For Karl, Helda, Sarah and anyone else who doesn't have realplayer. Interview part 1 ('tis v.tiring actually, and I have to go out in a sec. Will do second half tonight, hopefully.) BTW, the interview is, I think from denmark, or whichever country is denoted by dk. Hence, I couldn't realy understand the interviewer sometimes, 'cos he mumbled, but the guys at least did. It's from quite a while ago though.
*general kerfuffle while the mic gets put in the right place. Grant says "ok" a lot*
Grant: Hi, I'm Grant from Feeder, and I sing and play guitar for Feeder.
Taka: Hi, I'm Taka and I play bass.
Interviewer: Could you tell us how you........
G: Ok, erm, ok, we me personally, I got into music from when I was at school. I had a school band, erm, from the age of about 10 years old. I always wanted, you know, to be in a kind of rock band, and play guitar, and it wa sosmehting I started very early on at school. I had one school band and then I had another school ban and, after finally leaving school, I decided I wanted to carry on doing music. So, I was in various bands in South Wales and then I eventually moved down to London and I found a job in a recording studio learning how to do engineering and, you know, sound and stuff. and, after 2 years, I decided to, er, to get a new band together which is where we formed Feeder and I met Taka in London after having a different bass player for a while. It didn't actually work out with our first bass player, and we were looking for a new bass player, and we found Taka after he put and ad in a free ads papaer called Loot, and (to Taka) you joined, what, 8 and a half yars ago?
T: Yeah
G: So that is, um, the basic history of Feeder. I mean, Jon, our drummer, I met him about 15 years ago in South Wales which is where I'm from and he's from so we knew each other for a while before. And that is basically it, unless you want to add something.
T: mmmm
I: What are your songs.......
G: Well, it sort of varies really.
T: It was musci we used to listen when we were kids and you know music. It's all different from 70s rock to 80s.
G: Yeah, you know, punk, 70s stuff as Taka was saying. You know, we've all got different....we all like different types of music. But for me, you know, it wa sSex Pistols, early Police, Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, all that kind of stuff. And, when I was very young, you know we used to listen to stuff like Abba and that kind of stuff, like really nice sort of pop music, 'cos when you're 4 and 5 years old, that's kind of what your parents used to play and stuff or, you know, Carpenters and stuff. But, you know, as I got older, I got into rock music but, you know, rock music that has good melodies I think. I'm not into just heavy music. It needs to have a good melody to it which is what we've always tried to do as a band.
I: (inaudible)
G: There you have it, and obvioulsy Beatles were an influence. I'm sure they inluenced everybody but *laughs*
I: is there some sort of agenda to Feeder?
T: A-gen-da
G: I think for me, and really as a band, we've just tried to make good songs, good timeless songs that have, you know, strong melodies. You know, I'm not singing about politics in any songs really . I mean, I've touched on it before but not....For me, music should be like freedom, should be about expression. I don't particularly wanna write about politics 'cos I find that quite *scared face* erm, what's the word, depressing. So, I think music needs to be an escape in some way, certainly for us anyway and er...So, although the songs do cover elements of relationships and stuff and that kind of thing, erm, it also needs to be.....there also needs to be somthing quite positive in there, you know, for us.
T: The agenda is that we play music.
G: Hmmm
T: So, have to come naturally.
G: I mean, music is something you start doing when you're very young and it's fun. It's like a hobby and I think it should always have that element to it even when you get older and you get more successful. You need to keep on to that bit that makes it special. So, I dunno, we've always tried to keep that, haven't we?
T: mmm
More later! And, to the person who says Grantley looks like a michelin man on their computer, you may want to adjust your screen settings.