STEREOPHONICS
– interview –
Zurich, 29.08.2010

From 1997 they’ve collected success and given great albums like “Word Gets Around”, “Performance and Cocktails”, “Language. Sex. Violence. Other?” and the last “Keep Calm and Carry On” (2009).
Now they’ve been on tour during all the summer all around Europe and more, crossing the most important stages of the hugest music festivals. We’ve met them at OpenAir Zurich Festival 2010, for a little interview about their music, and not only.
Of course, Stereophonics!

-Let’s speak about the history of Stereophonics, from the starting point, in Wales in the early ‘90s, to nowadays. How has your music changed, and your way of writing music and lyrics too?
You know, over time you have such a “spectrum” of music available to inspire you. Writing music still has the same appeal for us, you write for yourself firstly and then turn it into something that is available for all of your audience…

– What about live shows: have they the same importance for you as they had in the beginning of your long carreer, or there’s sometimes the risk you get involved into something like a daily-work-attitude?
Live is where you perform your songs along with what you give as the perception of the band. Live dimension has played a big part in Stereophonics success and we always try our hardess to perform the best of our abilities.

– UK music vs Usa one. In the ‘70s, ‘90s and now…
You know, they have always gone hand in hand. The UK take influence from the US, and viceversa. Sometimes you get a unique artist who breaks the world, but basically it’s recycling at its basic form.

– Your radio hit have always mixed a typical british attitude with  pop and with the ‘70s hard rock mood (Dakota, Have A Nice Day, Traffic…). What kind of emotions you’d love to create into listeners souls?
We’ve always believed in music making people loose themselves, so it’s up to the listener to take whatever they need from our songs…!

– Best song, best album, from yours and others’s production…
Good question! We could say, from ours production, Maybe Tomorrow, great melody, lyrics and vibe, as the best song, and best album of course “You gotta go there, to come back”, because it had been registered with best incredibile studio sessions.
For other artists production, the best song, maybe, would be Spiritual by Johnny Cash: pure emotion! And “Tiny Music”, by Stone Temple Pilots, is your favourite album, for the great production and variety.

– Tragically Stuart Cable died this year in June. What has changed in the band’s balance and feelings?
It’s been a tragedy, of course. Nothing more to say: he was a major part of the Stereophonics, and always will be.

– How, in your opinion, would music world still give a huge effort in politics today, like in the past?
I think that culture, and of course music, has always played a big part in politics, something indirectly, which is the way we like it to be…

– And what about the tragedies like the last Love Parade? How can they be fought?
Unfortunately accidents have a lasting effect. Organizers sometimes rest on their ideas, and only change things when it’s really too late…

by Ilaria Rebecchi

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