
On hearing that I would be doing an interview with Bombay Bicycle Club I had coincidentally heard on the same day, their new single ‘magnet’ playing on Radio One, even catching a charity shop volunteer shaking her thang to this catchy tune. Tracking this song down on Spotify, I decided to check out the rest of the album and have to say became a little obsessed, and barely a day goes by now without me listening to several of their tracks. The album ‘I had the blues but shook them loose’ is full of potential hits for this band, a helping hand given by the quirky voiced singer and catchy almost haunting melodies. With ‘magnet’, the third single from this album just released and a tour underway, we caught up with the band when they performed a sell out gig at Clwb Ifor Bach. Sat on the sofas of Welsh club with Jack Steadman the lead vocalist, I nod towards one of the support acts of the evening ‘Lo Fi Culture Scene’ – a bunch of five young teenagers ranging from15-16 years old, including the brother of BBC’s lead guitarist, Jamie MacColl. I asked Jack if this reminded him of when he first started with the group at school to which he replies that it does but these guys are taking it far more seriously. This is something that seems to be fairly obvious with this band, with adopting the name of a curry house that they don’t in fact even like but it’s just too late to change it as this is how they are known now. It seems that starting so young can have its hindrances.
Q: Were you excited to leave school and be able to concentrate fully on the band?
A: I was really sad when I left school, more ‘cos of the people that were there.
Q: So do you feel like you are missing out now that your friends are moving onto University?
A: Yeh at like every fresher’s gig we play, though I don’t think I would have any friends at university, everyone just dresses up and gets really drunk, I think I would just want to sit down and have a conversation with someone, it’s a bit cliché and cheesy for me, it makes me cringe most of it.
Q: Do you think you might be a university student in the future?
A: Maybe, I realise that all I want to study is French, so I might as well go and study in France, instead of going to university.
Q: So you’re not too envious of us students then?
A: Some of it, we don’t have enough money yet to even move out of our parent’s houses, it doesn’t exactly pay well this job…we’re all just dying to move out.
Q: Your single was released this week, any idea how that’s doing?
A: I’m a bit of touch with things like that. I’m really glad it’s on vinyl though as I thought the record company were joking when they said it wasn’t. When it’s on vinyl, it’s more of a collection, something you can give to your grandkids.
Q: You have been nominated as best breakthrough festival act, how confident do you feel?
A: Not too confident as I had a quick look at whom was nominated like Bon Iver and I fucking love him. I think he should win.
Q: You are supporting White Lies and the Pixies. How exciting is that?
A: It’s like the best thing to happen to us, we’re all such big Pixies fans, and you almost don’t believe it.
Q: If it all ended after that, you’d be happy?
A: Yes, definitely.
Q: So, the future’s looking bright and you may actually earn some money?
A: Yeh, to hopefully move out and pay this guy back for his TV. I punched his TV, a big widescreen one. Oh well I’ll get the money eventually.
Q: I’m surprised that you make such little money, is it really that bad?
A: It’s really hard to make money in a band, it’s sad, that is why a lot of bands resort to being in adverts. People think you’re so lame, you sold out but it’s the only way they can make money. We’ve tried as hard as we could not to do any of that stuff ‘cos I hate when a song is in an advert and you really like it, but it ruins it for you. I think a lot of fans would be sad if we sold out, we’re that type of band.