Interview: The Futureheads

Sunderland's most lovable post punk revivalists The Futureheads are back with a new album, and after ten years in the music business, their outlook on the industry is healthier than ever. We chatted to singer Barry Hyde just before their US tour about starting over and those all-important festival crowds.

You're back with a new album The Chaos, which is out now on your own label Nul Records. How has the artistic process differed, if at all, to your previous work which was put out on majors?

"We've been very lucky in that sense, creatively, we got out unscathed. Creativity is nothing to do with the music business, it surrounds it, but it's not the same thing. Song writing is very separate; this is our tenth year together and artistically speaking, we've never been more fruitful."

Has any member of the band taken on an authoritative role since you've become independent or are you all quite self-motivated anyway?

"There's four bosses in this band; I'm the boss of singing and guitar, Dave [Hyde] is the boss of drums, Jaff [David Craig] is the boss of the bass and Ross [Millard] is the other boss of guitar. I guess Jaff would be the main boss of the business side of things and the songwriting is me again, but we come together and it's a very balanced thing."

Were there any real difficulties with starting out again on your own? Or has it given you a strong DIY ethic that bands need in this often-tough economic climate?

"Oh yeah, we had to have a DIY ethic already in place to set this up. It was a combination of that and record labels being very simple! People have made them so complicated but they're really not. Bands make music and labels release it, but there's a certain way things have to be done in the major label world, there's too many people p*ssing about. With us, there's just the band and three brilliant people who work for our label and the band, tour managing. There's no waste, so things get done much easier."

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You recently toured the UK with Mancunian hipsters Dutch Uncles and Frankie & The Heartstrings, have you got any tour stories for us?

"Dutch Uncles are my favourite band. The tour we've just come off is the best tour we've ever done, Dutch Uncles' first album is my favourite. Frankie are from Sunderland, they're actually our best mates and now they're in this mad band! It was just an absolute pleasure. It was fun, y'know? This is a hobby that you end up getting good at, so for people to pay you to do your hobby, it's surreal."

You're about to tour America again, how do your shows stateside differ from the UK? Is there a humour or accent barrier?

"This tour we're doing is just the East coast, but it'll be our tenth experience there. They do get the humour, and I'll tell you what I have noticed, that the Northeast accent goes down particularly well! They find it really cute, it's like we're from a fantasy world."

The Futureheads have been around for ten years now - is this band a job for life or have you got a secret five year plan?

"Haha, no five year plan! That's a bit limiting isn't it? You can't plan anything anyway. We can't plan to do this for as long as we want, we'll just do it for as long as we can. We'll see where the creativity is going and keep being in love with it, hold on to it and cherish it. It's hard, but it's also very easy."

What are the hardest bits?

"To do this properly, you can't have any concept of tomorrow. To perform every night, you've got to be immersed in the moment. That's what you need to really loose yourself.

And the easiest?

"You can't be too rigid, you've got to let stuff happen, so the easiest bit is getting to a point where you can do that. "

As festival season approaches, you're making a few appearances on the circuit including a date in Poland, what's the reception like for you over there?

"Poland's great! One of my best mates is a Polish DJ and he's just had a little girl and asked me to be the uncle. I don't know how that's possible, but I'll be her uncle! I love travelling everywhere, but Poland's unique. They love their punk rock too, they still have a spirit about them which was very common in the UK in the 80's. They have great taste in art, we're not ahead of them culturally or anything, it's just that they have an aspect of their culture which is very European, and I think we've lost that aspect. We're British, everyone wants a mortgage and we're more rigid in that sense. Never forgot, the word 'mortgage' comes form the French word 'mort' which means death! That's how I see it anyway."

Meanwhile you'll be playing at Kendal Calling, Reading & Leeds and Wickerman, do you still get a sense of genuine music community when playing festivals?

"The atmosphere at festivals is very different, it seems like the most natural way to get your music across to people who are in the right frame of mind."

The Chaos is out now on Nul Records

Interview by: Kelly Murray

The Futureheads will be appearing at Kendal Calling and Wickerman festivals this Summer. 

Buy tickets for Kendal Calling here.

Buy tickets for Wickerman Festival here. 

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