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