Alternative British band the Subways have been tearing across the music scene over the past five years hitting festivals such as Glastonbury and Leeds, appearing on US Network television and supporting AC/DC on their world tour. Now as they’ve returned to the Studio, fans are eagerly awaiting their new album Money and Celebrity is set to be released in September. I managed to catch up with Billy, for a short interview.
How have you been? Thanks for taking time out with me. I understand the new album is due for release in September, hows it coming along? Can you give us any inside information on any upcoming tracks and inspirations?
Billy: The album is now recorded, mixed and mastered! We’re extremely happy with it! The album was written differently to our other two albums, in that I wrote the lyrics before I wrote the music as opposed to the other way round. I spent a year sat in front of the TV with my guitar in my flat and ended up writing about a lot of things that worried or excited me on the TV: celebrity culture, the financial crisis, talent shows, etc. The album is called Money and Celebrity!
How do you deal with touring and not coming away hating each other? A lot of bands report friction and turmoil, do you all get along all the time and how do you make sure you aren’t bored on the road?
Billy: We’re all very close – Charlotte and I were going out (and are now best friends) and Josh and I are brothers – so we’ve spent a lot of time in each other’s company before the band so it’s all very natural to us. We love going on tour, we love making music with each other and we love being onstage together and touring the world together. As with all friendships and sibling relationships there is friction and tension, but it’s nothing that can’t be resolved by going onstage and playing our hearts out and reminding each other why this is so important to us all!
I’m sure I’m not the only person who came to your music like many other bands when I saw you on the OC many years ago, what effect if any did that exposure have for you guys, being on a Network show in America?
Billy: It really kicked things off for us in America, and we enjoyed a few really extensive tours right across the country where a lot of UK bands don’t get to play. It really opened our eyes and inspired us!
You as a group have played at many festivals, T in the Park, Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds, what’s been your favourite festival moment?
Billy: My favourite festival moment was playing Reading festival in 2008! Charlotte and I had been to Reading festival two years consecutively before we started playing there, and so it was a really special festival to us anyway. Our 2008 Reading festival show was the fifth in a row at that particular festival, and it just felt like the audiences had bigger and crazier every year. There were five circle pits going on at the same time and I swear I was getting shivers of excitement through the whole performance. It still remains a show to beat!
Supporting AC/DC must of been a massive thrill, what was that like?
Billy: AC/DC at Wembley was the first show that Josh and I ever saw, so to be able to support them at Wembley years later was a dream! We were all so nervous, but I think we did okay. It all went by in such a blur.
Where do you guys see yourselves at the moment? Where is that you want to head in the future?
Billy: I see us about to release our best record, so we’re all so excited for people to hear these songs. All we want to do is have great audiences to play to, that’s all that matters to us. Playing live is our drug, and as long as we can do that until the day we die we’ll be happy.
Any last words of advice for any aspiring musicians or bands?
Billy: Love and believe in what you do, and most importantly – HAVE FUN!
