Razorlight speak - exlusive interview!
Etc. – The record’s a departure for you, isn’t it?
Carl – It’s sort of moving on, continuing, because you don’t want to stand still. We didn’t have a plan… ‘Who needs love?’ for example happened by accident, we were rehearsing another song that didn’t make it onto the album, and Johnny just started fooling around on the piano, and Andy started playing the drums, I played bass, and we thought ‘that sounds cool, why don’t we make a song out of that?’ They took different shapes quite naturally, somehow.
E – You spent several months in a rehearsal space, five days a week working on the songs for this album. That could either be really fun, or you’d end up hating each other, and the songs, surely?
C – Hmm… [thoughtful pause, which makes etc. wonder how many arguments contributed to this record] When you’re doing it, it feels like more of a ‘job’ than when you look back on it. Now I look back on it, it was quite good! It was a creative time, because there wasn’t much pressure to record anything, we were just rehearsing it and writing it. We were quite happy from the start, I think.
[We discuss the rehearsal space for a bit, which from the album artwork looks like a high-ceilinged studio flat affair with epic rugs, and a table covered with band paraphernalia. ‘It was the perfect place for us,’ says Carl. They even had a Velcro weather board, which they updated with relevant stick on clouds / sun / temperatures and so on, every day. Bless.]
E – so do you have song you’re particularly proud of?
C – At the moment I like playing ‘Los Angeles waltz’, I like my bassline and the song – it was great playing it at ULU the other day. I like most of them, though.
E – Speaking of playing live, you’re quite a different live act to the sound you have on record, it’s much more raw, don’t you think?
C – Yes, I think we play with much more energy, and we all love playing live; I think you lose yourself in the moment! [Laughs]. Besides, it would be boring if we sounded just like the record live.
E – But do you ever look at Johnny running about and think ‘get back here, and put that shirt back on’?
C – [laughs] Not really, I guess I’m used to it now – especially the shirt thing… It’s fun, anyway. Sometimes he climbs stuff as well, which can make me a bit worried, but it’s all good – he’s a brilliant frontman.
E – Is the bass player the one at the back, holding things down and being cool?
C – Not really, I just try to enjoy it. And it’s great having Andy there, he’s such a brilliant drummer and he makes it easier for me to do melody. We’re like the engine room, as Andy likes to call it.
E – Is the new record the sound of an older and wiser band?
C – Yes, absolutely, and of course Andy wasn’t on the last album. We’ve been playing together non stop since he joined, we’re all better musicians now, and we’re used to playing with each other – that’s why we didn’t need to plan songs, it just sort of worked.
E – So what’s it actually like being in Razorlight? Sex, drugs, rock and roll?
C – Well, there’s some rock and roll… We’ve just finished a record, and in the end that turns into a job, even if it’s a very creative job! And now we’re playing gigs, and it’s pretty much like you think it is. If you want sex and drugs, you can do that, but we’re not too big on that… We drink, that’s enough for us. It’s quite a lot like Almost Famous sometimes though, backstage…
Playing live is brilliant though, especially in Britain when the crowds are so great. I haven’t experienced anything much better than playing for thousands of people who are enjoying it, and singing along.
E – Any pre-gig rituals?
C – We’ve done group hugs and stuff, me and Andy usually have a beer, but that’s about it!
E - So what’s happening next?
C – Well, we’re playing with the Rolling Stones tomorrow, so that’s gonna be huge…we met Mick Jagger the other day, he was really nice and happy; and quite small.
E – Isn’t he quite leathery?
C – He’s just really fit, from all that running around on stage! Anyway, then we’re going to America, then Japan, then back here.
E – So do you ever get nervous at these big shows?
C – Not really, I don’t know why. I should be, [lead guitarist] Bjorn always gets nervous, he thinks it’s good because he’ll play better. But I think I lost that somewhere…
See what we mean about laid back? Older, wiser, and with even better tunes, Razorlight is out now. Go get it.
Razorlight official site
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