interview: Enter Shikari

interviewed by Natasha Jones

Synth and Metal, a genre that has exploded since Enter Shikari hit the scene, with enough metal for the moshers to get dirty, but enough synth to relax the more fragile; I caught up with Enter Shikari on their recent UK tour where they were debuting some of their second album material, being backstage at the Guildhall – the boys seemed very relaxed even though there were 2,000 + screaming fans just the other side of the wall.

Date: 30th October 2008
Time: 8.30 PM (roughly)
Location: Backstage (Southampton, Guildhall)


What came first the Chicken or the egg?

Rory: Oh no! I think the Bacteria came first, the bacteria in the air
Rou: the Chegg!
Rory: I think the Chicken came from a Newt originally.

How did the band first get together?

Rory: Funny Story actually but it started with a chicken! Nah, it was Primary School really. Chris and Rou went to Primary School together then we all met at Secondary School.

Have you changed your sound since first forming?

Rou: We’ve gone through all sorts of sounds, when we started we were like crisp rock really beasty, then we got into the local punk scene which was straight up hardcore, then added in the electronics and mixed it all in to what it is now.

How was the local scene?

Rory: Yeah it was great one of our major influences really. Most of the bands that we listened to then have sort of faded out and drizzled out. There was a really strong hardcore punk scene, ska, rap. There was always gigs on at this local music club, it’s not closed down but they don’t put gigs on there anymore

What’s the stage banner for this tour symbolize?

Rory: I’m glad someone asked! They’re all like ancient symbols basically from mythology. There’s like 5 strips, the main one which takes up the most space is a message in old Hebrew which means on the 9th the dragon will be born which is the code apparently about 2012. It’s also the guy that decoded it, he’s featured in “We Can Breathe in Space” speaking.

Is that Relevant to the album?

Rou: We haven’t really decided what the artwork on the album will be.

Have you recorded the album yet?

Rory: Nah, we’re recording it straight after this tour.

Where you recording it?
Rou: Isle of Wight, we’ll probably get quite bored, I don’t know what there is to do there.

There’s one theme park, maybe you should visit that? Black Gang Chine

Rory: Ah, I’ve been there quite a few times actually, on family holidays. Don’t you have to walk through some giant legs to get in, haha. The place we’re recording is actually a big manner with beautiful gardens. Half is a B+B and half is a studio and rented out for the public to view.

Supports for this tour, hand-picked?

Both: Yeah.

What are your links to those bands?

Rou: That’s a really good question.
Rory: Yeah, well the only person that’s on every date is DJ PDEX, who is my brother which is a drum n’ bass DJ, cos’ the next album we’re moving more towards drum n’ bass. Maximum the Hormone, from Japan, we played with them over there, thought we’d repay the favour by getting them over here and until now they’d never even left the country, they can speak hardly any English so we have our own sign language with them. Fell Silent, who are some of our closest friends, same as Flood of Red. We just thought let’s bring all our friends on this tour and it’s been loads of fun!

How’s America going? Cracked it yet?

Rou: Nah, we’re chiselling away, forming little cracks. We’ve been over their quite a lot this year for periods, next year after the album comes out there we’ll spend like two months solid touring.

Will you be playing Bamboozle?

Rou: Yeah, there is talk of Bamboozle, and we might do a bit of the Warped Tour, fuck doing all of that!

How has your sound Progressed, from the demos’ to the album, from the album to your new Material?

Rory: From the demos’ to the album there wasn’t a great development, we were just touring constantly, then went to the studio to record, then right back to another tour.

What gigs and tours have been the best for you to play?

Rory: This one’s been really good.
Rou: Yeah, there was one in America in Texas. They have like heard of us for a few years, but we’ve never been there so they were kinda gagging for a gig, it was mental.

If you could make a crisp flavour, what would it be?

Rou: Peanut Butter, because peanut butter rules.
Rory: Tabasco

myspace.com/entershikari

Below: the author, Natasha Jones, caught lounging with her interview subjects, Rory at left and Rou on the right, backstage.

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