The Zutons' Can Do comeback - page 2

03-05-2008 08:15

It's been two years since you released 'Tired of Hanging Around'. Is it good to be back

Dave McCabe: It doesn?t feel like two years.

Abi Harding: It was weird coming back to this hotel today, it's where we did all the promo last time as well, I think we should have gone somewhere different.

Does it bother you that people now associate 'Valerie' more with Amy Winehouse than you

DM: I really like her version. I think it's a totally positive thing - plus we get paid for it! She's had a few problems and I hope she gets well soon.

AH: "It's been dead good for us though hasn't it, We've not really done anything for two years.

DM: It?s kept our name in people's faces, kept us out there. Not that we?ve just been on our a***s, we?ve been playing guitar and stuff?

Would you work with her

DM: I'd have a go, yeah. I don't know what to do really, I suppose it would just be her singing and us playing. I don?t know about going out with her though, she?d probably get us into loads of s**t in Liverpool, if she got hammered like she does down here, but it would be worse.

What does the new album, 'You Can Do Anything', sound like

DM: Good. It's a bit heavier sounding, I think it's more of an album than the last one, I think the last one was a bit poppy - which was good because it served its purpose - but I think this is more of The Zutons sound. It's got our most psychedelic and most rock moments ever on it, and that's what we want, it's taken us years to realise it. I can put it on and listen to it but I can?t with the others, and I only skip three songs.

AH: I hardly skip any because it's really good. It's like a proper album, whereas the last one was more like 12 tunes, they were all good but you know?

What was Ringo Starr like when you met him in the studio

DM: Amazing. He's been a Beatle for what, 60 years or something, and I feel, not sorry for him, but you can't imagine what that feels like. He is peace and love and all that when you meet him.

AH: He really is, in every picture he was doing peace signs.

DM: He's like a caricature of himself.

AH: He?s a really nice guy, lovely, quite down to earth.

DM: He was nice to you because he fancied you! It was funny, he still sounds like Thomas the Tank Engine. He joked about being an alcoholic and doing drugs, as if to say, 'Yeah I know that you know I was bonkers for a bit.'

Were you nervous playing him your tracks

DM: I just walked out of the room. It's like when a song comes on when you're in a bar or a club, I always have to run out, unless there's someone else with you and you can take the p**s a bit. I was very nervous, it's bad enough playing it to myself.

AH: I was nervous, when he came in I was like that [opens mouth], properly scared but he enjoyed the tunes. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

DM: He liked it and followed me out to tell me and then he hugged me before he left.

Coldplay release their new album a week after yours. Are you worried about the impact it will have on your sales

DM: Is it! Have they done it just to challenge us?

AH: Ugh! I hate that.

DM: Basically, you are telling us it means our album can't be number one or number two - there'll be something else out - but it doesn't really bother me. It's not like we're similar sounding. People should know to buy us anyway.

Isn't Coldplay's single coming out free and they're doing free gigs? We're not doing anything free, we're not Coldplay, and we're not big enough to do a Radiohead or a Coldplay, unless it was for charity.

Are you looking forward to playing live again

DM: We did a gig in Whitehaven last week. It was good. It's the only place in Britain that America has ever invaded, but they just became mates with them, got drunk and forgot about it. Sounds just like the Americans doesn't it?

AH: You'll be telling people that in every interview for six months now.

DM: That's a better fact than just saying, 'This song's about that, and this song's about being in love with someone'?

You're playing quite a few festivals this summer, which are you most looking forward to

AH: T in the Park. Well, all of them really.

DM: T in The Park is always my favourite one.

AH: Glastonbury as well because we haven't been there for ages.

What do you think of the Glastonbury line-up?

AH: A bit depressing isn't it

DM: A bit of Shakin' Stevens'

AH: What! I didn't know he was playing.

Do you agree with the choice of Jay-Z as a headliner

DM: It doesn't really bother me to be honest, it's good to have something a bit different. I saw Kanye West at Coachella and he was a bit s****y as a headliner, he wasn't very good with what he did, he just played over other people's records and rapped over some of them then mixed some together. But I think Jay-Z is one of the best out of them, I've actually got 'The Black Album' and I like it, so I'm not deeply offended by it.

James Blunt is playing too

DM: I thought he'd packed it in.

AH: Gone back to the army.

DM: I'd rather not slag anyone off, I'd rather say someone was good than say everyone is s**t, that's easy.

Who are you looking forward to seeing

AH: I'd like to see The Raconteurs, but we're not there that day, we've got our forest gigs so we'll only be there when we play on the Sunday.

DM: I'd like to see The Verve actually, just to see what they conjure up on the night.

I've never really believed Richard Ashcroft on his own, but he's been trying so he must believe something, so he must be made up to be back with his old band.

Why did you decide on a forest tour

DM: It was put to us and we thought it would be cool.

AH: We've just got the plans for the sites through and it looks boss, they're like little mini festivals. It's just something a bit different.

DM: It's bigger than our normal gigs, it's a step up for us and makes a change from always doing the same festivals. It should be good.

How was the experience of recording in Los Angeles

DM: Most of the band liked it, but it did my head in. I liked it for a bit, but then, I've never really enjoyed making albums.

AH: You're not really a studio person though.

DM: I find it very egotistical and stressful, but in a good and a bad way. I'm to blame as well. It's not like doing a gig, I like gigs and playing music where you're not really battling, you complement each other whereas making a record you can argue about the sound or something for f***ing hours. Not that that happened, but the fact that it could happen just p****d me off. I get insecure so I did my bit in the studio then left as soon as I could.

What do you think of Liverpool being the European Capital of Culture

DM: I just think that Liverpool is Liverpool, you can't change it. I don't want it to be the capital, it should just be Liverpool. I've always found that coming from Liverpool, you're seen as a bit of a joke, especially with this accent, and Liverpool being the capital of culture doesn't make it any less funny. Britain is a very cynical place, people aren't very positive about things like that and I think the best thing for Liverpool is to leave it the way it is.

AH: It's weird.

DM: London is the capital of culture isn't it? There's no two ways about it, it's like New York is the cultural capital of America, no question. They're just trying to make another London. People will probably hate me for saying this, but Manchester is like the London of the north isn't it?

AH: They're just making it like everywhere else, like Manchester or Birmingham, everyone I know hates it, there's loads of posh shops like Harvey Nichols that people in Liverpool can't afford to go to because they don't earn the money. It may bring people in, but everyone knows it isn't for the people of Liverpool.

Would you make a comeback after 10 years if you split up

DM: I don't know, it's hard to say. At the moment, I think if we split up, we'd split up for a reason, like we wouldn't want to be there, so I don't think we would. The Zutons are not that type of band for people to want us to come back.

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