Interview – Rockbeast 2005
Author: Marianne Harris
Date: 29th November 2005
Link: Rockbeast
Our good friend and one of our latest editions to the team Marianne Harris had the opportunity to interview Ian Watkins, vocalist for Lostprophets about their new album the answer are hmm how can I put it, interesting. This is one of only a hand full of interviews about their new album so read away.
Marianne – You’ve been out of the spotlight so to speak for nearly a year now writing and recording for a highly anticipated new album. What exactly does 2006 hold for Lostprophets?
Ian – A big golden chalice filled with diamonds.
Marianne – Got any name ideas for the new album yet, if so can you tell us what they are?
Ian – Yup, Nope.
Marianne – Mike Chiplin fairly recently parted from the band. How easy has your new drummer found it to integrate into an already well established and successful band?
Ian – We haven’t found a new drummer as yet. For the album we summoned the ghost of John Bonham. He did us proud.
Marianne – Who is the new drummer? If you can’t tell us, when will you officially announce it?
Ian – No one as yet. We haven’t started looking. We are more concerned with doing the album.
Marianne – Has having a new drummer changed the dynamics of the band? If so how?
Ian – Having a different drummer on the record definitely altered an aspect of the sound. We did stuff that we couldn’t do before.
Marianne – With the success of ‘Start Something’ do you feel under pressure to produce another amazing album and if so how do you go about making it even better than anything you have ever done before?
Ian – We don’t really think about it. The only pressure is from ourselves.
Marianne – What has influenced you on the new album and what direction is this taking you in?
Ian – Writing good songs has been the biggest influence.
Marianne – Did the bands success in America shock you at all and what have you gained from making it in America?
Ian – It was a good feeling, and it has created a good ground base, to launch the new record.
Marianne – The album is rumoured for release around the summer of next year, will this be in time to give some sneak peaks of some new tracks at UK festivals?
Ian – Yeah, I reckon it will be out before summer.
Marianne – What are your plans once the album is out? Where do you plan to tour?
Ian – Everywhere.
Marianne – So when your not recording what have you been up to pass the time?
Ian – Ps2, internet and surfing.
Marianne – Some of you now live in the US. Which hot bands have you seen whilst out there and are there any underground bands that we should all know about?
Ian – Classic case are pretty cool, also a band called City Sleeps.
Marianne – I saw you play Cardiff International Arena your biggest ever headline show and of course it was your hometown with your family watching, what feelings and emotions did this give you?
Ian – Warm fuzzy ones.
Marianne – You have toured and shared the stage with some of the biggest acts in the world but who would you still love to tour with?
Ian – Elton John.
Marianne – You have mentioned in the past how Metallica are one of the only bands who can pull of an encore, what did you learn from them when you played the same bills as them?
Ian – That they are very very big.
Marianne – Anything else you would like to add before I leave you to it?
Ian – 8 + 2.
