Here’s my chat with Ross Millard, guitarist for The Futureheads! The band just released their fourth album The Chaos and are currently touring around Europe to promote it. If you have a chance, I highly suggest you see their live show. These guys bring a ton of energy to the stage, and impress even if you’re not a fan of the genre.

Struck Dumb – The FutureheadsStruck Dumb – The Futureheads (Buy)

Heartbeat Song – The FutureheadsHeartbeat Song – The Futureheads (Buy)

Photo by Ian West

So this is your first time back touring in the US for quite a while. Anything in particular you have to have when you’re here?

“Most of us are vegetarian, and America deals with the vegetarian diet a lot better than Britain does. So, it’s quite exciting. We’re kind of all foodies, so it’s great to come here and eat at places that cater strictly for vegan and vegetarian customers. And that’s a big part of our thing when we’re away. And there’s a big sense of adventure for the tour. The thing about the US is, it’s the only place where you can  go on tour, and it feels like an old school tour. Every state has a different culture, climate, people. North Hampton is definitely very different from playing Brooklyn. I think we just really like that excitement when we come here.”

Was there any place you’ve played at in particular where you were pleasantly surprised or the fans were really awesome?

“Because we haven’t been here for so long, we came over expecting it to be difficult. You know, will people still remember who we are. The shows have been pretty well attended for the most part. Much more so than we thought. Baltimore last night though was pretty quiet with probably only seventy to eighty people. So far, though, it was probably the best show of the tour. It was just very much proof that this time is different than the time we came for the second album. There could have been all the people in the world there and something still could’ve been wrong. Now, we’re all just seeing things in the same way, and it put the spirit back into it. It doesn’t really matter who’s there, it’s gonna be a good night. There could be 20 people or 500 people, but it doesn’t matter. They’ve all paid the same price for a ticket, so they all deserve the same level of show. This time, I think that attitude is reigning.”

What do you do in those situations where the crowd isn’t that big? How do you get hyped up?

“We have the very particular warm-ups we do before every show. There’re a lot of harmony elements to the show, so we focus on that. Truthfully, I think it’s just having a sense of humor about the show. Not being serious and not just playing the songs with no chat in between and not having that barrier up with the crowd. It’s very important for us to speak to them and for them to speak to us. I think if you have that attitude, it’s gonna be a fun night no matter what. I think the crowd actually appreciates it more for the intimacy of it if there aren’t as many people there. It’s important because we record the record as we imagine it to be live. We’re not really a studio band. That’s why we focus so much on putting together a good show.”

For the new album, was there a change agent? Obviously, for you last release you had dropped of the label and started your own, basically giving you guys the freedom you wanted. Was there something similar that happened with The Chaos?

“I think by the time you’ve released three records, you’ve had a lot of things that were a big deal come along. There were a lot of trials and tribulations that have gotten us here. And I think it reaches a point where you seriously have to ask yourself, if we’re gonna keep doing this, why are we gonna keep doing this and why do we want to. We were at home for quite a long time during the making of this record. It’s the first time that we’ve had an opportunity to make a record in our hometown, and that was quite a motivating factor. Just the fact that we could take it easy on our own time scale. Things have changed. We’re not young kids anymore. I think the fact that we settled the label and it was so rewarding to do that, it gives you the motivation to continue on. It kind of gives you a new lease on life. And it feel like this new record is just our second album, and the middle two didn’t happen. In terms of head space and how we see them. It feels good at the moment. If feels better than it’s felt since the first record.”

What else are you listening to right now?

“That’s the great thing about being on tour actually. It allows you to just enjoy music. If you’re sitting in a van for eight hours, you’ve got a ton of time. There’s an all girl group from Los Angeles called Warpaint. I know it’s only a short record, but I think that’s excellent and promising. Completely different, but there’s a more hardcore band from New Jersey called Fight Amp. I think they’re amazing as well. I’ve actually just been listening to a lot of old greaser rock and roll in the van though. Anything that’s loud and got some good kick to it.”

When you’re spending so much time on the road, what are some of your vices or pet peeves?

“Well, on this tour probably more so than others, there been, and it sounds cheesy to say this, but there’s been a lot of drinking. There’s just been a lot of big nights out. In Britain, we’ll normally have some friends around to catch up with, but it’s gotten very big, very quick here. You open the door of the van, and there’re crates of lager everywhere. It’s not really nice when the van heats up a bit in the sun. It creates that kind of brewery style aroma.”

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever had someone ask you to do?

“Someone wanted to take a cast of our hands. In Britain, this guy turned up with a mixture of stuff like plaster. He wanted to make latex molds of our hands. He was a uni kid, so I’m hoping it had something to do with that.  I mean, it can be a little bit creepy if you think about it. I don’t know if everyone did it. I did it…foolishly. It’s only a hand at the end of the day. I might lose it. It might come in handy.”

Photo by Ian West