The Welsh rockers The Automatic are heading to the Norwich Arts Centre on 22nd March to play us some new tunes from their forthcoming third album, Tear The Signs Down. Hopefully also playing some of their older greats like Monster, Steve McQueen and Raoul. I managed to ask the band a few questions ahead of the gig.
You guys have come a long way from the Monster track, is that still in the set or are you sick of playing it?
We still play it. We benefited so much from that song, and even people who don’t know who we are know the song, but it doesn’t have to be the highlight of the set. We’ve played gigs without it and people didn’t notice!
Also do you still have the gold digger track on the set, I loved that when I saw you guys at the UEA a couple of years ago?
Well, Pennie left the band two years ago, and none of us can rap, so no..none of us can screech like he did. Also, my flute’s back in Cardiff!
Did you ever get any feedback on the cover from Kanye West?
No. That would have been cool, though. That was before he embarrassed himself at the VMAs and everyone realised he was an idiot.
The new album sounds pretty good, what were your influences for it?
There’s a theme of picking yourself or somebody else up after something bad has happened to you which runs through the majority of the tracks. I didn’t even notice it creeping in as we were writing it. It must have something to do with being messed around by our old label, on a subconscious level. I’m not Sigmund Freud though, what do I know! Musically, it was the same melting pot of influences we’ve always had, but we swapped instruments and experimented a lot, so they were being expressed in different ways.
How does it feel to be back on the road in the UK, performing the new album?
Amazing. We haven’t done a big tour, in a bus, for over a year. We’re loading all our own gear in and out every night, setting up ourselves and touring for 30 days with only 5 days off, and I’ve never enjoyed it more. Having 3 albums worth of material to choose from is fantastic as well! We’re playing better than ever and I’m so grateful that we still get to do it. We can’t lose.
You guys have played Norwich several times before, how does it feel being back?
We always have a great time in Norwich. I don’t know why, but I’m not complaining! We’ve never had noisier, livelier crowds than Norwich crowds. Keep it up, guys! By the way, what’s good to do on a day off in Norwich?
What’s next once this tour is over, are you guys playing any festivals this summer?
Hopefully! We’ve got one or two small things planned, but we’re trying to get ourselves on to some of the bigger festivals. We’ve had amazing experiences at Reading & Leeds, Glastonbury, T in the park and others, and hopefully we’ll have many more.