t
upfront
L O S T
Lostprophets are one
of the biggest bands in
the UK, but they still feel
P R O P H E T S
like they have something
to prove. Ian and Mike
dropped by to talk about
their underdog mindset
and the £500,000 album
they scrapped.
words: HELEN LOCK
“I
magine you’re a dog, right?” Not the the album in Bel Air with Feldmann, the band soon decided that the ultimate person to take control of
words you would expect to come from became unhappy with the direction the music was the album’s production had been known to them
the mouth of Lostprophets’ frontman heading. “Even as it was being put together we had all along. Bassist Stuart Richardson may not have
Ian Watkins, but the analogy of being our doubts, with it, with the producer and the direc- seemed to outsiders to be the obvious choice, but
the underdogs of the rock world is one the band still tion he was taking us. As a band we never want to to the band it made perfect sense. “We had the
firmly believe in, despite being one of the UK’s most put out something we’re not 110% behind,” guitarist ultimate say this way,” Ian explains. “He’s harsh
successful acts and having a career spanning over Mike Lewis explains. “We wanted something that but fair like a school headmaster who you fear but
a decade. And following the turbulent past three was amazing and that we could sit back and be respect at the same time.”
years, in which the album was scrapped several happy with. It wasn’t quite there, so basically we Following the difficult production, the album’s
times, it’s easy to imagine the group wanting to just packed it up and started again.” name was somewhat easier to arrive at. “I had the
crawl away with their tails between their legs. idea after we made the last three albums. Lyrically
Originally, the album was due for release in the
“I still see us as six
I’d said everything I had wanted to, and this time I
summer of 2007, but the band’s determination do wanted to do the antithesis of that,” Ian explains. “I
things their way came at a cost, one which can be
kids from the local
liked the idea of doing something dark lyrically, but
measured in both time and money – £500,000 to be which revels in it; revels in the negativity. More like
precise.
scene.”
Mr Darcy than Mr Tumnus.”
But back to the dog analogy. “If your owner tells you In order to promote The Betrayed, the band is
you’re going to the park, you would believe them Ian is much more frank when talking about the time embarking on a series of homecoming gigs in Wales
and happily get in the car. Even if you have your spent working with Feldmann. “It wasn’t really a this year. It’s often the case that bands return home
suspicions on the way that you’re going to the vets, collaboration, more him telling us what to do. Noth- when they feel like they’ve truly made it and have
you stay calm because you trust your master. But ing against him, we just didn’t work well together.” nothing left to prove. So do Ian and Mike feel this
when you arrive at the vets you bolt, and that’s the But neither Ian nor Mike regret the time and money is the case for them? “Most definitely, more so than
point where we bolted.” spent during their time in America. “If we hadn’t ever,” Ian says. “Though it’s more that I’m proving
The ‘master’ in question is producer John Feld- have done it this album would never have hap- something to myself. There’s still the mindset that
mann, who fronts the ska-punk band Goldfinger pened. It was almost a means to an end, it made us we’re the underdogs.”
and who in the past has worked with The Used and sit back and look at the band,” Mike says. “We don’t see ourselves as a big band,” Mike adds.
Good Charlotte among others. While working on This was the point in which the Lostprophets “You don’t want to get a sense of entitlement, or the
BUZZ 0
FEB 2010.indd 6 26/1/10 14:55:58
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