Page 28 - Black Velvet Issue 87

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audience members and audience members def- they’ve had no real opinion on changing us, it’s seeing the music really connect throughout a
initely NOT having a good time, we ask Luke for all just been “We absolutely love you, we trust huge vast market and seeing all the fans attend
his thoughts on that. you, just keep making great music.” I think if you and having everyone sing along is very pride-
“We played the Stade de France opening for look at their roster, they seem to have a pattern ful.”
the Rolling Stones,” he replies. “We’ve been ob- where they embrace individuals, whether it’s an Luke also met up with Joel Madden (Good
viously thinking about that experience a lot more artist or a band like Lady Gaga or Lana del Ray. Charlotte) and John Feldmann for a writing ses-
recently due to that news. But you know what? They really believe in their artists and they just sion while in LA. “That was really fun. Really un-
At the end of the day, I think you’ve got to have let them do their thing. So we’re very lucky.” expected,” he says. “They’re both great guys,
a kind of American approach to these situations The band are definitely doing well at the mo- we’ve got something really fun together. We
where it’s like “Fuck that.” You’ve got to get on ment. 2015 saw The Struts travel to America for wrote this great track. It won’t be on the re-re-
with your lives. It’s obviously a huge, awful a bout of successful US touring which culmi- lease but it’s definitely in the pipeline. It needs a
shame and it saddened everyone to the bone nated in a show playing to 2000 fans in Portland. little more work. It’s definitely a great grooving
what happened but to turn around and say con- “That was definitely one of the highlights,” says track for sure.”
certs aren’t safe, etc etc… we can’t live in fear, Luke regarding Portland. “As our own headline
we just have to press on and just keep doing show that was probably the biggest one we’ve 016 will see the band re-releasing their
what we do. It’s like my dad, when he used to done to date.” 2‘Everybody Wants’ album with some new
go to concerts in the 70s, you had the IRA trying The band of course have supported the added tracks. Luke says the songs on the album
to get into a few shows throughout the Midlands. Rolling Stones, performing in front of 75,000 are all new to fans in the US so they’d like a
I don’t want to say it’s nothing new but as people rock fans and also played Reading and Leeds proper release of the album, which he says pre-
and a musical community we just have to keep Festivals, amongst others. Luke says he was a vious label Virgin “farted into the atmosphere”.
doing what we do. We can’t stop.” little nervous at playing to so many Rolling “We felt like the album was too good to waste,
Stones fans, although “as soon as I got on there so we’ve decided to pamper it up a bit, gloss it
he band have not let anything stop them it was a piece of piss”. and give it the proper release that it deserves.”
Tso far – that includes record labels. The Now that their own fan community is grow- With 2016 looking busy for the band, Luke
band have switched labels a couple of times ing, Luke says he’s noticed “somewhat of a sub- ends by telling us, “2016 will go as follows:
since their formation. Black Velvet asks if it’s culture coming through where we’ve got an Album release worldwide, touring, touring, tour-
been harder or easier than they thought being awful lot of young folks coming imitating my ing, touring, touring, touring and then writing for
signed to a label. makeup and my look with the glitter and stuff like album no. 2 which will hopefully be this time next
“I think if you’re on a label, and if it’s a major that which is really cool.” On the whole though, year.”
like we’ve had each time, and you’re a priority, I he says the band are attracting everyone from We can’t wait.
think it’s a fantastic experience,” Luke replies. 14 to 40 year olds. “It’s a very wide demographic
“Our previous UK based labels, we weren’t re- indeed.” Visit www.thestruts.com for more info.
ally being seen as anything of importance and He feels proud of what they’ve achieved in
we were very overlooked. We felt quite dissatis- the US – the band even got to perform on the Words By Shari Black Velvet
fied by the whole experience. But then again, to Jimmy Kimmel show on TV. “It’s definitely given Luke Spiller Live Photo By Annina Cremona
have that and then go on to Interscope where a sense of pride for myself and the group, just

THE STRUTS