Originally written for the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Feb 5, 2007
With the Guillemots set to perform at Newcastle Academy this evening, DAVY SMITH took a few minutes from the band’s busy schedule to speak to lead singer, Fyfe Dangerfield.
The Guillemots are very much a band to be looking out for. With their debut album, Through the Windowpane, being nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, they certainly had a successful 2006.
I managed to catch Fyfe while he was on a short break from doing final checks before setting out on the road. Surprisingly, he seemed quite relaxed, assuring me that everything was ready to go. “Well,” he said, ” we’ve just got our final checks to do, but the preparation for the tour has gone really well, we’ve been enjoying rehearsals.”
I asked Fyfe what the band was doing differently on this tour, and he told me excitedly about how they were venturing into new ground. “We’ve written some completely new songs.” He said, “It’s very different from the last set, we’ve developed a lot and with each new tour you can step up things a bit.”
And with their next album already in the pipeline, Fyfe tells me that it isn’t just the live performances that are rapidly changing. “I’ve already been writing things, but we are getting back in the studio to start our next album properly in March.” He says, “We’re trying out a lot of new stuff. I hope that we develop with each release – we don’t simply want to repeat ourselves.”
I began to wonder if going back into the studio would leave any room for the band to play any of the festivals in the summer, but Fyfe was quick to tell me that they certainly would be. “We will definitely be doing a few festivals, though we’ve got nothing fully confirmed yet.” Fyfe said, ” I am hoping that we will be able to do Glastonbury, especially now that Bjork is rumoured to be playing.”
Fyfe was happy that the band was able to have a rest at the end of last year after a massive amount of gigs. I thought, however, that out of all of the performances the band did last year, there must have been something that stood out. “Our best gig of last year, hmmm”, he ponders, ” well, I thought that T in the park was really exciting. We didn’t expect that many people to be there. The tent that we were playing is was full to capacity, there must have been around seven thousand people and the atmosphere was fantastic.”
With live music going through a renaissance at the moment, there are a lot of bands that are currently on the scene. I asked Fyfe who he was listening to. “There’s a load of good bands around at the moment, but Larrikin love and the Noisettes are fantastic.” He adds, “If you can get a chance to see the Noisettes live I would definitely recommend it”.
The latest single, Annie, Let’s Not Wait, was released on January 15, coming in at 27 in the UK charts. Fyfe was more excited, however, about the amount of airplay that it had generated. “I’m glad about how well the new single has been received.” He says, “It got a lot of radio play and was put onto the play list at radio 2. Most of the regional stations also picked up on it.”
The Guillemots have spent a lot of time supporting other acts. Most recently they supported the Scissor Sisters, who have gone on to achieve global success. However, Fyfe is quick to add that they are still completely down to earth. “It was really good touring with the scissor sisters – they’re a good band – really good pop music. It was Jake that asked us to do the tour in the first place. He was really enthusiastic about it, a great guy.”
With such a tightly packed schedule, the band won’t have much time to spend in Newcastle, which they are dissapointed about, As Fyfe says: “It’s a shame that the tour is so hectic, because I would like to spend a lot more time looking around the city – I’ve heard from a lot of people that it’s got a good vibe at the moment.”
But even after all of this, the band is definitely all set to play. “I really hope people come along to the gig and enjoy. We are all feeling relaxed after Christmas – we’re all fired up for it.” Fyfe adds, “Dibidim will be support – check them out as well – they’re our friends on Myspace.”
