There's no doubt about it that Catfish and the Bottlemen are certainly ones to watch over the next year as their fan base grows day by day and their music spreads across the UK and the world.
I sat down with lead singer, Van McCann, to talk about their music and touring. It just so happened that the answers were going to reveal a bit more than expected.
It’s fair to say that things kicked off for you with Homesick. Is that the track that you wanted to put you in this position or did it just happen in a natural way without any of you knowing just what it would do for the band?
What about being placed #36 in his top 100 hottest records in the world for 2013?
How do you approach support gigs then compared to headline shows?
So you played the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds last year, what was that like?
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I sat down with lead singer, Van McCann, to talk about their music and touring. It just so happened that the answers were going to reveal a bit more than expected.
It’s fair to say that things kicked off for you with Homesick. Is that the track that you wanted to put you in this position or did it just happen in a natural way without any of you knowing just what it would do for the band?
“We recorded for it itunes when we got signed, I thought it was the worst song. I absolutely hated it but we thought we would get a demo of it done, you know? But then the record label came a long and said 'this going to be your first single' and I was just like alright.”Do you think Rango and Pacifier have done well to keep that buzz that was created from Homesick going?
“Well Pacifier doesn't really sound like us, we just made a tune that you could drive to and stuff like that. But yeah, I'm happy with that. I'm happy with the way people received us and stuff. Got good feedback and stuff so it's really nice.”You were once described as "cheeky and loud" in a review from The Great Escape festival last year, would you agree with that?
“Yeah, I would agree with that. I've not heard that one before, that was nice.”Do you think this is one of the main reason's people come to watch you live?
“We don't really read our critics and stuff like that, we just like playing and touring and living in our own little world in the van and that. We try and just make people happy really so if being cheeky and fun is a critical factor of our shows then that's very nice. I don't mind being the reason people are in to us because of our live show, that's a nice thing – that's what we have come here to do. We've never wanted to sell albums, we just want to tour it so it's nice that people are understanding us and enjoying us for what we wanted and not what the label wanted”At your gigs you do a 'merch specials' sign which includes a load of things that may seem inappropriate to people who don't really know you and the band. How did that come about?
“Our roadie (Larry) does our specials on our merchandise stand. He does them because he's just trying to be funny and we were like yeah, do whatever. We got in loads of trouble because of them on the last tour. It was literally just something, because you know it's so awkward trying to sell merchandise, we hate making people pay for things and stuff. It's literally just to make everyone feel like we can all have a bit of a laugh. We've been to gigs where they have been like 'they're trying to sell sex to underage girls' and it's just like if we were selling sex, we wouldn't sell it for a fiver, do you know what I mean? People get offended at anything, they do. It's just crazy. We did one in a gig some where and they absolutely went mental. We were getting branded paedophiles and other stuff but the paper with all “specials” on it was an obvious joke. On the bottom it was like “exorcism for £70” and people were like 'oh my god they are actually trying to exorcise people'. What the hell are they talking about? I got a bit worried, I thought we were going to have stop doing it. But our roadie just wont stop doing them, so.”
What's it like getting such a big amount of support from Zane Lowe?
“Getting exposure from the likes of Zane Lowe is incredible. It's quite shocking to us really cos when we signed to the label, they signed us and said 'we signed you because we believe in the music you're making but we don't want you to get your hopes up of getting on the radio because you are quite a heavy band' especially like daytime radio. So we never really expected any radio play, we just thought we were gonna be like a little back pocket band to people. Well we still are really, we're still trying to make a name for ourselves but when Zane picked it up and made it the hottest track in the world and all that stuff, it was really surreal to us but so cool. Everyone that says Radio 1 are shit, because a lot of people give it stick for not playing a lot of guitar bands, but this year especially they are made for it. Our band, Royal Blood, Circa Waves. They're doing a really good thing for new bands this year. I'm probably just saying that because I want them to be our friends and play our music.”
What about being placed #36 in his top 100 hottest records in the world for 2013?
“To get to number 36 in Zane's top 100 records is crazy. We didn't expect to get there at all. There are some massive bands on it who have fans all over the world and we're still small with a little fan base so when we're up there ahead of Miles Kane and people like that and The Strypes, It was just shocking and made us believe in it all more and we just felt the people who are really in to our band are like I just love every one of them. They're really committed and it just feels really good to have a group of people on our side who are dedicated and just want to help you out. It's all really good to us. Really cool.”
