In years to come when you look back through the history books, 2009 will be slightly thicker than the rest. You see, a lot has gone on in the past 12 months that leads us into 2010 with lots of stories to tell. The inauguration of President Barack Obama took place in January making him the first black president of the United States. Michael Jackson tragically passed away in June putting to bed the illustrious career as the King of Pop. Wispa Gold made a valiant come back at the beginning part of the year. Whilst, Kasabian became the biggest band in the UK. And for me, the latter has had the biggest impact on my life.
It’s only recently that Kasabian have carved their place within the musical hierarchy. As bassist Chris Edwards quite rightly states, “It has taken us three albums to work certain people round”. And work them round they have. The Kasabian story thus far has been an interesting one. They seem to have cut their own niche into the music scene. Yes, they are predominantly a rock & roll outfit, but their sound takes influences from all different genres.
I thought I would try and get the bottom of what exactly makes Kasabian tick. So I sat down with the man that keeps the bands groove flowing, Chris Edwards, to discuss the past, present and future of Britain’s biggest band.
CSW: “You've accomplished so much in the ten years you've been together. You've released three albums whilst playing the world over. You've won numerous awards, gained fans by the millions, and Tom's had at least 14 different haircuts. With all this in mind, it's pretty safe to say that things seem to be going well in the Kasabian camp. But what's the key to your success?”
KAS: “First and foremost you've got to have good tunes, you know? Serge just churns them out for fun. He'll come over and write some B sides that will turn out to be A sides. So firstly, you've got to have good songs to play. And secondly, we're just best mates. We've known each other since we were 10 or 11 years old; so we've grown up together. We started a band when we were 15 and we've been together ever since. So it's a good tight family”.
CSW: “Where you are now in terms of size and popularity is a million miles away from where you were five or six years ago. And thankfully, you've moved in the right direction. It must be a fantastic experience to be involved in the Kasabian whirlwind. However, are things still as exciting now as they were at the beginning? Or have you come to expect automatically selling out gigs and receiving critical acclaim?”
KAS: “No, it's exciting in a different kind of way. Because when we were kids we were in a bus going round the country; kinda not knowing what we were doing. We were just going out and having fun. It's become a lot more serious. We can't go out and get smashed all week and then turn up and play at Glastonbury, you know?”
CSW: “As much as you would like to?!”
KAS: “Yeah man. You would like to. But unfortunately you can't. We pride ourselves on being quite good live. It has become a bit more serious, but we just have a laugh wherever we go. I'm travelling the world with my best mates, so it's hard not to laugh! Sometimes it can become a bit mundane. Like, when you visit the same place over and over again. But that's the same as anything. However, we're still having a great time - it's all a right laugh”.
CSW: “Talking about playing live; personally, I've seen you play some great shows. I was lucky enough to be at both The Union Chapel when you headlined the Little Noise Sessions and The HMV Forum when you when you played a secret gig prior to the release of West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. I've also seen you play Earls Court and Brixton Academy in addition to seeing you perform with Oasis on their last world tour. But we all know in terms of live shows, this doesn't even scratch the surface. When you look back over all your performances, is there one show that sticks out and makes you think, "Jesus Christ, that was mental. I can't wait to do that again"?”
KAS: “Earls Court was a big one for us. That took my breath away when we played it. Although I think they're knocking it down aren't they?”
CSW: “The last rumour I heard was that Chelsea were going to buy it and turn it into there knew ground. But, you never know?”
KAS: “Yeah man; anything is possible. But whatever happens, Earls Court was mind blowing. And obviously the first time we played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury was special. Headlining it would be pretty amazing. We've played it twice, but to headline it would be fantastic”.
CSW: “It's not out of reach. If things continue in the same direction, anything is possible”.
KAS: “Exactly, hopefully in the next 3 years. We probably won't do it next year as it's their anniversary and they'll probably get some big old school acts in. But hopefully in the next 3 years. And if we keep going the same way, it's definitely possible”.
Unlike most bands that endure a roller coaster of events on the way through their musical journey, since forming back in 1999, Kasabian have experienced nothing but a gradual climb upwards to the top. Each album has positioned them that little bit further up the slope. And their latest album is no different.
CSW: “Along with your latest album having the greatest name out of any record in the past twenty years, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum employs fresh producer, Dan The Automator. What was the decision making process behind moving away from Jim Abbiss to installing a new producer?”
