Page 12 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 107

BV107 pg10-13 The Struts Interview.qxp_BV107 pg 12 29/11/2022 18:15 Page 3

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ward from there. It’s perfect timing.” next full-length album, Jed says the new sound had a best friendship group outside of the band
One thing the band are big on is authenticity. “makes the most sense for us and is something as well. And we all grew up, for most of us, in
Bassist Jed says, “We’ve always been pretty we’re really excited by. I think a lot of the stuff different areas as well, so we’ve got our own
headstrong. It’s safe to say when you look at our we did was great and might still be revisited, but friend groups that we’ve kept in touch with over
band, there’s always been a clear vision. But, I I don’t think we reinvented the wheel. It was stuff the years, but there’s something about being in
think, now more than ever, we’re celebrating that was kind of in our comfort zone, so I think a band and travelling internationally, for the best
what truly makes us unique and playing to those the stuff that follows is going to be where the real part of a decade, that those shared experiences
strengths, versus playing up to what others may magic is.” and growth you have within that is like nothing
think we should be doing. But, I think, if that’s else. There are conversations I can’t have with
just one small message that we live by, then I ack in 2021, The Struts released ‘Low my best friends from home because it’s unique
think our fans live by that too, and that’s some- BKey In Love’, a non-album single featur- to the four of us and what we’ve been through,
thing to celebrate also.” ing Paris Jackson. In the song, Luke Spiller, the and it’s quite hard to relate to outside of that unit.
If you’re a fan of the band, you no doubt band’s frontman, sings ‘I hope I met his expec- So, I think, in some ways, bands that have been
have a favourite song or two, but one that tations and lived up to the hype’. Black Velvet together for a long time can get stuck in their
stands out as being quite inspiring is the 2013- asks if the guys care about meeting people and ways because you stay cemented in the age
released single ‘Could Have Been Me’ from the living up to expectations. you were when you formed it, but I do think, if
band’s debut album ‘Everybody Wants’. Gethin answers, “When Dave Grohl came the band’s a solid unit, and you have that fore-
Addo says, “The amount of people that’ve backstage in Washington D.C., I’m name-drop- sight and want the longevity that we want, I think
said that to us, ‘I quit you do grow up to-
my job ‘cause I heard gether. And so, I
this song and I’ve think the four of us
gone to chase my have done a lot of
dream’. And, it was growing as humans
written in a time and a band just from
when those lyrics sharing a common
were all real, ‘cause it goal really, working
was before Jed and every day for that
Gethin were in the common goal.”
band, and we’d had a
line-up change, and hile Covid
me and Luke were Wwas quite
really down. The an awful situation for
label we were on at most of the world,
the time, this was especially those in
over ten years ago, the music industry
were saying, ‘You’ve that relied on tour-
gotta change this and ing, the lockdown it-
you’ve gotta change self was almost like
that,’ and it was just, a blessing in dis-
‘We don’t want to do guise for the band.
that’. It was just a re- Addo remembers
ally dark time. From how they had toured
that, bred that song. so much pre-Covid.
And, the fact that it’s “I remember think-
translated to our fans ing, ‘I just can’t, I just
as well and inspired need to have a
them to believe in break’,” he says.
themselves and do “And then, obviously,
what they want to do, I didn’t want a break
yeah, it’s great.” that long, but I re-
“And the fact that member just sitting
those lyrics are tat- there in lockdown,
tooed on so many like, ‘Aw, I feel like I
body parts all around just took it all for
the world,” adds Jed. granted’. It was a
“‘Don’t wanna moment to reflect
live like an untold and be so much
story’ and all that,” more appreciative.
notes Addo. ping there, but I remember that feeling of, ‘Oh Because when you’re just going all the time, it
Black Velvet tells the band that we like my God, Dave Grohl is going to be watching the kind of just washes over you, and when you
‘Never look back and say ‘Could Have been band; I hope I have a good gig.’ So, that was, ‘I can’t do anything, I just look back. And then,
me’.’ hope I meet his expectations,’ I guess. But I times like these and doing stuff like this… last
Addo responds, “Our manager at the time don’t know, I think we’re so confident in what we night was my hometown show… At the end of
was like ‘It should’ve been me’. I was like, ‘That do now. We just go out there. As long as I don’t the show, I just looked around and soaked it all
just changes the whole… ‘cause it sounds like let the other guys down in the band with a bad in. You never know when you might not be able
you’re angry. And we were like ‘No, you just performance, I’m happy.” to do this again, so it definitely made me appre-
don’t get it... ‘Could have been me’. You don’t On a more personal note, Addo says, “I like ciate, not even that, just being with my family,
wanna look back and say I didn’t give it my all.’ to be a good person, so I hope I am. Not that I because I was away from them as well. Defi-
He was like ‘Should have been’. ‘No!’ So, yeah, live up to the hype, but…” nitely, it was weirdly healthy, if you know what I
it’s true.” Looking back to the start of the band, the mean, because although it was a horrible situa-
guys have changed a lot. It’s been a learning tion in the world, it was good for my brain to kind
ugust saw the release of the band’s re- process which the members have grown in. of sit back and appreciate everything. More
Afreshing new single ‘Fallin’ With Me’. Addo says, “When you’re 21 or 20, you meditative, almost.”
Addo says, “It’s just a fun rock ‘n’ roll song. It’s a think, ‘I’m an adult now, I know everything’. And Jed also thinks that lockdown wasn’t too bad
slightly different song to what we’ve done before then you get to 25; ‘Oh wow, four years ago I for the band. “At the age we are right now, that
and that’s kind of what inspired this new sound.” thought I knew everything, now I know so much worked out quite well for us, because we hadn’t
Jed adds, “It’s a little bit dark, a little bit more.’ Now, I’m 31 and wow, now… I just think stopped for seven years on tour, probably more
quirky. Instrumentation-wise, it’s pretty interest- you evolve as a person.” than that. But, I think, for new bands, it was re-
ing, there’s some fun stuff.” Jed adds, “I’d say there’s something really ally tricky, because you just got momentum and
And, while the band are still working on their unique, as well, that we’ve shared. Each of us you were just getting into it, then it was taken
THE STRUTS