Y Not Festival 2014 | Interview | The Blackout

It has been a revolutionary year for Welsh post-hardcore and all around good guys, the Blackout.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Gavin Butler (Lead Vocals) and Matthew Davies (Guitar, Backing Vocals) ahead of their electrifying headline slot on the Giant Squid stage at Y Not Festival.

In an open interview we cover everything from the unbelievable success of their Kickstarter campaign to touring with Terrorvision.

So… you guys seem to have been quite busy this summer! Favourite festival moment so far?

M: Last week was good – Redfest!

G: Redfest was good, yes. Today is shaping up to be good too, I think. Quite a few people have said they will be coming to the show later – nice small tent, as well.

So, obviously, you’re looking forward to playing Y Not then?

G: Yes – can’t wait, can’t wait! We’ve done two shows – day before yesterday and day before that – as a warm up

M: …so we should be playing ok!

G: Yup…just ok

Good to know!! Moving on…the fans reaction to your Kickstarter Campaign has, well, been unbelievable…

G: Yeah – it’s been crazy.

Did you expect such a quick pick up?

G: Well, no because it is not even finished yet! We thought we’d put it up for 2 months, just in case it takes a while.

M: We pretty much had 2 years off, so we were, like, really really apprehensive about launching, because we were like…

G: …does anyone care anymore?

You obviously have a really big following, but it was quite a leap of faith…

G: Yeah, it was. We’ve kinda had a horrible year since the release of the last record – not horrible as in some people have horrible years – but it was frustrating for us. It was good to kind of have control back and do things our way, really.

Yeah – some record deals can be quite restrictive, so the freedom you guys have now to make your music must be amazing?

G: The last record deal we had, well, it almost…

M: It almost ended the band!

G: Yeah, it almost ended the band for us. We were kind of lucky it came to an end when it did, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to be a band anymore.

M: We couldn’t really be a band. It was just…horrible, really.

Do you think more bands are gonna pick up on what you’ve done? Is this the future for music?

G: I think a lot of bands might. Like Canterbury, they’re on before us tonight, they did a record self-released – not this one, the one before – and they said it went really well. But yeah, it’s – not that we’ve started it yet! – but, as far as I can see, its not as difficult as I first thought it would be. That’s kind of why we went for the EP first. Gauge how it would go and how hard it would be. I can imagine it is going to be a lot of hard work.

M: Its something we’ve always wanted to do and to finally get the chance is very cool.

When can we expect the EP?

G: Ehhhh…I think everything is being announced on August 18th, when it’s going to be out and stuff, but I think we’ll be looking at mid-October and then touring in November.

M: We only finished it, like, 2 days ago!

So is that the next big thing on the horizon? Do you have any more shows coming up through the summer?  

G: Yeah, we got a couple of shows, couple of festivals through September.

M: Yeah…Methyr, Brighton…ehhhh…

G: Another festival that I haven’t put up yet…I can’t remember where it is. But yeah, just kind of ticking over.

With all this new-found freedom, who would be your absolute dream tour line up?

G: Oh! Dead or alive?

It can be absolutely anything – doesn’t even have to be a band or music-related!

M: It’s a bit weird because every band that I’d like to tour with, our fans would not want to listen to! So would you do it selfishly or do it for everyone else?

G: Selfishly! Queen would be on it. Aerosmith would be on it.

M: Bon Jovi!

G: Yeah, Bon Jovi would be on it

M: Brian Adams

G: Oasis – none of the other boys like Oasis, but get them back together for it!

M: Stereophonics! Play the first album! That would be good!

This is shaping up to be a cracking festival line up, guys….

G: I know

M: Oh! Terrorvision!

G: Terrorvision!

 

Terrovision. Really?

M: They’re like the worlds greatest festival band!

G: Yep! When they play, you’d be like ‘I know this’, ‘I know this!’

Finally – anything you’d like to say to the fans?

M: Fuck off

G: Hahahaha!

I know you mean that as a joke…so any REAL words?

G: Thank you very much for being our fans. It’s always surreal to know people like the music and enjoy the music we make as much as we do. I just still find it really mental.

M: Its, like, really humbling, you know? It was all so uncertain for us and when the kickstarter actually kicked off, it was like’ oh, wow!’ – its quite a clichéd thing to say – the band is nothing without the fans, but its actually true!

G: Yeah – there’d be no new music from us and there’d probably be no us either, to be honest. It had come that close.

Keep up with all things The Blackout via their website www.theblackout.net or via Twitter @TheBlackout



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