Interview . Young Guns . w/ Gustav Wood

Interviewer: Laura Schriefer . 31/10/2011 . city: Hannover . venue: Chez Heinz

Punk76: You recently finished a UK tour, how was it?

Gus: It's been amazing! It actually has been the set of the biggest shows we've ever done, so that was really amazing. And it was lovely to see, I suppose, the results of the last few years. Our London show was the biggest show we've ever played as a band, we supported bands playing bigger shows but for our shows it was the largest. It was down the road where I grew up called the Forum and there were about 2000 people, it was amazing. I mean we did blow up the lights for the whole show...

Punk76: Ah, it was that show. I wanted to ask about that, what had happened?

Gus: Yeah, so that was annoying but in the end it made it a little more special because it made feel spontaneous and not feel rehearsed and that made it a little more magical and a little more sincere. We came out to little crappy spotlights but the crowd was amazing and it was a really good night. Yeah, it was a good tour, it was nice to finish off the first album campaign and now with the second album done it's kind of time to start again I guess.

Punk76: Emre (Young Guns' tourmanager) just told me that you also played Poland a few days ago, could you tell me something about those shows?

Gus: Yes, they were amazing! We played in Poland once before, we played a festival in Warsaw and that was cool. And now we played two shows, one in Poznan and one in Warsaw and they both were very good. The crowds were brilliant which was very exciting and it's great to be in places that we not really spent time before and also to feel that something is happening there.

Punk76: I read the messages on your Facebookpage and all the Polish people seemed very happy and satisfied with your shows.

Gus: Well, we like the smaller shows I think you can create kind of an intimacy. Shows like tonight or other small shows, you have the ability to make every person who was there feel like it was something special. This whole tour has been amazing so far, we still haven't really done much in Europe, I've seen you a few times and I know we've been over here and there but we still, if you compare it to how many shows we play in London or whatever, it's not much. We play like two or three shows in Hamburg or Berlin per year compared to twenty shows in London. So we still have a long way to go but it's exciting because it feels like people care.

Punk76: Tonight What Now are supporting you. Did you pick them or did your label pick them?

Gus: It works in different ways, sometimes your booking agent says „these are the bands that I've been in contact lately, that have been asking to support shows“ and then we'll pick one, sometimes we have a specific band that we're really liking and we're asking to play some shows. It's always different and this time these guys had asked and we liked it. They haven't got the chance to play lots of shows in Europe and we liked the idea of bringing them and to support them.

Punk76: Talking about labels, did you sign to a label or are you still just working with a booking agent and management?

Gus: Yes, we have signed a record deal. The first album was self-released but we signed a distribution deal and for this record we signed a record deal with the same company, we signed the distribution deal with. So we still kept it independent but this time they're releasing it and it's fun because we still have all the control and all the decision making processes are our stuff but there's some money now that hasn't been there before and more important they're really excited and passionated about what we're doing, they allowed us to have the singles on the album mixed by a guy called Chris Lord Alge, he's a mixer who did American Idiot (by Green Day), The Black Parade (by My Chemical Romance) and so on. So it's exciting because they allow us to do things and give us new opportunities.

Punk76: Of course we're excited for your new record. You recorded it in Thailand and from what I've seen in your video blogs it must have been an amazing time. Could you tell me something about the whole progress? Why did you choose Thailand, did you write the songs there or did you have them with you already?

Gus: We were going to do the Album in the same place we did the first one, and the problem with the last one was the we live just outside of London and did the album on the other side of London so everyday we would have to get up at like 6, drive there for two hours through rush hour traffic, you have to pay to drive through the center of London and then we'd have to pay for lunch and dinner and parking all day. And then it would take us two to three hours to get home so we wouldn't be home until 11 or so, then we would have to work that night for the next day and get up at 6 again so it was very draining and also we would spend like five hours driving a day and spend so much money on petrol and food so we decided this time, if we're recording in London, let's rent a room, a house for a month. Our producer has a studio in Thailand and when we compared the costs of recording in London or in his studio in Thailand, Thailand was about the same amount of money but it includes a house for a month with a nice swimming pool and so on. So it endet up making sense financially. And it was good fun as well.

Punk76: Did you have the time to walk around and explore Thailand a bit or are all of you hard workers?

Gus: We are! I spent every day in the studio, I like being in there even if I'm not doing anything just the enviroment and stuff, I really enjoy that. I'm kind of a control freak (smiles), I think we all are.. So I didn't go out as much as the other guys maybe did but we had some time off to go out for dinner or have a night out. Me and Fraser support Chelsea (Football) and Chelsea had a game in Bangkok so we went there and supported them. But mostly I was in the studio to be honest.

