ISSUE #34 MMUSICMAG.COM ISSUE #34 MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A other was a massive thing. That’s where that 12 hours! I can really catch up on my films!” What does being on The Voice mean war energy came from. And the other part of He’s just enjoying everything, like we did the for the band? that was, I’d been in a band with Nick for as first time—and when you see someone else It’s massive, way beyond anything we thought long as I can remember. I’d never written a doing that, you can appreciate everything was going to happen. It was something I song without him. None of us had. We had to a lot more. didn’t want to do—it’s a TV talent show, which kind of learn everything from scratch. There is not my kind of thing. But then you think, was a Day 1 when we looked at each other How did Vijay mesh in the studio? “We’re really proud of this record and we and didn’t know whether there was going to Ben really pushed him. He didn’t make life want as many people to hear it as possible.” be a Day 2 or a Day 3, and here we are a year easy on him. It was quite an emotional time Like it or not, the TV is in the corner of later. So we had to re-educate ourselves. for him. He’d been in bands before, but he’d everyone’s room, so this is a really good way never traveled to work with a big producer. for our new record to not go unnoticed. No How’d you feel when Nick left? But that was another thing about living matter how proud you are of it, no matter how At the time, I was fairly angry—but it was through someone else’s eyes—you’d listen brilliant, there’s a real danger nowadays for misplaced anger. He’s happier now, we’re to the playback of a song in the control room a record to go unnoticed unless something happier now. But his leaving made us hungry and see Vijay getting quite emotional about happens—and you can’t just wait for that to again, and I hadn’t felt that hunger in a long hearing it back, the very same way I used to happen by accident. There’s nothing wrong time. Nick had creative control, really, and get when I heard myself doing something I with wanting to sell more records, because that was fine. He was the one who was didn’t know I could do. if you sell more, more people hear them, and supposed to do all the hard work. But I had become too comfortable, and I realize now that although you imagine that’s what you’re striving for—to be comfortable—once you get there, you’re in quite a bit of jeopardy. D I enjoyed being in a position where I could anny fight my way out of it. We’re all a bit like that. N orth You just don’t really realize it until someone takes it away from you. How did you like working with Ben? We’ve worked with many producers over Nick Baines, Andrew White, Ricky Wilson, Simon Rix, Vijay Mistry the years, but we’ve never really worked with them. We never really let them in the band. But Ben was good fun. I think Ben was the first one to tell us off. When he came to KAISER CHIEFSCHIEFS London we played the songs for him, and Andrew Benge/WireImage he told us we were under-rehearsed—which With a new lineup, the British rockers set out to get an Education was brave of him. There are five of us and it can be quite intimidating for a guy we’d IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY FOR singer Ricky Wilson. “We feel like we did it,” says Wilson. “It was too good a record never met before to come in and tell us that. Kaiser Chiefs to simply call it quits. Following before we had our first record deal, when it to risk it not getting out there.” I thought, “Wow. I like this guy.” Also, what I the departure of drummer and primary was that or nothing.” really liked about him is that he seemed as songwriter Nick Hodgson in late 2012, the Wilson and bandmates Nick Baines, What’s behind the album title? hungry as we are to have a hit. remaining four members had doubts about Simon Rix and Andrew White convened to We decided early on we were going to know carrying on—before deciding to prove to begin writing tunes shortly after Hodgson what this record was about, and for that, Did you feel like you had something to Ricky Wilson onstage in Leeds, England, 2013 their fans, and to themselves, that they left, and added longtime friend Vijay Mistry we needed a title. Our successful records— prove as a band? were capable of continuing. The result is on drums. Just as they were about to begin personally, not in terms of record sales—have There was a lot of proving to be done with Did that affect the band? Education, Education, Education & War, the recording, Wilson got an offer to be a coach always had a title and a focus early on, and this record. Someone who was considered This is where I get quite British band’s fifth album and catchiest collection on the U.K. version of TV’s talent competition the themes of education and war started to be our main songwriter and leader left, and find it hard to show off, ‘There was a lot of of songs in years. The Voice. Wilson was reluctant at first— to crop up a lot. so what is there to do for a band apart from but I’m singing better than Recorded in Atlanta with Ben H. Allen III but he and the band decided the show was splitting up? We’ve got to prove to ourselves, ever before, partly because proving to be done (Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective), the an excellent opportunity to bring attention Why? to our fans, and to Nick that we could do it. I thought the spotlight was new record recaptures the English indie- to the new album. It was a weird year for us. After Nick left, we Not only did Ben get that, he felt the same. going to be on me because with this record’.’ rockers’ playful, sometimes manic side “All my reasons for not doing it, which were a man down—yet it felt like we were a I’m on The Voice. But we’re and balances it with a serious sense of were that I thought we’d made too good a band again. And four blokes from northern What does Vijay bring? not being embarrassed by ability, which that’s the reason we do it. It’s to connect. purpose. “We got our hunger back,” says record, became the very reasons for doing England admitting that they needed each He’s like the anti-jaded device. First and we probably have been before. Alternative And it’s that connection that I really like. foremost, before the drumming, I was musicians never like showing off. They like There are people who like making records interested in someone we could get on with, to make it look like they didn’t put in any that never leave their bedrooms, but as soon because you have to travel the world with this effort. But on this one, we put in a lot of as you put something on YouTube, that’s you ‘We’re not being embarrassed by ability, which we guy. And we’ve known Vijay for years. When effort, and I believe it shows—which is the trying to connect. So why wouldn’t I want probably have been before.’ we travel, I think, “God, we’ve got to sit on closest you’re going to get me to saying I to go on TV? I’ve got a record coming out. an airplane for 12 hours.” But he’s like, “Oh, think we’re brilliant. –Eric R. Danton 26 27 M mag 34.indd 26 4/24/14 4:02 PM M mag 34.indd 27 4/24/14 4:02 PM.