How do you approach support gigs then compared to headline shows?
“Support gigs are my favourite gigs because you go in there and put our record out when 99% of the room has never heard of you and they probably want you to be awful so they can abuse you and stuff. I like the fear of people thinking I like look a dick so I better try and do something. I like trying to win a crowd over. They are my favourite gigs. You know when you're trying to be the underdog kind of thing. It's just so nice when people come up to you after a gig and are like 'I've never heard of you before but I really like you' and they end up coming to see you at your headline shows. And cos you only have like 25 minutes or something so you've gotta do your thing and get out, you've only got enough time to play songs dead quick. No talking, no dancing about and stuff”What band would you recommend at the minute?
“ Last year, there's a band called Broken Hands from Kent, I saw them and I became really good friends with the singer and I idolise them. He's a legend. They're probably the best band I saw last year, they're really like heavy. They're just far our and he's one of those people where if they had no money and people weren't interested, he would still do what he wants to do. I really admire that band, they're really cool.”
So you played the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds last year, what was that like?
“It was really cool. It was a bit of a weird one because we were really excited for it. That was the first time we had ever been to Reading and Leeds because we always said we're not going to go to these festivals unless we're playing. We all want to go to Glastonbury but we're not going to go until someone tells me to play there. So we're all really excited for it and I couldn't wait and then it comes to it and it's the first ever time we have been filmed for BBC and Radio 1 so we were all kind of conscious of that stuff so you're trying to put on a good show and I ended up breaking and going through three guitars in five songs. I just had a nightmare and once something goes wrong, you're just always thinking something else is going to go wrong and you can't relax. The first gig was really hard but the turnout was amazing. We had the DJs there and bands watching side of stage, it was really cool. And then the next day when we went down to Reading, our guitar player's pedal broke and it was one of those, one of the most important gigs of your life and then it's just hard to forget about it.”So does that make you want to work harder to get on to the bigger stages?
“We want to go to as big as we possibly can. There's only so much crashing in to each other you can do on those tiny little stages like tripping over your wires. It would be amazing, I really want to play arenas and have a good soundcheck. We want to play the massive stuff because we always get put in the corner in the rain under a bush when we play festivals so I want one of them big circus tents like everyone else gets.”
Your
first single was Homesick but do you ever get sick of people asking
you if you get homesick?
“That is always the question we get. No it's alright, our answer to that is our home is on the road so when we're actually at home, we feel homesick. I'm feeling homesick at the moment actually now that I'm sat at home just finishing sorting the album out. We hate being in studios and being confined, we just want to tour.”
You're
going on a headline tour very soon, what's the most exciting part of
that?
“Well because there's six of us and we're all best mates, it's just wild. Because we play gigs for people who care about our music, we can all have a drink with them after and then go back to the hotel and throw a massive party and end up getting kicked out but sticking around. That's the best part about it, we get to meet new people and find out what they think of us. It's really nice. There was this one girl in London the other week and she had flown from Japan, it was unbelievable. ”
So
what's the one song that you can't stand being played on the radio at
the moment?
“I don't really have a radio, just listen to my CDs and my dad's but I like everything really. I like Justin Bieber. I personally haven't heard anything that's wound me up, not enough to really really annoy me. I know there's somebody that I really can't stand but I can't think who it is but I just think they're terrible. That's going to drive me mad now.”
Has
album work started?
“We were in the studio with a producer the other week because we're trying out different producers for the album but we're set on one now so I think we're going to start recording it as soon as we come off tour. It's exciting, we did a song with a producer last month and that looks like it's going to be a song single. We're really excited to put more music out and just get on the road. We're literally just sorting the album out this second.”
Is
there any process when you record new songs?
“I get cabin fever in the studio. I can't be in one place for too long because I get too tired and start arguing so I try and do my bit and then just get out and go for a walk. Except for Bob, our drummer, we kind of just get in and get out as quickly as possible."
Finally,
what else can we expect from you over the next few months?
“We're going on tour before our headline tour with a band we really like (now announced as Little Comets – tour is now under way) then we're going to do the album and then I think we're going to try and get to America and hopefully Australia and then I'm going to delve in to nude calenders. I'm going to start experimenting with my body. Do some weird shit. Going to do some really weird experimental portraits and then sign them and sell them online so people think I'm a big shot.”
What
a way to end the interview. Cheers Van.
“Thanks mate, see you soon.”Follow / [FACEBOOK]
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