So, a journalist confession: you never quite know how an interview is going to go. Even with all the prep, all the research, so much is out of your hands – an artist could be jet-lagged, bored of the interview circuit, or just not that sociable a person. Entering a room is a different experience each time, and you always remember people who engage with the process, and attempt to have fun with it.
Biffy Clyro are – hands down – some of the nicest musicians I’ve met. And I’ve been with CLASH since 2007, as a matter of fact. The Scottish band are quite ridiculously friendly, and astonishingly personable – in a few minutes, they’re praising the PR’s actually very stylish jacket, asking for my opinion on the Oasis reunion shows, and reliving (blow-by-blow) their experiences as Scotland beat Denmark to qualify for the World Cup. Listening back to the interview a few days later, some answers are almost impossible to make out – as the band are laughing uproariously at their own jokes. More than once, I have to lead them back to the topic – “we’re here to talk about your own album, guys…”
And it’s a great album, too. After a short break while frontman Simon Neil indulged his metal fetish with Empire State Bastard, the Jonathan Gilmore produced ‘Futique’ is a rollicking back-to-basics statement. As Ben Johnston jokingly puts it: “basically a Greatest Hits!”
“This album feels like a kind of encapsulation,” says Simon. “And I think whatever we do next, it will be like breaking the chains free. I think this was a recommitment to ourselves and to the band.”
Empire State Bastard may have been a work of real passion, but as Simon Neil freely admits it wasn’t for everyone – even his own family. “My Dad told me, look, I couldn’t get through it,” he laughs.
“I started to enjoy the structure of a pop song again. I started to enjoy melodies again. And I mean, I love noisy music… I’ve got this kind of conflicted personality!”
Sean Johnston picks up on this: “Melody’s always been a strong part of our band. Even if it’s disguised with weird rhythms or abstract lyrics, melody’s always been a huge, huge part of it.”
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The choice of Jonathan Gilmore as producer was an entirely natural one – a dyed-in-the-wool Biffy Clyro fan, he was also able to bring his own skills and personality to the table. As Ben puts it: “The great thing with Jon is that he’s been a fan of our band since he was like 11. So it was the first time that we were working with someone who’s known our journey. And he’s the smartest, most musical producer we’ve worked with.”
“Sounds weird when you say it out loud,” laughs Simon. “Like, what did the other guys do?!”
The frontman seizes the conversation. “Because we were coming back after a wee bit of an unsettled time I think it was nice to be in with someone that was so enthusiastic. His excitement was definitely contagious.”
Sean adds: “We knew we had great songs and the bones of everything, so we were happy to take things on a little bit of a journey. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.”
Simon interjects: “Sometimes you’ll maybe go down a dead end… but sometimes you go down, and there’s a beautiful garden down there!”
It’s all knockabout humour, but there’s a sense that when they’re in the studio, Biffy Clyro absolutely commit themselves to the craft. ‘Futique’ was whittled down from a mammoth folder of songs, material that they intend to complete and release in the coming months. There’s an overwhelming sense of gratitude, simply to be doing this once more.
“It’s all genuine,” Simon points out. “The first thing we spoke about when we came back together was, do we want this to be our lives? And I think having that separation and coming back… basically, we want to be together.”
“We’re so lucky that we are friends as well. Because – honestly – there’s a reason bands break up after a few albums, and get a bit successful… it’s because they lose that connection.”
As Ben points out: “You miss anything in life when you suddenly don’t have it… you start to appreciate it all the more.”
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This summer, the Glastonbury crowd felt a little of that energy. Biffy Clyro’s fantastic Pyramid Stage slot was a true highlight, a career-spanning blast of rock precision that saw the Scottish band veer from mammoth hits to an unexpected but wholly entrancing cover of the Beach Boys’ classic ‘God Only Knows’.
“We do festivals every weekend,” Simon explains, “but with Glastonbury, suddenly you’re getting a text from your mum! Your auntie phones you, wishing you luck. People you don’t know in the street talk to you about it. Suddenly it’s like: this is a really big deal. And you can pretend it’s not… but it is!”
“Honestly, there’s very few gigs we play where you think, OK this is going really well. But that went well! And I think taking a wee break helped us. I helped us configure those moments during the set to kind of go, wow – and really acknowledge it. We came off, and it was just an absolute celebration!”
“We just wanted to celebrate the fact that we are all together,” says Ben. “It was like watching the football the other night – it’s just great to see people so happy, y’know?”
“That’s how I feel about the live shows,” Simon adds. “There’s not other situation where we’re all congregated together, all wanting to achieve the same thing… which is joy.”
Ah yes… the football. Every World Cup campaign needs an anthem, and Scotland are no exception – Biffy Clyro are long-time fans of Scotland manager Steve Clarke, who of course previously worked at local-to-them club Kilmarnock. So, if Steve Clarke gives them the call, would they accept?
“We actually are going to the States next year for some live shows just before the World Cup, and there’s no way we’re fucking coming back,” laughs Simon.
“Look, I would definitely think about it,” he adds. “If I was asked five years ago, I would have went: no fucking way! I don’t know if I’ve gotten to a certain age now, but… look, these things are important. So yes, we would consider it. And yes, I’ve got the chorus…”
Oh c’mon – you can’t leave us hanging!
Simon smiles: “’The party’s starting / Cos the tartan’s marching!”
“So that’s percolating as we speak,” he laughs. “It’s a ‘yes’ – we would consider it.”
It’s maybe a sign of maturity – or confidence – that Biffy Clyro are willing to accept these high profile opportunities. The band tell a story about playing the launch show for their EP at Glasgow venue King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, and deliberately – perversely – refusing to play any songs from the EP, just weird material they’d written the week before. “It’s a career of wrong decisions,” Ben jokes. “We failed our way up!”
Ironing out that resistance to the norm has probably taken some time, but ten albums in it seems Biffy Clyro have just about gotten the hang of this rock band business.
But then, a short while after this interview, came a bombshell from the band. Sean Johnston was stepping back, to deal with mental health and substance issues. It was a huge shock for fans – he’s rarely, if ever, missed a show in the past – and it came as a massive 180 for this interviewer. The band seemed incredibly together, with Sean embodying their passion for the future. It was a sobering announcement, a reminder that we have to check in with one another – even during an interview setting, perhaps.
It’s note-worthy, though, that the tour is continuing, and Biffy Clyro’s commitment to their fans – and to each other – endures. We’re drawn to one of Simon Neil’s closing remarks, just as he began to lay out the country’s they’ll be visiting in 2026. “We’re ready,” he said. “We’re ready to become a real fucking band again.”
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‘Futique’ is out now. Catch Biffy Clyro at Finsbury Park, London on July 3rd.
Words: Robin Murray
Photo Credit: Eva Pentel
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