Bastille frontman Dan Smith joined Dan O’Connell in the Radio X studio yesterday, where he reacted to the rumours of a potential reunion for iconic ‘00s indie band The Maccabees, saying that he thinks the teaser on the band’s socials is ‘not nothing.’ Dan also discussed Bastille’s ‘rougher and rawer’ new album, and hinted that the band could join the ‘greatest year ever for live music’ with a tour in 2025.
Dan Smith – DS
Dan O’Connell – DOC
Bastille’s Dan Smith says The Maccabees comeback teaser is ‘not nothing’ as he hints that Bastille will tour next year
DOC: “I wanted to ask about next year, because I don’t know if you know, but next year could be the greatest year ever for live music.”
DS: “There’s a lot going on, isn’t there?”
DOC: “I realised that Bastille’s In Theory turns 15.”
DS: “Oh, does it?”
DOC: “2010 we believe you started doing your little thing? And I just wondered or not if you were going to join the party next year?”
DS: “I’m sure we’ll figure something out. I’m not very good at thinking that far ahead, but next year is incredibly soon now. So yeah, I’m so excited as a fan. There’s so many great shows next year that will be a lot of fun to go to.”
DOC: “Are you an Oasis fan?”
DS: “Yeah, I think that the Oasis shows will be great.”
DOC: “I hear – well, we don’t know what it is yet – but I hear there’s something bubbling from The Maccabees as well.”
DS: “I know, yes!”
DOC: “You must live near them, actually?”
DS: “I do, I do. And I’ve worked with Hugo a bit as well. He’s amazing. And, yeah, like everyone else, I saw the post go up and thought, ‘That’s not nothing! Not teasing us for nothing!’ I hope there’s some shows next year, and I would absolutely love to go and see them. Yeah, and Sam fender, I’m excited for his shows as well. And, yeah, it’s great. It feels like, I know it’s like a boringly perpetual conversation, but just a really good time for guitar music. And bands, you know – old and new – yeah, and I hope that continues.”
Bastille’s Dan Smith shares details of ‘rougher and rawer’ new album
DOC: “I want to touch on the album – & – it is out tomorrow. What can you tell us about this album, though? Can you give us a bit more? I know it’s sort of a difficult description, and I know you’re sort of very aware of time, but…”
DS: “Yeah. It’s a series of short stories about all these different people I think are fascinating, but also just a bunch of hopefully really great songs. And I guess it’s quite intimate, it’s quite raw. You know, you can hear the sound of like the rain on the roof of the house we recorded in. You can hear this sort of creaking of piano stools and fingers on guitars. It’s quite acoustic but, you know, there are moments where it just explodes! There’s this song, ‘Blue Sky and the Painter,’ there’s another one called ‘The Drawbridge and the Baroness’ that is absolutely bonkers, and I love it so much! I think it’s probably a bit bigger and heavier than people would expect from us. It’s different to a Bastille record. I think it’s a bunch of the songs we just did three people in a room together and, yeah, so there’s all these different kind of elements to it. But it’s much sort of rougher and rawer, and I’m super proud of it. I had the best time making it. It forced me to learn the guitar. Everyone assumes I can play the guitar, which I thank them for them, but I can’t. I never wanted to be that guy at a party who’d like play ‘Wonderwall’. I literally can’t, so sorry! But I would never want to be that guy. So, I never really learned the guitar. But for this I sort of forced myself to, and all of the kind of reading and watching and listening and learning that I did around these people and all of that stuff. It’s been almost like a sort of little gap year degree for me, which I’ve which I’ve loved!”
