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

Interview: Paul Livingston of Trashcan Sinatras

Scotland's Trashcan Sinatras have sometimes kept a low profile during their 15-plus-year existence, but fans--and the group members' belief in their music--have kept the band plugged in for the long haul.

The five-piece introduced its witty, indie-pop music with its 1990 debut, "Cake," which proved a college-radio hit. Its follow-up, 1993's "I've Seen Everything," didn't neatly fit into the grunge-heavy playlists of the time, and barely got noticed in the U.S. By 1996, the band couldn't nab a U.S. distribution deal, and it was later dropped from its U.K. label.

Though the Trashcans faded into the background over the next few years, longtime fan Joe Dimaria was helping to keep the band's pulse alive via the group's website, which grew to include lyric transcriptions, bootlegs of shows, videos and more.

With help from the online buzz, the band returned to the studio to record 2004's critically acclaimed "Weightlifting." A tour soon followed, as well as the independently released, acoustic-live album "Fez."

liveDaily recently spoke with founding guitarist Paul Livingston over a few beers in Los Angeles.

What's kept the band together for so long?
Paul Livingston: Well, we love each other. We've been through a lot with each other, and we think we're really good as well. We like our songs a lot. When we put out an album, and nothing really happens ... we think we've put a lot of effort into it with nothing to show for it. Then somebody will write a song and we'll love it, somebody else will write a song and we'll love it and then we just do another album. The main reason is the songs, really.

There was a long pause between albums (despite a small EP release in Japan). What brought everything together for the "Weightlifting" album?
We forgot how to be in a band. We didn't have any money. It wasn't planned. We just stopped answering our phones. The record company got bought over, and we never had a record deal. We just sat around in our houses and lived in poverty. It gets fun for a while, then years went by and Frank got really sick of it. He came to me and John and said, "Let's try and get this back together." That's why we're really proud of this album--because we did start from nothing. Other albums, we had a record deal and it was a natural thing, but this album came around to a bunch of guys hanging around on the dole. We made an album, and luckily, we think it's the best thing we've done, so we're really proud of it.

Your latest release was on an independent label, while your earlier releases were on major labels. Is there a preference?
Well, on a major label, you get money in advance, so you feel like you're a success, but you're actually not. So we made the first three albums with money, but we actually didn't make any money. It was just advances that you don't pay back. Now, if somebody buys it, we get money. It just seems like a more honest way of working. There's no secret anymore. It's like "this is how much you sold, this is the size of your operation and this is what you've got to work with." We're also in a better frame of mind these days. I don't think we could have done it before on an independent label, because we were too volatile and there were too many problems. Now we're all happy and it seems like the best way to do things.

Did you have more control with this album?
Actually, it's about the same. We had a pretty good deal with Go! Discs, and we could do anything we wanted and we did. The only thing is, they could tell you what they wanted to be a single. Like, why did we release "To Sir with Love" as a single? It's a cover version, and we never wanted to do that.

What brought about the live album's release?
I don't know?! [laughs] Joe DiMaria is the guy who runs our website. He's a great guy--looks like an astronaut--and he does it for free. He just helps us a lot. He just likes to make sure that if he's got a tape of something he thinks is good--and that other people on the website would like--he says, "Let's release it." So we did. I think it's very illegal. We don't own any of the copyrights to the songs, so I think it's rather illegal [laughs].

You've had some great comeback tours in the U.S. in the last year. What did you miss about U.S. audiences that you can experience again?
People seem to really, really love us here. Other than the audience, it doesn't feel like there's anyone there to see if we're any good or not. It's like, when we start to play a song, you get this beautiful sigh and the audience gets people going "ahhh." It's just a really nice feeling, you know? I really appreciate it. And the people in America are just really friendly and happy. People in Scotland, nah.

What's it like playing back home in Scotland?
It's good, but kind of rowdy in Glasgow. In Edinburgh, for some reason, there's people who don't respond at all. It's weird. Maybe they think they're too cool to clap. We hadn't played for a long time, and we didn't want to play in Britain, because it's quite depressing driving around in the cold and the rain, and then you get to a gig and it's got sticky carpets and it's just freezing and grimy. You come to America and it's sunny and a lot more fun, really. When we recently played our first gig for a long time in Los Angeles, it was a revelation, really. It's beautiful.

Do you prefer acoustic or electric live shows?
It's easier to play acoustic and cheaper. We don't rock really much, but it's good to play loud. I take everything for both [live and acoustic shows], like my pedals and electric guitar, so for me, I play the same and it doesn't make a difference.


At the recent SXSW Festival you played a party for Maxim Magazine. Any highlights for that interesting soiree?
There were a lot of beautiful models hanging around trying to sell you things like perfume. I'm like "What's that?" and it was kind of weird--a Maxim party starring the Trashcans? It was outside [on an] upstairs patio. After the band before us, there was a downpour, so a lot of water got all over the floor. It wasn't good for my pedals, but the place eventually got better after some towels. We seem to do well in weird situations like that. We don't jump around or anything, we just play songs.

You've kept very loyal fans for quite a while. What's your secret?
We don't treat anybody like fools. No bashing over the head with anything silly. We just do what we like and hope that people like it, and that's probably why we're not very successful [laughs].

Taken from: http://www.livedaily.com/news/8127.html