NEWS
EVENTS
Charlotte from The Subways fills us in on the best festivals ever
Indie | Wednesday 15th April 2015 | Annalisa
Charlotte from The Subways took some time out to give us the lowdown on the band's new album, European tour, and festival experiences.
It's been a few years since the last album was released, why did you take so long off, and was it always the plan to have this break?
We never plan to take a long time between albums, but we tend to get carried away with touring and time passes by before we know it. As we produced the album ourselves, we had the luxury of being able to play shows in between recording, but this did mean that recording was a longer process.
Congratulations on the new album, The Subways. Did you decide to go self-titled on this one because you made the album yourselves?
That's exactly it. It was just the three of us in the studio, with no outside influence. Our manager was incredible when it came to releasing the album, making it possible for us to release the record in two parts. We even had a fan do the artwork. It felt like a real “Team Subways” effort and so the self-title felt appropriate.
The comic strip style artwork is amazing, how involved were you with that?
It was all down to a fan of ours called Zash. She uploaded a poster design to our Facebook page, featuring the three characters. We thought it was really cool and asked her if she would do the whole album for us. We met with her and came up with the storyline for the comic together, and then Zash worked her magic!
How involved do you get in creating your videos? The video for 'I'm In Love And It's Burning In My Soul' is very cool, what was the creative process behind that?
We liked the idea of doing something a little different this time round, as most of our previous videos have been performance based. The director Stephen Mertens came up with the stop motion graphic idea, and we loved the way it emphasised the rhythm of the song.
If you can choose, what are your favourite tracks from the album?
Currently my favourite is 'Just Like Jude' - a short pop punk song that's really fun to play live.
You're in the middle of a European headline tour at the moment, how has it been so far?
It's been incredible! We've played in some awesome cities and the audiences have been crazy. I love the adventure of such a long tour like this, seeing different things and playing every day.
Is there anywhere that you're desperate to play that you haven't got to yet and why?
South America is top of the list. We seem to have a lot of fans on our social media sites asking us to come. It would be such an awesome experience!
What's been your best festival experience, either as a performer or a punter?
As a performer, I would say its got to be main stage Rock am Ring. It just looks incredible from the stage, with people going back as far as you can see. As a punter, my first Reading Festival in 2002 was a really influential experience. Billy and I went together and we saw bands like The Von Bondies, Muse, Foo Fighters and it really made us want to be up there on stage one day.
If you could curate your own festival, who would you have headlining and why?
Kylie Minogue has been my favourite artist since I was 5, so I would have to say her! I think it would be so fun to sing and dance along to her songs in the mud with a pint in my hand!
Have you got any plans beyond the summer festival season?
We're looking at some more touring…some exciting places have been mentioned, but nothing definite yet.
A few silly ones to finish...
What was the first record you bought?
TLC - 'Fanmail'.
What would you say was a defining record to you growing up and why?
Muse - Origin of Symmetry. Muse were one of the first bands I saw live and I listened to this record constantly for a couple of years. Chris is one of my favourite bass players and I had posters of the band all over my walls.
Is you had a super power, what would it be and what would you do with it?
Super strength - I'd like to lift my Ampeg with one finger!
What would you fill a swimming pool with if it could be anything?
White wine - I'd invite all my friends to join the fun!
