Coventry indie-rockers The Enemy are back with an inspired new album and a hell of a lot to say. We caught up with bassist Andy Hopkins and drummer Liam Watts to chat about their change in direction, supporting The Libertines and getting spiked at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend:
Your new album It’s Automatic is a real change in direction for you – was this a deliberate decision?
Liam Watts, drummer – It was quite natural, really. We were influenced by a load of different bands, and listened to a lot of pop music, so it was really just a natural transition for us. We wanted the production on this album to be different to all our others, too. All our other stuff is really raw and natural, so we wanted to change it up a bit for this one.
Andy Hopkins, bassist – It was natural, and deliberate. We didn’t go down the usual The Enemy blueprint and just smash it out in a couple of weeks. We knew what we wanted to do and how we wanted to do it, so it wasn’t like we had to force ourselves to do anything differently. I’d say that the main difference is that we thought about it without thinking about the live show, really; we always used to worry about how things would translate live, but this time we just did what we’ve always wanted to do. That’s why we’ve been so excited about getting out and playing the new songs live.
Does that mean that it’s harder for you to play these songs live?
Andy – It’s just different, really. We’ve got another guy in to play guitar and keyboards, and Liam’s got triggers and effects on his drums to make them sound like they do on the album. The main struggle has been with replicating some of the sounds on the album, and making sure that they sound good live. We believe in playing as much as you can live. We don’t want a load of backing tracks!
Liam – It’s going well, though. Despite all of the changes we’ve had to make in order to play these songs live, the crowds always seem to be enjoying it.
Andy – It’s more of a show than a gig now, and that’s fine with us.
Liam – We’ve spoken to people after the gigs who have said that when the watch the new songs live, they can see that these new songs are really just part of a natural progression for us. They can see that it’s still got bollocks to it, but they know that it’s just the music that we needed to make.
Andy – We’re playing about eight songs from the new album every night, and that’s what we want to be doing. We’re properly enjoying this new sound; it’s fresh and exciting for us, which means that it feels fresh and exciting to go out and play these songs live.
You’re also supporting The Libertines in January…
Andy – Yes! We can’t wait. We’ve actually known about it for a while, and it’s been so hard to keep it a secret.
Liam – We weren’t sure which gigs we’d be doing, either. Our manager called us up, and we basically asked him to get us the best ones. We’ve ended up with Bournemouth, Birmingham, London and Cardiff, so we’re more than happy!
Andy – We’re really pleased to be playing Cardiff, actually. We haven’t been over there for a while, and we get so many people come up to us and ask when we’re going to be playing there again.
Have you had the chance to write much new material since you released the album?
Andy – There have been bits floating around in soundchecks, but we haven’t done a great deal. We don’t really write like that anymore.
Liam – It’d be nice to do this tour and see how it goes before we think about writing anything new, to be honest. We want to keep going with this new sound, because we loved getting involved in all of the production. There’s a lot more that goes in to it now than before, where we would just set a microphone up and press record. The fans seem to have adapted to it, too, which is good.
Out of every song ever recorded, which do you wish you’d written?
Liam – I just want to know which song’s made the most money…
Andy – I Fought The Law by The Clash. I’d love to have written that, because then I’d get to play it live every night.
Music streaming. Discuss.
Andy – We kinda worked out that it helps, doesn’t it? People can listen to a band as soon as their friend recommends it to them, and that’s a great thing.
Liam – People will find new music on there, and they never would’ve discovered it if it weren’t for streaming services like Spotify. I think that new music will always come through, too, if it’s good.
Andy – I hope that people do still buy music, though. It’s always nice for people to be able to hold it. Having said that, having all that music in your pocket, and being able to carry it all around with you… It can’t be a bad thing, can it?
Liam – I mean, I’ve got Spotify…
Andy – I think it’s great. You browse, and then if you like it you can buy it. We want as many people to hear the new album as possible, and then if they like it there’s more of a chance that they’ll come to a show.
What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on tour?
Liam – Andy sleep-talks a lot, so I’m always a bit on edge. We were on tour in America once, and he jumped out of bed and screamed ‘I can’t feel my legs!’ We were in a hotel, and I hadn’t untucked the sheets, so I was just stuck there…
Andy – Maybe BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, where I just completely lost it. I must’ve been spiked or something, because I completely lost the plot. I tried to put my head through the window of the van, was sick in a bramble bush, cut up my face, and ended up in hospital.
Liam – Going to Japan is always great, too. It’s a completely different culture. Everybody there is so polite, and they always come up to you and give you little presents. There was this one girl who met us at a crossing at the side of the road, and she just burst into tears. You’d never expect to travel so far and meet people who know so much about you.
Andy – It’s just absolutely crazy. I didn’t even know that I was going to get this train, but they were all stood outside!
Describe each other in three words?
Liam – I don’t think I could. When you’re mates with someone, it’s the things you can’t explain that are the important ones.
Andy – He’s my best mate. Enough said.