KAS: “We thought about using Jim Abbiss again. He's a good mate of ours and he did a great job on Empire. But then we just decided that it would have gone too much in the same direction as our previous records. So, we flew over Dan and his assistant Tim. They came to our studio in Leicester for about 2 weeks. They flew over for just a taster, but at the end we all wanted to finish the album with him. He put a whole new spin on it. He was using Hip Hop drum beat loops on records that he found. We went to his house in San Francisco to finish the album off, and he's just got this room full of records. He's really into his music. It's a bit like what he did with The Gorillaz, you know? It was that sort of thing. He made it more dancey”.
CSW: “You can really hear his influence on the album. And it's obviously turned out in a massive way. The finished article is very visual. For me, this has a lot to do with the way in which it is programmed. Each song flows into the next effortlessly like they were born together which creates mental images. It's sounds like a complete album should. When writing each individual track, did you constantly visualize how it would sound on the completed record, or did you finish the album then select the order from there?”
KAS: “We finish the album and select it from there. We've always got a big mix of songs, you know? We've got tracks like Vlad the Impaler, which is a big hard hitting track. And then on the other side we've got tracks like Ladies and Gentlemen. At least three of the songs on the new album were B sides that we had written for Empire”.
CSW: “Really? That's a well kept secret!”
KAS: “Yeah! But it gets to a point where it's like; these are too good to be B sides, so we just held onto them for literally 2 years. In fact, some of them we wrote nearly 3 years ago. We're writing B sides at the minute for this album. But potentially, they could be used for our fourth record. It always works on that cycle. Serge always comes up with about 20 tunes, and then we just pick which ones which want to put on it basically”.
Kasabian have all the attributes and characteristics to become true world beaters. Each member of the band offers that something different that combined, creates the Kasabian that we know and love today. In Tom you have a front man that soaked through to the bone with charisma. Since the very first Kasabian album, his vocal assault on the world has been delivered with such confidence that if you were a betting man, you would bet that he skipped out of his mother’s womb swinging the umbilical cord round his head like it was a microphone lead. Meighan is natural showman.
Chris is in charge of creating the grove that everything rides on. His bass creates the framework for every Kasabian song. To watch Edwards rock the bass is watching a man deep in the zone. Every note is struck with pure ease. There are no freeloaders in Kasabian. Each musician is there because they're both talented and gel together perfectly. And this no different from Ian on the drums. Matthews creates a pocket for the rest of the band to work in. His timing is so impeccable that rumour has it, he is the voice of the talking clock.
Then you have Serge, who is the brains behind the operation. Pizzorno is far more laidback in his approach than Tom. His relaxed exterior is a far cry from what people would expect from the driving force of one of rock & roll’s newfound heavyweights. His unique style of blending genres together whist wrapping them in lyrics that not only make sense, but actually mean something to masses, is a major factor to why Kasabian are currently sitting in the position that they are.
CSW: “You've never shied away from the fact that you want to be the biggest band in the world. And with Oasis being no more, you're certainly the biggest band in Britain. Now, although West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is your second number one album, it seems to have pushed you on and opened you up to a new audience and a new market. Was this a conscious decision prior to making the record, or did it just happen organically?”
KAS: “It just happened organically. We've just become a bit more widely accepted, you know? We're getting a lot more females at the gigs now. We've got 40 year old girls coming to see us [laughs]. And that's something we've never had before. You see, there the ones that buy the albums and don't just download them. It's opened us up to a whole new audience. It wasn't something that we consciously did. Also, it's been more accepted by radio stations across the country. All three singles have been A-listed on the radio”.
CSW: “And obviously, that helps push you out to the mass market, doesn't it?”
KAS: “Exactly! And that's helped this album be bigger than the other two, you know? And because of that we're moving in the right direction. So it all seems to be working. But it wasn't a conscious decision; we just write what we like”.
CSW: “As you pointed out earlier on, your music flirts with many different genres. You can hear psychedelic noises, dance beats and rock & roll riffs through each of your three albums. But who were the main influences for you growing up which have help to create the Kasabian that we have today? And have you always shared the same vision for the bands musical direction?”
KAS: “No not really. I mean, growing up Tom was into Cypress Hill, NWA and people like that. I'm talking really early on. When we first met when we were about 10 or 11 years old he was into all that, You know? Michael Jackson and the rest”.
