Lost Prophets
Last week the Lost Prophets single "Fake Sound Of Progress" hit the top 20 with a Duran Duran cover version on the flipside. Its full circle for the band who took their name for a Duran Duran bootleg album. We caught up with lead singer Ian Watkins in the studio while the band were recording the forthcoming single with legendary producer Alan Moulder. Read the full interview to find out what the guys think of those Nu-Metal boy band they've been tagged with, why the British Music Industry never really understood rock music and the contradictions of a straight edge ethics with the rock & roll lifestyle.
Q: The single "Fake Sound Of Progress" was out last
week with the Duran Duran cover on the B-Sides taking things full circle
(Ed: The band took their name from a Duran Duran bootleg album). Quite
a strange thing going on - when you listen to Lost Prophets the first band
in your head wouldn't exactly be Duran Duran would it?
A: It was one of those things that was just subliminally
there. Just one of those weird influences that you end up growing up on
and kind of effect you. We didn't take stuff from them directly, but their
idea of cool pop hooks and stuff...I think its kind of timeless!!!
Q: It was strange how it happened for you. Over the
last say 6 months its really be taking off for you in the UK, but you actually
broke over in America first before anyone took notice here?
A: Yeah, but then again its still kind of breaking over
there. We got signed to an American major label so they did notice or first.
We've been around a while just playing in bands and stuff though.
I think the British Music Industry has never understood hard rock. Metal or rock - whatever, the UK music industry just doesn't understand it and it doesn't know what to do. They've never seen it as a big money maker even though its always been there. Even though Maiden and Deaf Leopard made it to number 1, they were only ever interested in Indie bands or dance bands or manufactured boy bands or girl groups. Its not on their radar at all!!!!
Metal bands appear and they're like I can't sell this,
I need the new Coldplay or Stereophonic's or Starsailor!!!
Q: It is looking a bit healthier over the last few
months though. Agree?
A: It always has. Its a country where they've been telling
people there's not a big metal audience in the UK, but Slipknot get to
number 1 in the album charts. In the US its an integral part of the mainstream,
like N'Sync and Linkin Park are in the same category.
Q: The "Fake Sound Of Progress" album was actually
released 18 months ago now. Are you getting bored of playing the same old
songs each night?
A: Yeah, were tired of milking the same old album as
well. But its good because there are a lot of people who haven't heard
it yet. I think a lot of people who bought the album first time round are
getting pissed off now. Its the same story of sell outs and whatever...when
a band is underground they're cool and when they start getting a bit of
recognition you just dis-own them.
In a lot of people eyes they might have only heard of
us two weeks ago. Were off to America at the end of next week so this single
is the last big PR publicity push for us and after that were just going
to leave it.
Q: You're just about to head on tour across America
with Andrew WK on the MTV 2 tour. I only found out last week that half
of you are straight-edge. How do the whole contradictions of rock &
roll lifestyle and the straight edge ethic combine in a touring situation?
A: Were just interested in the music, do you know what
I mean. We just do the same thing we've always done - play music, watch
videos, play video games. Its just like 6 friends on holiday.
The whole idea of rock & roll has changed. Unless you're in a massive band or really famous you just can't get away with chucking TV sets out of windows. Especially at this level, if we do it we then have to pay for it so its like no way.
When we were growing up being straight edge was a total reaction. We wanted to make something of ourselves and get out. And do something a bit more constructive with our time other than work mundane 9 to 5 jobs and get pissed out of your mind at the weekend, end up fighting, eating kebabs and spewing, and shagging round the back of the local Kwik Save. That's kind of the mentality of a lot of people in small towns....not just in wales....its small towns everywhere!!!!
If that's what makes them happy then fine, but we wanted to break out of that circle and make something of ourselves in the grand-er scheme of things.
Q: Whenever you talk to Welsh bands they never do much
for the Welsh tourist board. Is Wales really such a bleak place?
A: Its a nice place, its not that its bad. There's far
worse places that we've played in the UK and in Europe. It is home, but
its just a small town mentality really. I think if you live in London there
is so much going on and so much competition. Everybody is in a band and
the media is here so after your second gig all the magazines come down
to the gigs.
If you're in Wales you just on your own and you've got
no one telling you what to do or where to play. You don't know what's cool.
Especially when you're a kid you don't know what's cool.
Q: You are in the public domain now. Its not just the
NME or Kerrang that wants to feature you. Its the likes of Smash Hits and
CD:UK. How do you feel about this?
A: Its cool!!! If magazines want to feature us and they
want to feature our views....were saying exactly the same things as we
say to Kerrang or the NME. I'd rather people who read Just 17 listen to
what I've got to say than some guy from Westlife.
Its not like you have to compromise your integrity. People
are like sell outs, but its my opinion and its another outlet for my opinion.
So much has disappeared nowadays...no real music shows and Melody Maker
went...so if people want to feature us on our terms i'm up for it.
Q: Do you get p**sed off over these Nu-Metal boy band
tags you've been given as well?
A: What can you do? I just hope that we can keep our
heads down and out grow it. I think longevity is what were after and just
build a career. I hope in a few years that people will be like I remember
that when people said you were part of the Nu-Metal scene, remember that?
You get a lot of stupid comments about the way you look and the clothes you wear. I'm sorry...I've looked like this since I was born and these are the clothes I've been wearing since I was younger. I look like this on-stage and offstage.
Then you get a band like the Hives and the Strokes and
they say nothing!!!
Q: I was checking out your message board. They're obsessed
with your sexuality. What's the story?
A: Were gay guys. But gay guys get all the chicks!!!!
Q: You've been in the studio for the past week recording
the new single with Alan Moulder. What's the new material sounding like?
A: Its us playing music we like. I guess its a bit more
coherent and a bit more anthemic than stuff on the album. This is our first
time in a real studio because the first album it was really DIY. We've
never been with a cool producer or a really cool studio before. There's
still that naive element of throwing everything in, but with a little more
panache
Were just doing one song for a new single and hopefully we'll record the new album at the end of the year. A lot of the lyrical ideas are much the same with the stuff I think about and my point of view in a ambiguous sense. But a lot of stuff will be about what we've experienced of people liking you one minute and then hating you the next.
Its weird to be part of a backlash when you still feel
like the underdog. Its like I've still got no money and I can't afford
to pay my gas bill....its like rock star, there's no star about it - were
just rock!!!!
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