've got to be in a band like that." It's that gang mentality … "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" .. this nobody can stop us feeling. It's this defiant camaraderie.

So will there be another 7 years between albums?
LH: We've got a couple of songs already for the new album. We just need to carry on and sort a new deal in America. End of next year, I'm thinking.

How has music changed since you started 15 years ago?
LH: It's changed so much since our last record. A band's life is shortened by one-half. It's harder for bands to come out now than when we came out.
KF: Today, Coca-Cola and McDonalds, with "Pop Idol" (the British equivalent of "American Idol"), control the music business. It's s---, and it's bad for your health.
MR: Everybody wants their 15 minutes of fame. They've made music into this fast-food industry.
LH: You've got to kind of ride with it, because that's what we're in. We've just got to concentrate on making good music and playing live to the best of our ability.
KF: When you're playing live, that's when it becomes more real than ever. That's when it's true and undiluted, and totally up to us to present it exactly how it should be.
MR: There are people who make fast food, and then there are good chefs who make good food.

Taken from: http://www.livedaily.com/news/8214.html

CD Review: Goldie Lookin' Chain, "Straight Outta Newport" (Record Collection)

Goldie Lookin' Chain's version of gangsta rap, delivered by eight tracksuit-wearing, pasty-white guys from Wales, is an amusing take on the genre that pulls no punches.

In much the way The Darkness takes on '80s hair bands, Goldie Lookin' Chain not only embraces gangsta-rap, but brings their own twist. The results may not be for everyone, but those who are open to hardcore rap and comedy will find it hilarious.

Unlike some attempts at comic approaches to music--and it's hard to take them full-on seriously with member names like Mike Balls, Adam Hussain and The Maggot--GLC's effort stands on its own merits. This is a well-written collection of raucous songs with cool samples and great beats that can stand up to today's headlining rap acts.

After a few listens, songs like "Self Suicide"--with its look at boosting album sales by committing suicide--and the side-splitting "Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do," which blames Vanilla Ice and Snap for today's social ills, will have you listening intently past the thick accents.

Take From: http://www.livedaily.com/news/8188.html

Interview: The Futureheads

The Futureheads have only been around for a couple of years, but they've already packed in a lifetime of work as a band.

The Sunderland, UK, quartet started by playing shows at working men's clubs--Britain's equivalent to an Elks or Moose lodge for laborers--throughout their homeland, and piggybacking with other aspiring bands on European tours.

Thanks to the buzz from their high-energy shows and fun, short, punk-pop singles, The Futureheads released their self-titled debut album in the U.K. in early 2004. The set was received with critical compliments, thanks to their blend of XTC-like witticism, Jam-like soul and Devo-esque guitars, topped with vocal harmonies contributed by all four members. The album was soon issued in the U.S., and the band toured nonstop back and forth between continents.

Excited and eager to get out and tour more, singer/guitarist Ross Millard and drummer Dave Hyde spoke with LiveDaily at their hotel in Los Angeles before their recent Coachella appearance.

So how has the nonstop touring been?
Ross Millard: Well, you learn to accept that you're never really going to have a decent chunk of time at home. You have to do that only for a day or two, then you head off on another [tour]. When we released our first record, we accepted that it's probably wise to be on tour much as we can. It's exciting for us, especially if we're going somewhere new. It removes the sense that you're just living normal, you know?
Dave Hyde: You just got to keep on going and play for the people.

Where haven't you been?
DH: We haven't done a proper tour of mainland Europe yet. I mean, when we started, we basically did a squat tour there, playing in clubs that didn't even really have a stage. It was kind of weird. We still need to do Australia and Japan.
RM: There's still plenty to be done, like European festivals and stuff. Coachella is the first of many I suppose that we'll end up doing. It'll be good for us to get to different places. We've been back and forth between the U.S. and the U.K., so it'll be nice to go into mainland Europe and elsewhere, as well.

You've done quite a lot of touring in the U.S. Is it fun, important or both?
DH: It's hard to think about it because we're constantly doing this. We don't really think about it in that way really.
RM: You don't realize to what extent you permeate anyone. I mean, the shows might get a little bigger, and you might find out how many records you've sold, but you don't get a really proper impression of people being aware of the band. We're never in one place long enough, as we're always moving on. It's kind of exciting nowadays to play the smaller towns, because there's a sense of no one having a clue who you are--and there's a challenge there. You want to go and play your set and impress these people enough to remember you. Those are the places where [they don't worry about] what's in fashion--[they're] devoid of trends.