CSW: “So does this mean Tom's going to be rapping on the next album then?!”
KAS: “You know what? We're actually talking about what direction we're going to be taking on the next album now, and again, it will be different than this one. I mean, don't put it past him!”
CSW: “That is something I would pay good money to see!”
KAS: “Honestly mate, you know what? He's bloody good at it! He's grown up with it; he's into all that stuff. Serge and I was into the whole Britpop thing. When we were growing up together that era helped us put the band together and influenced us to pick up guitars, you know? People like Supergrass, Oasis, Blur, Ocean Colour Scene. The Britpop era from around '94/'96 made us the band that we are today. But then we take influence from every genre under the sun; Jimi Hendrix, Cast, and Kraftwerk. I think that's why we've got a very eclectic mix of songs on the album. We're all into different stuff, you know? Our drummer plays jazz and stuff like that. I mean we don't put jazz into it, but he just brings a different mix again meaning we can approach it from a different angle”.
CSW: “You're already talking about putting the thought process in motion with regards to making your fourth album, but would you prefer to release an album that you knew was only half of your potential, but receive ultimate acclaim from both the industry and the public; or, release an album that you knew showcased you at the best of your ability but only a received mediocre response?”
KAS: “Definitely the second option, mate. I mean, we always try and write an album to our best ability. If we know we've made a great album and we know we're happy with it, and then the public and critics don't get onboard with it, that's just something we'll have to deal with, you know? Kasabian will never write a song to suit the market or a fad. If people are making jingle jangle music because it's selling, we wouldn't. That's something we would NEVER EVER do”.
CSW: “It always surprises me how many bands would do though. It's just cool that you're in a position where you are writing music to the best of your ability, loving it and getting respect from all corners of the industry and public”.
KAS: “It has taken us three albums to work certain people round. It's quite mad because during the first album, Q Magazine voted us in the top 50 most overrated bands of all time. Then two weeks ago we won best album at the Q Awards, do you know what I mean?”
CSW: “So that's just your way of sticking two fingers up at them as well really, isn't it?”
KAS: “We're just sticking to our guns really. Because we just like music we're into. If you don't like it, then that's cool. But if you do, then that's even better. We just write music for ourselves, and obviously our fans have got eh same kind of mind set”.
CSW: “Talking of British music as a whole, you are obviously at the forefront of it. But taking you out of the equation, what are your feelings towards the current music scene? There seem to be bands popping up and getting sucked back down on a pretty consistent basis at the minute. But who out there, if anyone, are really doing it for you?”
KAS: “I don't know, mate. There's not many bands that are really going for it. I mean, when we started there were loads of bands that were doing really well. There were the Kaiser Chiefs, Keane and Razorlight. But they all seem to have slipped to the side a bit. It's sad and it's kind of scary, you know? I mean, I don't see it, but next year we could not be selling out gigs and stuff. But at the same time it gives you a bit of pride that actually, we're still around and we're still having it. But I can't actually think of another band at the minute”.
CSW: “Really, not one?”
KAS: “Erm? I'm not being horrible to them, but I don't like everything that Muse do, but I do appreciate some of the music, you know? They've got certain tracks that I think are fantastic. Bits like Muscle Museum. You see, they have got some mega tracks; but live?! They're incredible live. They're still doing it. They're selling out two nights at Wembley Stadium. They've done four or five albums now and they're still having it”.
CSW: “Muse are a prime example of bands that have made their whole career on their live shows. That's really at the forefront of what they do and then everything else just falls off around it. I mean, the majority of bands will make their name through people listening to their music and then going and checking out their shows. But Muse almost seem to be the polar opposite of that”.
KAS: That's exactly right. It has kind of changed in recent times. We're selling gigs out at the O2 Arena in Dublin for this tour we've got coming up. And we've sold more tickets to the gig than we actually have done albums [laughs]. Do you know what I mean? It's crazy really.
CSW: “It is ironic. But selling out gigs wherever you go is hardly a bad thing. Now finally, the last year seems to have been your most productive to date. From an outsiders perspective looking in, it's been nothing short of mental. If things carry on at the same rate you'll be running the country by 2012, and we'll be singing 'Club Foot' as our national anthem by 2014. But from the inside looking out, what does the future hold for Kasabian?”
