On the eve of the re-release of Comfort In Sound, Feeder frontman Grant Nicholas took time out to talk to us about fame, the upcoming tour and why Wales will have to wait - for now.
Last updated: 23 January 2009
What was behind the decision to re-release Comfort In Sound?
Well that was basically because we felt we should finish the year on a high, and this is a nice way to round off a good year. I was initially against it when the record company suggested it, because it looks like we are cashing in and milking it for the Christmas market - but you know it's got a few DVD extras and I think it is a good chance for fans to buy it if they haven't already. Plus the packaging is pretty nice.
Comfort In Sound established Feeder as one of the biggest bands in the country. How do you feel about the album as a whole now?
For me it is the best Feeder record so far. During the early years when you are a bit naïve you get influenced and pushed in different directions and your vision gets compromised - that's what happened with Echo Park. With Comfort in Sound, I just said 'look, this is the way I want to do things' and put my neck on the line in a way. I'm really pleased with it as it managed to capture the essence, if you like, of Feeder.
Do you feel in any way responsible for the resurgence in guitar bands and all things rock? Some people forget you have had four albums - do you ever feel complacency setting in?
Well I think we kind of got the mix between melody and rock just about right and have been doing it longer than most - not that we're the godfathers of rock or anything! [laughs]
I think we've had a long career and we're not ready to quit yet. A lot of people in the mainstream don't realise how long we have been around - I mean, we were signed at the tail end of Britpop, and bands like us just weren't fashionable. There's plenty of life in us yet - but when the time comes I don't want to carry on for the sake of it like some bands.
There's no danger of complacency. We never had it easy, the NME have never put us on the cover which amazes me, but we've always been supported by the rock press which is great. In the early days we were amazed people like Metal Hammer liked us, 'cause we didn't think we were heavy enough. There is never any danger of us disappearing up our own arses, we're too well grounded.
Is there any new material on the horizon?
I have started writing new stuff at home, just trying stuff out playing it to a few friends. I couldn't really say what the new stuff will be like 'cause we're still promoting Comfort In Sound, so new material isn't really a priority at the moment. All I know is when I start writing I really get heavily into it and the outside world sort of disappears. So I have to be careful! [laughs]
How do you feel about returning to the arenas? Do you ever prefer the smaller venues?
It should be great - we're going to be playing a right mixed bag of stuff like some early songs we don't usually play. There won't be too much new material - it always feels risky to play new stuff, but when you see kids getting into it, then it feels wonderful. The arenas will be great and I think our sound suits them perfectly. I've seen so many of my favourite bands in big places and it doesn't come across, so I'm glad we do.
In terms of the smaller gigs, if I'm honest there's nothing better than the atmosphere at a small show, and when it hits the mark then that's the best thing. That's why Europe is such a great place to play - we're off there soon to play some small sweaty venues, then it's straight into the arenas. We're planning some secret gigs and stuff next year so that should be fun.
It has to be asked, why isn't the tour visiting Wales?
I really wanted to but there was a mix up with the booking. We got asked to play with the Stereophonics at their thing in December, and we decided not to. When we came to book a venue, they had all gone. We are hoping to return and do a one off show or something - I don't think we play Wales enough, which is really frustrating 'cause we have a great load of fans here. We will be back because we love playing here.
Obviously myself and Jon are Welsh, and we used to haul all our stuff from London to Newport and record in a barn because we couldn't afford a studio. We have always been wary of the Welsh tag, because a few years back people were telling us to take advantage of the popularity of Welsh bands. But we were established in London so it would have been seen as jumping on the bandwagon.
I'd rather let the music be the most important thing. Having said that, I'll always be proud to come from Wales and can't wait to play here soon.
Words: James W Roberts
