Evening Session Interview

Dexter and Noodles joined Steve Lamacq in the week when their album Conspiracy Of One was released. This is the full unedited interview, including sections not broadcast on the Evening Session.

They started with a quick discussion on Hawaiian shirts then talked about the album....

Was the last album's success a shock to you?
"The last record was just so much of a shock to us....we thought we were on that steady decline most bands have, you know one record does great then each follow-up does more poorly." "Also we saw a bunch of new fans coming to the shows, it was really inspiring. We thought wow lets do that again."

When you get back from touring, how long is it before you start planning the next album?
"We started writing within a month. It's hard for me to write on the road, so we didn't really have any songs, so we spent six months writing January to June, then went straight into the studio - very fast."

Weren't you knackered, or was it the adrenaline?
"Yeah it was adrenaline and also we realised we're not going to be doing this forever, so why not do it now."

Why is it Punk style music always seems to come back?
"There's something about punk which is similar to rap, it's really a music which comes from the source and the people, so it speaks in a way kids can understand." "And both of these types of music have had influence in the mainstream for 20 years. A lot of bands which came out of the 70s and 80s were influenced by punk as well as hip-hop. Blondie's 'Rapture' was a full on hip-hop song. That has progressed until you saw bands who were making just punk rock break through."

Before recording the record you talked about making something different to The Offspring, which was still The Offspring. Did you succeed?
"We try and do that with every record, and I think we have with this. We wanted to make this a more harder, straight across the board rock record"

There feels like there's a real urgency to this record, was there?
"It's almost like we did it so fast there wasn't time to think about what we were doing. We were just really doing it naturally, which - as long as the songs come out alright - is the best way to do it." "We live about an hour and half away from the studios, so by the time you get there on the freeway you're pretty p@@@@d off, you've got a lot to rant and rave about, and a lot of rage to get into your performance."

The track Vultures, sounds like you are just really angry...?
"Yeah, it's like you've p@@@@d me off, now leave me alone kind of song. Not a deep sentiment, but something which everyone feels from time to time." "In Vultures it's kind of like this guy is going crazy and needs some reassurance that he's not the only one out there who's loosing it."

Do you think a lot of your songs come down to identity?
"It seems there's a lot more about individual characters on this album, it's a lot more introspective. The soul person looking inside or just reacting in different ways to the world around him."

The track Special Delivery - about stalking?
"It's a creepy creepy song. Unfortunately it's a reality in our country. It's not just a celebrity thing anymore it's happening to normal people and they love to make a big deal about it on the news sensationalising it. I wrote it from that dark place just to show it really happens. Of course, it will be misinterrupted so people think we are endorsing stalking."

By Steve Lamaqc, from BBC UK Online - November 15, 2000