Astrid

With a classic album "Play Dead" in stores now you have to question why Astrid aren't having the same degree of success as Travis or Coldplay. The only real answer lies in the lack of Radio and TV support who choose to play the same old same old. Currently on a Scottish tour and ready to make a big splash at T In The Park we caught up with Willie and Charlie to find out about the big American road trip.

Q: So you're breaking it over in the states at the moment?
Charlie: It was kind of weird because one thing we did notice was the support we got over there. People really did take to it and it was quite instant. People really did warm to the band.

When we did the gig in New York it was the same time as this baseball match. It was the first time in 40 years that two teams from New York has played each other so that kind of cut the people coming to gig by half.

When you travel to other countries you realise that Britain's the only country where people categorize bands and its such an easy thing for journalist to do.
 

Q: The sound on "Play Dead" is a lot fuller than the debut. Can we expect a similar leap for the next album?
Willie: I think were going to do it like the debut. Just record live backing tracks and keep it simplistic. I think on "Play Dead" there's load of strings which we obviously can't re-create live and for the next one it will just be more simple, more raw.

Charlie: I think the other think is we've come round to thinking that we want to record an album the way the band is live. We've got an albums worth of material written but were going to keep writing for a while and start demo-ing.
 

Q: I think its the general consensus you're so much better live than on record?
Charlie: I think that's are problem and it can be a good thing or a bad thing. With most bands its the other way round but we really do know what were going to do for all future recordings.
 

Q: Going back to the America trips. There must be some mad tales to tell?
Charlie: When we out there Tony Doogan ("Play Dead" Producer) and Mogwai were in town so we hooked up with them and had a bit of a mental couple of days. There were some really shady incidents out there.

Willie: One of the first people we spoke to in Texas was a guy in a cowboy hat and a little leather waste coast. He was about 6ft 5 and he just came strolling out this bar and was like "Hey, Have you guys got 25 grand for some whores and crack".

Charlie: We said no. But we would have given it him if we'd have had it cos he had the balls to ask for it. Then he said he was just going to steal our car and run.
 

Q: And this Roxette story is....?
Charlie: You meet all kinds over there really. Even at our show this guy turned up at our show and read "Sunny, Breezy Harmonies" and came out and goes "My favourite band are Roxette and you guys are dead like Roxette. When I came of stage I asked him if he enjoyed the show and he was like "You guys are closer to a heavy metal band".

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Astrid play T In The Park
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