Interview with the Editors :: Wessex Scene Online

Interview with the Editors

17th May 2006
Stephen Thompson and Jack Marshall

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Oct 08 - The Subways
Mar 06 - Interview with the Mystery Jets
Dec 07 - Interview with The Wallbirds
Dec 07 - Interview with: Hadouken!
Feb 07 - Exclusive interview with JamieT

More by Stephen Thompson and Jack Marshall

Within a year, you have gone from playing at Southampton Uni for Ł2 a ticket to selling out the Guildhall. How would you say this transition has affected you?
Its amazing really. It is a surprise, as we were still doing dirty little venues up till Christmas. It has been one gigantic leap up. We knew we could sell out these bigger venues, but we didn’t realise how quickly it would happen.

If it sells out on the night that’s great, but a couple of months in advance just seems silly. It’s a nice feeling. We have our next tour on sale now and have already sold out Brixton three times. That is the really crazy side of it. It means a lot to bands to play Brixton. To do it three times will be scary as f**k. We almost felt cheeky putting on extra dates, but the demand is there. Because we have been away in America and Europe we hadn’t really realised how our profile has grown in the last two months. For example we were used on Match Of The Day last week, now that is surreal. I haven’t seen it first hand though.

How did they approach you to use your music on Match Of The Day and what was your reaction?
We have a publishing company. They look after all our songs. They own all the rights, but we have contractual clauses. If it was going to be used in a film we didn’t agree with, we would say no. We are quite strict on advertising. We wouldn’t let our music back a shampoo advert. I think its quite cool to get on sports programs. I want to be on Ski Sunday. I want to be a guest presenter, or even just to be on it. However, I am incredibly clumsy. I am not the best snowboarder. Last time I went, I ended up on crutches. I don’t think the band would let me go skiing again. If I broke an arm or a leg, we would be in trouble. Speaking of breaking things, did you hear about the guitarist from Maximo Park? After the NME awards he was in a hotel, and apparently he was having an arm wrestling competition and he broke his arm. I think it was with one of the band members. They have got tours coming up, festivals in the summer and he is now out for 6 weeks. Your label would not be impressed. I can imagine them saying, "So how did it happen?" "Well, we got pissed up and had an arm wrestle". Ryan from the Cribbs also ended up in hospital. He was having a joke with the Kaiser Chiefs and jumped on their table. As he got up his back was oozing with blood. A really nasty deep cut. It was a bit worrying.

Did you go to the NME awards then?
Yeah, it was kind of weird. I hated the first hour and a half. It was all just photographers and annoying interview people. So many t**t celebrities who don’t mean anything to anyone. I was also really tired as we had played the Astoria the night before, then went out to have a little bit of a celebration. I was literally on my last legs, until someone brought out the alcohol. Then everything livened up. It was really good in the end. I mean its not every day you get to hang out with Tim Westwood. He is a massive bloke and his clothes are huge. We said hello. He is a man of very few words and he looked uncomfortable. He was there on his own. He was just sitting there on his blackberry. I felt a bit sorry for the lad. I resorted to bigging up his show to try and speak to him. Tell you what though, the Arctic Monkeys are arrogant little up starts aren’t they? I think they are naturally arrogant, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I met them in Paris a few months back. They are alright, but very young. The difference between me and them is 7 years. I wouldn’t be their friend if I wasn’t in a band, so don’t feel the need to go talk to them. Quite like the music, not really that fussed though. They are pretty big though aren’t they? I wonder how many dates at Brixton they would do, probably 20…

Your single ‘Munich’ was re-released just after Christmas. Is it a coincidence that this was around the same time as the Spielberg film ‘Munich’?
It was a total coincidence. That is a film we would have liked to put our music to. We wanted to release it again in the world cup year, so hopefully someone will take us. I hadn’t heard of the film before it came out.

What is your opinion on re-releasing singles?
People who moan about bands re-releasing singles should just get over it. We worked hard to build up a fan base. As a band, we want to get our music to as many people as possible. We are not too bothered about keeping it indie. We really want people to hear it. If the only way to do this is to re-release something that should have got more airplay last time, then we will do it. Munich is made for radio, it’s a wicked track. Last time, radio people liked it, but said our profile wasn’t big enough. It was a Catch 22 situation. When we got bigger, we knew we had to put it out again. It isn’t just about radio 1, but all the commercial stations. If you get on them, more people will hear you. People like housewives, factory workers, everybody. That is how we have got to this stage.

Guy from Elbow produced some of your music. How did that come about?
Him and Craig [guitars for Elbow] produced a b-side called ‘Let your good heart lead you home’. They share the same press officer with us. They got to know us through him. Guy liked what he heard and wanted to meet us. They were the best two days of 2005. They are all hilarious. He texted me last night, warning me about leaving a funny smell in the Astoria, cheeky bas****. Top guys and amazing musicians. Elbow are a band we all agree on. We just love them. It is such an honour to work with them. We really respect them as both musicians and people. The whole f***ing country is lame though, as they are one of the greatest bands ever and they are so overlooked. ‘Leaders of the Free World’ is amazing, why haven’t more people gone on about it. They don’t get the press they deserve. Their record label is absolutely f***ing useless. It is not their fault. However, they are all old men now, cripples!

Do you believe in all this banter the press would lead us to believe exists between bands?
Our old guitar tech told us Morning Runner don’t like us. I thought if I wanted to start a feud, now would be the time. When you are at work, for example in an office, you won’t like everybody there. You do have to get on with it though. You either get on with people or you don’t. Saying that, it isn’t really like a job. It is a privilege. I have been up all morning doing interviews though, so there are little elements of work. This interview now is about as much work as it gets. The only time it gets boring is if the same questions come up. All the interviews last year were the same. Now its more current affairs and less about f***ing Joy Division. I don’t even know them, I haven’t even listened to one of their records all the way through. I saw a band on an interview the other day who were being compared to us. It happens so quick. It was probably Drowned in Sound. Actually, they don’t like us any more. We have got too big, they loved us when we were indie. The fickle music press…