KAS: “We're touring the latest album until the end of August next year; so we've got a good 10 months left on that. I mean, we've got the rest of the world to do. Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and places like that. England won't see us for the first quarter of next year, you know? But apart from that we're just going to keep going the way we're are. We've just got to keep together as a band. I mean, if you're getting angry with each other then your work is going to suffer and you're not going to enjoy it. That's the main thing, just to keep sane with each other. If we do that, then we'll be fine”.
CSW: “It sounds like you've got a good attitude within the camp. You're just going to work every day as hard as you can then the rewards will come”.
KAS: “Exactly. I mean, we've been given this opportunity and if we're not just going to sit on our arse and be ‘like yeah we've made it!’ That would be fucking stupid. We've got to keep getting up and writing tunes and playing shows. And just having a laugh with it. Because that's what we do and that's what we're going to do”.
So there we have it. Three albums down, and each one getting better than the last. They are a band set on world domination, and would you bet against them? I certainly wouldn't.
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Ohio-based duo The Black Keys are well known for their concentrated hermetic approach to recording. Either they are seen hunkering down with rudimentary equipment in an unfinished basement, or commandeering the floor of a vacant local rubber factory. They do this to create terse but soulful rock that seems to have time-traveled into the pair's amps from some long-ago radio show. But guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney now admit they were ready for a change of scene-as well as some company. So when they got the opportunity to work with Grammy Award-nominated producer-musician-provocateur Danger Mouse, a/k/a Brian Burton (Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, The Grey Album), they agreed, for the first time, to leave their familiar environs. They weren't quite willing to cross state lines yet, though.
"After doing four albums in the basement, we were ready to go somewhere else," Dan confesses, "but it couldn't just be anywhere. Brian suggested L.A., but we said no way. We still wanted to do it in Ohio. There's this guy named Paul Hamann, who has a studio outside Cleveland called Suma. I'd done a bunch of projects with him before, bands that I've recorded on the side. He's done some mastering and cut some vinyl for me. In fact, he's got one of the only studios in the world where they still cut their own vinyl. So we said we wanted to go there, and Brian said, 'Whatever you guys want.'"
With Danger Mouse, The Black Keys didn't veer uncomfortably far from the elemental rock & roll territory they'd mined so effectively on previous albums like their 2006 Nonesuch debut, Magic Potion, or their Fat Possum discs, Rubber Factory (2004) and Thickfreakness (2003). But they were definitely in a mood to experiment on Attack and Release. Dan explains, "We'd never let it all go before like we did for this one, where anything was game." The new tracks have a spaciousness and clarity that accentuate the soulfulness in Dan's preternaturally weathered vocals and in arrangements that oscillate between melancholy and swagger. (On side-by-side, moody vs. head-banging versions of "Remember When," they do both.) There's a subtle range of extra instrumentation (organ, piano, synthesizer) and some very cool arrangements (like the ghostly choir that surfaces midway through "I Got Mine"). Guitarist Marc Ribot and Pat's uncle, multi-instrumentalist Ralph Carney-both veterans of Tom Waits' band-sat in for a few days of unfettered jamming. Jessica Lea Mayfield, an impressive eighteen-year-old bluegrass/country singer from Kent, Ohio, sings alongside Dan on the plaintive final cut, "Things Ain't Like They Used To Be." Dan and Patrick did finally head west for the mix. Recalls Patrick, "We started August 9; our last day was August 23. We went to L.A. to mix the record with Brian's engineer, Kennie Takahashi, who mixed the Gnarls record. He's a younger dude who knows his shit. He matched our rough mixes exactly-the EQ, the compression, everything. He just cleaned them up-or dirtied them up-from there.
Whilst the Arctics third long-player does reminisce about it's younger childhood days in the form of tracks like "Potion Approaching", Humbug's maturity as an album sees them slow things down. Turner has put aside thinking about the sheer dancefloor impact, and concentrated more on the content of the record. Each individual sound has been carefully constructed and intertwined with lyrics to give the album a complete journey feeling. Alex Turner's talent as a songwriter is well documented. However, some of the wordsmithery on Humbug is absolutely unbelievable. Even though many thought it wouldn't be possible, but Turner is pushing even more boundaries with his lyrics; and it's exciting to be a witness of it.
