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Interview conducted
in June 2004
LATEST RELEASE:
"Stealing of a Nation" |
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| |  | |   | | By Renaud Martin | | Photos all rights reserved |
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This will be a restless Autumn with the release of "Stealing of a Nation", Radio 4's new album, a dancing record like the previous ones, but where the electronic sounds make a noticed appearance. Tommy Williams (guitars, vocal) talked to us about this very efficient album.
You played in England last June. How were you greeted?
It was great! In London, people are crazy, we always felt that when we played there. Also, it was during the World Cup and we played the night England won, you can imagine the ambience! The satisfying thing was that people seemed to like our new tracks very much.
This time, "Stealing of a Nation" is released in the United States and in Europe at the same time. Are you relieved?
Yes! "Gotham!" was released here one year after the United States and we had to tour again and start everything all over again for Europe, it was exhausting. This time, we won't have this problem.
How did you work on this new album?
We stopped touring for "Gotham!" in August 2003. We all went on holidays for a few weeks and we started to work again in Autumn. Back then, we had only written Party Crashers, so we had to write the rest quite quickly in three months. Then, in January, we went in studio. Winter was very cold in New York at that time, and as the studio was in a basement, it was icy cold. So, we recorded in rather particular conditions, it was quite an experience!
Has the band's composition changed?
Yes, there are five of us now. P.J. O'Connor (percussions) and Gerard Garone (keyboards), who already toured with us on "Gotham!", took part in the recording this time. Their presence was really determinant, and it's partly because of them we got this dancing sound.
Why didn't you get this album produced by the DFA studio like you did for "Gotham!"?
That's what we intended to do at the beginning, but for agenda reasons, it didn't happen that way. So, we looked for new producers and Max Heyes contacted us. We met and it went well. We already liked very much what he did for the Doves or Primal Scream, so we decided to work with him. Everyone got on well and we were very pleased with the result. He helped us a lot, especially on the very electro sound we gave to this record.
Precisely, have you already tried these electronic sounds on stage before this album?
No, not really. Actually, some remixes like Dance to the Underground drove us in that direction.
The Faint's remix was quite successful, especially as an ad's soundtrack.
Yes indeed, but the ad you're talking about was only on in Europe. I recently discovered that the track had been changed in Finland, we could hear another voice singing "Sound of the Underground" instead of "Dance to The Underground". I must find out if we still get royalties (laughs)!
How did you come to play such a dancing rock?
You know, like many people in New York, we were very amazed by the shoegazer movement in the 90's, these people played music while gazing at their shoes and nodding their heads. We thought it was so boring... If you're depressed, be depressed at home, not on a stage! We wanted rhythm, action, we wanted to dance in concert, that's why we created Radio 4.
What music were you listening then?
Like now, we listened at a lot of things, you know. We liked very much The Clash and Gang Of Four. We also listened a lot of post-punk. And the Beatles and the Stones, of course. We also liked soul, R'n'B and reggae.
Talking of this, the title of your album refers to the classical "Healing of the Nation" of Jacob Miller.
Yes indeed. We wanted a strong slogan which would sum up our record and our ideas. We slightly changed this title which became "Stealing of a Nation".
Is it also a reference to the falsified election of George W. Bush?
Yes, of course. It's also about the omnipotence of the American medias who managed to manipulate opinions and made the United States go to war against a country at the other end of the world.
There are currently so many successful bands coming from New York. Do you really think there's a New York scene?
No, actually I think it's a journalist's idea. I don't think the same thing is happening than in Seattle in the 90's. There are just several bands who play rock in the same spirit, we respect and support each other. But we don't see each other every sunday for a barbecue (laughs). Right now, there's a good ambience, all goes well, but I don't know if it'll last. You know, the wind is changing, there'll always be a hype revival. | | | | | | | |
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