Biffy Clyro wowed audiences at this year’s Soundwave Festival, putting their unique brand of rock on show for all to see. Live Music Adelaide caught up with James Johnston a while ago to talk all things Biffy.
‘We are back home, we were in Russia last weekend, but home now just enjoying a fairly rare opportunity to wake up in our own bed. Things are good, Russia was great and all, a really fucking amazing place. Really friendly people, the shows were incredible, the architecture… everything about it was really amazing I think. Sometimes it can be disappointing when you go to a country and it feels like your own country. It was cool to go somewhere where it felt totally different, totally new experience.’
In September, the band will be back in Australia again for a string of more intimate shows. Biffy Clyro just can’t seem to get enough of the land downunder. ‘Well, I think we left it too long in between trips last time around. You know, we’ve always had a good time when we’ve come over. I think it’s the people, the jokes, the space, you know how it’s just really attractive. I really like the idea of not being hemmed in and I think there’s a certain familiarity in Australia. I think people are not too different to some of the people back here you know, back in the UK. I think there’s just a certain amount of familiarity that makes it a really comfortable place to be.’
Despite their continued and long running success, it wasn’t until 2013 that Biffy Clyro hit number one in the UK charts. ‘It was surreal. I think making a double album we certainly never expected anything like that.’ Johnston explained. ‘A lot of people told us that it could have been a mistake and it was risky. In a commercial sense it could have been difficult but it wasn’t something that really bothered us, but to make it to number one, no one could have expected that, you know, least of all us. There was some vindication that we felt. We always felt that making a double album was the right move and that people out there like listening to music. People were accused of having a short attention span and I think that can be true for some things but we felt if we made a good enough album people would take notice and you know, people would take it to their hearts and I think that was the most encouraging part for us. You know, to be number 1 in the charts was incredibly exciting but I think just for people to take the album to their hearts, to make it part of their life was something that felt really special.’
‘I suppose there’s an awareness that comes from something like that so maybe some people would hear about your band that otherwise wouldn’t have or you get mentioned in passing but in terms of a door opening, we haven’t been to the right house for that.’ Johnston told us, of their chart success. ‘We haven’t been to Buckingham Palace, you know. I don’t know what massive difference it’s made apart from being a great honour. I don’t know that its really opened up many doors potentially. I think we’ve been one of those bands that have just kept going. I think when a lot of bands would have given up in the past, we have just kept going.’
Interview by Melissa Donato.
Written by Sofie Marsden.
You can catch Biffy Clyro in Australia in September. Tickets are on sale now via OzTix.
4th September- Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane
5th September- Enmore Theatre, Sydney
7th September- Palais Theatre, Melbourne
9th September- HQ, Adelaide
12th September- Metro City, Perth
‘We are back home, we were in Russia last weekend, but home now just enjoying a fairly rare opportunity to wake up in our own bed. Things are good, Russia was great and all, a really fucking amazing place. Really friendly people, the shows were incredible, the architecture… everything about it was really amazing I think. Sometimes it can be disappointing when you go to a country and it feels like your own country. It was cool to go somewhere where it felt totally different, totally new experience.’
In September, the band will be back in Australia again for a string of more intimate shows. Biffy Clyro just can’t seem to get enough of the land downunder. ‘Well, I think we left it too long in between trips last time around. You know, we’ve always had a good time when we’ve come over. I think it’s the people, the jokes, the space, you know how it’s just really attractive. I really like the idea of not being hemmed in and I think there’s a certain familiarity in Australia. I think people are not too different to some of the people back here you know, back in the UK. I think there’s just a certain amount of familiarity that makes it a really comfortable place to be.’
Despite their continued and long running success, it wasn’t until 2013 that Biffy Clyro hit number one in the UK charts. ‘It was surreal. I think making a double album we certainly never expected anything like that.’ Johnston explained. ‘A lot of people told us that it could have been a mistake and it was risky. In a commercial sense it could have been difficult but it wasn’t something that really bothered us, but to make it to number one, no one could have expected that, you know, least of all us. There was some vindication that we felt. We always felt that making a double album was the right move and that people out there like listening to music. People were accused of having a short attention span and I think that can be true for some things but we felt if we made a good enough album people would take notice and you know, people would take it to their hearts and I think that was the most encouraging part for us. You know, to be number 1 in the charts was incredibly exciting but I think just for people to take the album to their hearts, to make it part of their life was something that felt really special.’
‘I suppose there’s an awareness that comes from something like that so maybe some people would hear about your band that otherwise wouldn’t have or you get mentioned in passing but in terms of a door opening, we haven’t been to the right house for that.’ Johnston told us, of their chart success. ‘We haven’t been to Buckingham Palace, you know. I don’t know what massive difference it’s made apart from being a great honour. I don’t know that its really opened up many doors potentially. I think we’ve been one of those bands that have just kept going. I think when a lot of bands would have given up in the past, we have just kept going.’
Interview by Melissa Donato.
Written by Sofie Marsden.
You can catch Biffy Clyro in Australia in September. Tickets are on sale now via OzTix.
4th September- Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane
5th September- Enmore Theatre, Sydney
7th September- Palais Theatre, Melbourne
9th September- HQ, Adelaide
12th September- Metro City, Perth
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