It's kind of like your start, when you would play the working men's clubs. Some small towns in the U.S. may have the same reaction.
RM: There's a similar kind of atmosphere to the whole thing. Where we're from in the U.K. is a small town in the Northeast of England, and there's not much to do there. I suppose it shares quite a lot of similarities around the world. There have been places in the states that have totally reminded me of it--either in the way that it looks or how the people are--where there's this sense that there's not a lot for kids to do there. I'm even surprised there's a venue in some of these towns. We just got off tour with Hot Hot Heat in Canada. The drives are crazy where there's nothing for miles, and then you turn up in a town like Saskatoon or Guelph and there's a club where kids can go and watch some bands. Its cool, and they're so thirsty for music.
DH: A lot of those shows tend to be the better ones. People are just so excited that there's a band in town. It's a different thing with the small towns in the U.K.

It's known that a lot of U.K. bands won't tour the U.S. because of the long bus trips. Does the long void in between gigs get on your nerves?
RM: I think, because we never really imagined we'd be in this situation, we never took liberties at that. If someone sets up a tour in the states for us, we're more than happy to do it, because how many people in the world get the opportunity to play in a band and tour somewhere far from home? I'm not saying we're unusual in the fact that we're grateful for it, but at the same time we don't refuse stuff.
DH: I think a lot of bands have it in their heads that they're going to be huge, and that's why they start a band, and we're not like that. We're really grateful and we think it's unbelievable that we have a tour bus and all. I think a lot of bands skip that and take the piss out of it. You've got to be grateful for these things and you'll do all right.

Has the constant touring in the U.S. been worthwhile?
RM: Yeah, the more gigs you play out here the more people come along, and it's going to get bigger, you know? I think there was this whole myth left over from Britpop that British bands are going to find it notoriously difficult to make it in the states, but I think it's because a lot of those bands were quite lazy.
DH: It was a messy time in the '90s for those bands. It didn't seem like they were focused. It might have been a big factor with those bands, because they were overdoing it in other ways apart from touring. I think a lot of those bands just overdid it with partying too much.

All four members of The Futureheads have vocal duties. What happens when someone gets a sore throat?
RM: One time in Philadelphia, actually, I completely lost my voice. And, honestly, I felt like I was playing with one arm. It just doesn't feel right. I don't think it feels right if any of us lose our vocal parts, because that's what typifies The Futureheads' sound. We play guitars without any effects.
DH: We've bought one of those bloody vaporizers, but it's too big for the room.

Are there any plans for your second album yet?
RM: We've pretty much sacrificed the rest of 2005 to touring. We might be able to record a couple of tracks in August and put it out as an EP in the U.K., but, with regards to making the second record, we won't have time to rehearse and record until January/February of next year. We're certainly putting together ideas at this minute, you know, with things ticking inside of our heads, but that's more of an individual basis, and we need time to get together and work on those ideas as a four piece rather than individually. A lot of times, songs can come together for us only when we're all working on them. We've got some time yet, as there are people still just getting into the record now. It's been a slow burner for us, so we've accepted that we might have to tour a little bit longer to get the message across.


You met as part of a city youth project. What was it and how did it bring everyone together?
DH: It was a weekend thing. I remember it being on a Saturday. It was a project to basically get kids off the streets and get them into other interests, like playing music and learning musical instruments. Barry and I heard about it--and we weren't naughty boys because we weren't on the streets--but we went down to check it out, and realized that every Saturday we could use this room as a rehearsal space. I suppose, in the beginning, we had to write songs about drugs and safe sex and all that stuff, but that was ages ago. It had a lot to do with how we met, but The Futureheads came together after we left the project.
RM: The project was great in getting us to meet each other and swap records.

All of these U.K. bands are coming over here like Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party and Keane. What do The Futureheads have that they don't?
RM: I think that every band has their individual quirks and all, and that's great. I think what's great in this recent invasion is that each band is region-specific from the U.K. With Britpop in the '90s, a lot of the bands were just like parodies of other bands, and a lot of it sounded quite similar. Whereas, with what's happening now, we sing in our own Northeast accents, Bloc Party are from London and they're a little more epic and have ambitions to make music a little more grandiose than ours. Perhaps we're a little more energetic and forthcoming. Kaiser Chiefs are taking off where Blur was in the "Parklife" era with really good singles and stuff. Franz is the art house [band] from Glasgow. The Zutons are from Liverpool, and they have that whole sea shanty/'60s psychedelic/Coral/swamp-boogie rock. Even though we're a small country, there are a lot of interesting things going on. I think our band [is different in that] we talk to the crowd and get them involved. It's more of a big deal for us than a lot of those bands. It's nice to be a part of this whole movement.

Taken From: http://www.livedaily.com/news/8182.html