The Dead 60s

The Dead 60s are back. Back. BACK! The Scouse quartet scored four hit singles back in 2005 with their strident mixture of ska, punk and dub-reggae. Then they jetted over to New York City, hooked up with Macca's producer David Kahne and steeled themselves for another attitude-packed assault on the charts. We caught up with bassist Charlie Turner to discuss their "epic-sounding" new album, their globe-ravaging touring schedule and the pros and cons of Miss Lily Allen.

How would you describe your new single 'Stand Up'?
"Well, it's quite a riotous, anthemic song, but catchy too. It's just really about pride and self-respect and standing up for yourself."

And what can we expect from your new album Time To Take Sides?
"Well, it’s a bit of an epic-sounding album, I suppose. We've really concentrated on writing a batch of great songs this time around."

What does the album's title refer to?
"It kind of just fits in with the songs and it’s just saying: 'Are you with us or are you not?' It's quite a rousing title, I think."

How has your sound developed from your first album to your second?
"I think we just wanted to write big songs that, you know, people could sing back to us. On this album we concentrated more on songs, rather than just grooves and jams as we did on the first one. We wanted to take the songwriting up a level and always start with the song as the basis and just build it from there."

Did recording the album in New York affect your sound?
"I don’t know if it affected the sound, but I think it gave us a different sense of perspective really. It added a different slant to our writing, really."

What was it like working with David Kahne?
"Yeah it was great! He’s a really experienced producer and, you know, on a purely musical level it was great to work with him. I think he got us playing the best we’ve ever played in the studio and it was brilliant."

Did he ever attempt to win arguments by saying: "Well, when I worked with Macca... "?
"Ha ha! Well, yeah, but I suppose that's a good thing. If you think you’ve got strong opinions on the music, it’s good to work with people who’ve got strong opinions too. It's great when you have that kind of relationship where you can kind of get on each others' backs a little bit."

How are the new songs going down on tour?
"It’s been great - we’ve been hitting people with quite a lot of new material, but it’s all going down really well. It’s nice to have two albums to choose from. We’ve put a good little set together I think."

Did you miss touring when you took a break to write and record the new album?
"Well, it’s nice to have a bit of a break but we are a live band primarily, so it’s kind of just great to get back out there. You do miss it 'cause you get that kind of instant response from people when you’re playing music. We pretty much thrive on the energy of it all."

Ska and reggae have evidently been a huge influence on your sound. What do you think of Lily Allen's take on ska-pop?
"Yeah, you know, it's alright, yeah. It’s a bit pop for me personally but you know she’s obviously done well in her own right. She's great - she's got a lot about her, you know."

What have you been listening to recently?
"Well, I suppose that last Kings of Leon album and the Beastie Boys instrumental album have been on quite a bit in the van. We just try and, you know, find new things all the time."

What have the Dead 60s got coming up until the end of the year?
"Well, we’re heading over to France for a long time, and then Germany. Then back over here for more touring I think. Very busy!"

'Stand Up' is released on September 10. The album Time To Take Sides follows in January.