The Foals
2008 was a pretty spectacular year – what were the highlights?
I’ve forgotten most of 2008 already. Too much drinking and too many repetitive festivals, I think. There was one festival that I really enjoyed called Hove in Norway. We’d never been to Norway so we didn’t know what to expect. It was kind of a small festival, but we spent the day on a lake fishing, and then we got off the lake and we ate the fish and then we played a show. It was incredibly relaxing.
How do you plan to top your achievements in 2009?
We have to record an album. That’s pretty much the one thing consuming us at the moment. We still haven’t nailed what producer we’re going to use, but things are looking a bit more hopeful. Last time we worked with Dave Sitek (from TV On The Radio), but I don’t think Dave would want to work with us again so it’s not really an option. We’re hoping to finish that by summer, and then we’re going to play a million and one festivals. Although I think we’re going to take it kind of easier than we did last year. Last year we’d have four festivals in a weekend, and we’d fly from one to the other and we wouldn’t see any of the country or the town. It was kind of demoralising.
What other bands do you think are going to be big in 2009 and why?
I have no idea which bands will get big. It confuses me. I never thought the Ting Tings would get big, but they did. I guess my favourite band in the UK is Dananananaykroyd, and their album is coming out in a couple of weeks. I’ve had a copy of it for quite a long time, and it’s pretty great. As I say, the music industry just bewilders me, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t do well at all and they stayed being an underground band.
Do you anticipate any new and exciting musical movements in the next 12 months?
I read a lot of music journalism, particularly at the ends of years and the beginnings of years. There are a lot of judgements about what’s going to happen, and it does seem to be just wild stabbing in the dark, and often based on record labels’ PR releases. So I’ve read a lot about female electro pop artists, like Little Boots. Maybe that’s going to be the sound of 2009, or maybe 2009 is going to be made up of lots of different sounds like every year always is.
What are you enjoying doing the most at the moment?
Not much. I started going swimming in the New Year. It wasn’t a resolution, I just finally moved into a house, and got into a position where I could do something regularly. There’s no difference. It’s not like I’ve developed muscles. I’ve looked for them on my body but I don’t seem to have any. It kind of makes me feel a bit more clear-headed, and more like I’m becoming a man. I’d like to tell you that the rest of the band are doing the same thing, but they just stay in and get baked at two in the afternoon.
