Music
You say that seeing Oasis play at Knebworth was the defining moment that made you decide to form The Rifles. Was there one moment, or was it just the whole experience?
Me and Luke were both at the gig, and we didn't know each other at the time. Not just that gig, it was the whole thing with Oasis...all of my friends weren't into bands at all, and [Oasis] just turned everyone around and got everyone listening to bands again, and that was such a big thing at the time, to be there. [I thought], it would be good to have a go at being in a band - I already played the guitar. Not long after that, I started up a band, and then I met Luke at a music course in Redbridge, and basically the same sort of thing happened with him.
When you met Luke, did you know he was 'the one', as such?
When we went on this music course, there were a lot of strange people there! Me and Luke were on the same wavelength - he's quite down to earth, and we liked each other straightaway. It was pretty instant like that. That's how that worked. Rob, I knew from school - I knew he played the bass, so we just got it going from there.
It's a hard slog working your way up the ranks of the music industry. Have you ever felt tempted to just throw it all in? Go back to the day job?
Not yet, we're just getting started! I've done my day job quite a bit, and I'm not ready to hurry back to roofing. I don't concentrate on what happens [after the band], we just take it day to day. With us, we'll just keep doing it until we're not enjoying it. I can't see that stopping for quite a while.
You've been endorsed by both NME and Radio 1. While this is obviously great for your visibility, do you ever worry about being typecast or over-idolised by these media? For instance, NME is often said to back a band into extinction.
We've never been in that position with NME. They've done bits and bobs here and there on us, but we've never been smothered all over the NME. I don't think that's healthy for bands. It's a tough one because I remember...we played with The Others before they got signed. They got on the front page of the NME and then they vanished! It happens a lot - the Arctic Monkeys [are a good example of that] sort of thing. It's through no fault of their own. No one can live up to that.
So you're saying it's a blessing and a curse?
You need for people to be aware of you, but I don't think it's good to be rammed down people's throats. I'd like a bit more exposure, I mean, you want as many people as possible to hear your music, but you don't want to be in people's faces the whole time. It would be nice if people could make their own minds up. People just end up going away, even if they haven't heard you, so it's better for people to decide themselves. It's a fine line. You definitely need to be out there, but it's not very healthy to be everywhere to the point where people are sick of you!
Can you give us an insight into the subject of your new single, 'Local Boy'?
The single's not drawn from personal experience! It's about groupie girls who hang about with bands - it's a generalisation about that sort of thing. I haven't [indulged], I'm not speaking for anyone else in the band!
Tell us about the making of your debut album, No Love Lost.
It took quite a long time to make. It didn't take long to record the album, but it was quite long-winded for us, because at the time of booking the studios, we had gigs and a tour in the middle of it, and [our producer] Ian Broudie had personal commitments in the middle, too. It was hard, cos we felt like we were starting from scratch each time [we came back to the studios]. There were some good times, though - we got to see about six different studios whilst recording it. I think next time I'd just like to do one place. It was good working with Ian.
What was it like working with Ian Broudie? How did he get involved with the band?
Originally when we started getting a bit of interest, me and Luke were talking about what producers we liked the sound of. Luke liked the sound of The Subways, and found out that Ian produced that and had done The Coral and people like that. He found out that we were fans of his - he came to see us at the Wireless Festival, and asked us if we'd like him to produce 'Local Boy', and went on to do the album. We learnt a lot from him.
Would you like to work with him again, maybe on your next album?
I would like to work with him again. He's just a nice person to work with. The thing is with Ian, he's also a musician, so he gets really involved and doesn't just press buttons upstairs. He sits there and goes over all the missing parts, and he spends a lot of time getting the sound right - he's not happy till the sound is perfect. You'll sit about for two hours when he's trying to get the sound on a guitar right - as soon as he's got that you pretty much play live. Ian] brought the melody out a lot more. That was a conscious thing by him, he heard that there were a lot of hooks in the sound. He didn't want it be like a garage sound, you know what I mean? So it's finding that balance, which I think he's done pretty well.
I suppose you don't want an overproduced sound, specially as a live band.
You get a better result at the end of it - but you have to be rehearsed and playing it well. I think it's more important to get a live sound in it. It's not all completely raw. The stuff that we wanted to sound live sounds really good. It benefits us, as we play live.
You're playing some dates in Tokyo this summer with the Mystery Jets and others. Are you looking forward to it?
We're doing the Fuji Rock Festival. Just to go to Japan anyway would be brilliant - that's the sort of thing about doing what we are doing, I wouldn't go to Japan otherwise, I wouldn't have a reason, so it's just nice to be able to go there and get your music out! We're doing a club gig with the Mystery Jets and Fields there, who we've played with before, so that should be a laugh.
What kind of music are you into?
Recently I've just been going back to sort of all the old Motown stuff, which I really like. It changes all the time - if I'm in the mood to listen to certain things, you know? At the moment it is Motown stuff - I do generally listen to older stuff. I think with new bands, there's a lot of good bands about, but most of them have just got one or two good songs. I'm a big fan of Bob Marley, and there's not a song of his that I couldn't listen to. Lyrically [he's] really good. I [also] like Bob Dylan, Ray Davison. For actual music, the groove of the Motown stuff is [best.] Maybe [I think that] cos it's sunny!
What about the rest of the band?
Everyone likes the Motown stuff. In the band everyone's into different stuff. Grant's got his finger on the pulse a bit more [than the rest of us], and Luke has as well. I think with the Motown stuff - for melody, you're never going to beat it. Musically, it probably is good to listen to new bands. You can't judge it against old stuff, cos you'll end up getting stuck.
You're gigging a lot this summer. Do you think you'll cope?
Forty dates, we're doing over here. That's quite daunting. We're still sort of getting better live, so it's good for us. You can't do too many gigs, and the festivals are just a completely different sort of experience. They're good to do. We've got quite a few this year, from festival gigs to clubs.
You're playing at V this summer. Are you excited, nervous...?
It's a big thing. You grow up watching things like that on TV. There's all those really talented musicians playing on the first day, [getting to see them is] good...I find it a bit hard to play, because you're [so] far away from the crowd compared to an indoor venue.
Occasionally artists get bottled at festivals (cf. 50 Cent and The Rasmus) - is this something that you ever worry about?
I hadn't really thought about it - now you've put it in my head! I can see why 50 Cent wouldn't go down in a festival crowd! I'm a bit worried for Girls Aloud, at V, but hopefully they don't get the brunt of that. I can see why [the crowd] did with 50 Cent. Hopefully we won't - I'll wear a crash helmet!
What's your dream gig?
Actually, Grant was saying earlier that he'd love to play Glastonbury. For me, at the minute I'd just like to sell out our own gig at the Astoria. For us it's the main venue locally, the biggest venue. We've played there a few times supporting, but after that you want to go onto bigger things. At this stage that'd be a big thing for us. It's a place we've always gone to go and see gigs! I know it's not huge, but at the moment, it's the next thing we'd like to achieve.
So, what's on your iPod at the moment, Joel?
You know what? I'm going to go and buy one in a minute. I was saying earlier: 'I don't know why I don't have an iPod. I could put all my CDs on there so I don't have to keep rooting through them, especially now we've got this whole tour coming up - it'd be handy.
My manager's sister works at the Apple shop, and he phoned her earlier to see if I could get a discount on it, but she can only get a tenner off, and I'd have had to wait a week. I've definitely gotta get one. I know I'll probably buy it and not put anything on it, though. Once it's done, it'll be helpful.
Thanks for chatting, Joel!
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