Punk76: Next year you'll be supporting Enter Shikari in the UK as well as mainland Europe, how did that come?

Gus: We're on the same label.

Punk76: Oh really?

Gus: Yeah, we're on the same label and in some way Enter Shikari are quite similar to us, they're quite diy and stuff..

Punk76: Yeah, but musically not so much?

Gus: (laughing) yes, musically not so much but we have a similar mindframe. We met them a few times and had drinks and got to know eachother and since we're on the same label we get to hang out whenever the label does a party or whatever. And they also were in Thailand so we have same friends, same producers and so on. And our manager is friends with their manager and I guess it just came from all of this. We really wanted to do the tour and we're glad that they invited us.

Punk76: Looking back at this year, what was the best moment that you remember? And what was the worst part of 2011?

Gus: Going to Thailand was pretty special and going to Australia. And I think the UK Tour, we had a tourbus for the first time and that felt like a real achievement as a band. That and Thailand because it was really kind of a dream. The worst.. that's a bit tricky because I think when you complain too much about being in a band you can seem quite cocky. Thailand – I absolutely loved it but there were some times that I was very unhappy and feeling miserable because I try and push myself and I want everything to be as good as it can be and sometimes it just got a little bit too much and I had a couple of meltdowns. So that was simultaneously the best and worst it was stressfull but great at the same time.

Punk76: I bet you're already tired of this but I have to ask: did you expect your fans to be so crazy about you dying your hair blond? I mean it's all about the music but in such situations it seems to be about the look of the band as well.

Gus: (laughing) No. It depresses me to even have to talk about it because it is so unimportant. We went to Auschwitz yesterday and it was such an extreme day and then we left and I went online and had some messages on my Twitter saying „what the fuck have you done to your hair..“ and so on and it was depressing.. that is really the most important thing to someone that day? I don't know.. I don't want to think that I'm in a band that is popular and that people like me because I like cool or I dye my hair a certain colour.. there has to be more to life and more to this band.. it's tricky because I'm in magazines and stuff and there will always be people with their opinions but I didn't expect it and I think it's a bit lame. Each have their own right? (smiling) I mean I'm just a singer in a relatively small band, imagine people like Gerard way (singer of My Chemical Romance) having way more greed about that compared to me about stuff like that. I mean I get bored so I change my hair, that's it. Maybe I'll go back to what it's been like or I'll change it again, whatever. But if I'd answer business wise I'd say that with this new record – we're still the same band and still the same bunch of people but I think we have grown and lots of change was involved and I want that to be obvious both visually and sonically. Bot honestly, basically I just don't want to be seen – not that I'm thinking we are – a bunch of pretty boy guys , none of us cares about things like that. So if you have a problem with my hair, just get over it.

Punk76: Tonight is halloween, imagine you would have to dress up for a party but you only have three outfits to choose from: number 1 is a frog number 2 is a huge garbage can and number 3 would be a princess with a sparkling pink dress. What would you choose?

Gus: I guess I'd go for the frogs.. I like frogs. But I kind of like Oscar in the garbage can, too so one of those. I wouldn't go for the fairy.

Punk76: Only two more month until christmas, what is number one of your wishlist this year?

Gus: Uhm... I just want.. this record to do well.

Punk76: I was thinking about something like.. a new Ipod, vacation or.. a sweater?

Gus: A sweater would be nice (smiling). I want a new x-box! Since mine broke.. or an iPad, yeah!

Punk76: And the last question, where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Gus: I'd like to have built myself a comfortable life. I spent the past deacde living on other people's couches and doing different jobs so I like to think that there will be a time in my life that I get settled.

Punk76: With a dog and wife and kids?

Gus: Yeah, with all that stuff!

Punk76: Alright, maybe we'll talk again in 20 years and see what you're up to. Thank you very much for taking the time! Always a pleasure.

The show was amazing as usual. Young Guns did dress up in white blood-stained shirts and black wigs but had to take them off after some songs because they weren't able to see anything at all. They played all of the fans favourites songs including the new single "learn my lesson". After about an hour the show ended and Young Guns disappeared into the backstage shortly, just to come back a few minutes later. They took a lot of time to talk to their fans and take pictures. In conclusion I can only state that Young Guns is an amazing band and they're such nice people. If you get the chance to go to one of their shows, take it! You wont be disappointed.

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