The Fratellis Interview

Country-Rock and Roll anthem-heroes The Fratellis are back after stepping out of the music spotlight for five years. In an honest and modest interview, frontman Jon Fratelli spoke with BBM ahead of their UK tour and album release.

First things first, welcome back! How is it to be back?

Well, it’s nice to be anywhere!

Did you miss being away from The Fratellis?

I didn’t really miss it but I’m enjoying doing it again.

Why did you go on a hiatus in the first place? Was it intentional?

Yeah, well we got fed up with each other. It happens. People get divorced and don’t spend as much time together as bands do. So we got fed up with each other and the only way to know that is to spend time away.

So, what triggered you to come back?

I just do everything on the spur of the moment, I tend not to think things through too much and thankfully because of that, on a certain day I woke up and thought “that [reforming The Fratellis] sounds like a good idea”. If I hadn’t woke up feeling that way, that day I wouldn’t have said anything and we wouldn’t have bothered.

It’s early days, but have you noticed a change in the music industry from when you first started?

If it has, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. I don’t go out much. I don’t read magazines and newspapers or listen to the radio, so I’m at a slight disadvantage. Or it could be an advantage. It’s not our job to think about it, we would tie ourselves in knots. And I think we did that with our second record. We just got too caught up in the music industry and worry. We had no control over it, so worrying about it was pointless.

Have you gained anymore control for coming back?

No, we’ve got no control. You’ve got so little control it’s pointless thinking about it. Your bid to control is to make the record you want to make and the play gigs. That’s where the control is.

And how was it recording your new album?

We’re not the kind of guys that are going to spend months at a time, or even weeks, at the studio. This probably took two or three weeks at the most. Which is all our first record took and it’s all it really should take for guys like us. Rock and Roll shouldn’t be laboured over. When you labour over it you lose the excitement. So we didn’t do that this time.

Have you maintained the same sound from your previous releases on your new album ‘We Need Medicine’? Or are there any surprises thrown in?

It’s hard to say but it’s impossible that time hasn’t changed some things. But saying that there’s also something that we do that we can’t really alter. We could try all day and all night to alter it and we wouldn’t be able to. We have to be what it is that we are and stretch that as far as we can and I think that’s what we did with this third record.

You haven’t made a Dubstep album then?

No, no! Is that what’s happening now? Is that what all the kids are doing? I’m not down with the kids!

When you were making ‘Chelsea Dagger’, did you think at the time you’d made a hit?

No, not in the slightest! It’s hilarious that it’s done what it’s done. It’s hilarious that it has this other life, or two other lives. But I’m just happy to take the money! Also, it opens doors. It did open doors and it still seems too.

You’re beginning a UK tour at the end of October 2013, are you looking forward to it?

Do you know what, I am. Like a school kid waiting for the summer holidays! Because that’s the bit we get to do that we’re any good at. Knowing that you’ve got six or seven weeks of just going out and playing music every night, that’s heaven. Also, it’s just a ridiculous way of making a living. You get to spend all this time on a bus with your friends playing the guitar. Trust me, it’s a great, great life.

Have you got anything wacky on your tour rider?

We have less booze on it than we used to. Which is not to say we don’t have any. We just had an insane amount for a very long time before.

Fair enough! What can fans expect when they come and see you live? Will there be fireworks or anything spectacular?

We never did anything like that and every time we tried doing things like that they went wrong because it would take a level of interest from the band themselves to make sure it went exactly how you wanted it to go and we could have the idea but then forget about it and it would never quite work. A couple of times we tried to be theatrical with it and it just went terribly wrong. We walk on, we pick up guitars and we play and all we can really offer is blood, sweat and tears and that’s all you can give.

So, what does 2014 hold for The Fratellis?

We’re happy to just be allowed to play and go on and do the only thing, as I say, we’re any good at. It’s always a case of pushing your luck and I think we’ve been pushing our luck since we started. If there is a next year, I’d just be happy with there being a next year, musically, for us.

Before we go, the top hat: will it ever make an appearance again?

It might still be in a cupboard somewhere. I don’t know if I even have the hair for it anymore. I could never play in it because it would never stay on. In videos they’d use pins to keep it attached so it would almost stick into your head. I think those days might be gone!