Feeder - Interview

  by Nick Dent-Robinson

published: 31 / 7 / 2022

intro

Nick Dent-Robinson speaks to Grant Nicholas from bestselling rock act Feeder at a gig in Oxford about their new album ‘Torpedo’.

It is 28 years since rock band Feeder launched themselves on to the UK music scene, with a name borrowed from Newport-born front man Grant Nicholas's pet goldfish. Quite a bit has changed since 1994 - though there was a beleaguered Tory Prime Minister clinging to power as his party feuded over accusations of sleaze and double standards, war was raging in Eastern Europe and concerns about climate change were ever-growing. Another thing that has remained a constant throughout those years is that Feeder continue to produce strong and different tunes plus they still attract big and eclectic crowds to all their live performances. Feeder appeared at Oxford's sold-out O2 Academy recently and 54 year-old Grant Nicholas commented, “I still believe there isn't anyone quite like Feeder in the UK. Musically we are out on our own. We all still have the passion and our fans pick up on that. We really believe in ourselves and our fans love what we do because we love what we do!” Feeder have released 10 studio albums which sold over 2 million copies and 40 EPs and singles, 26 of these making the Top 40, accumulating 185 weeks in the UK charts. They have had big international success and are hugely popular in Japan where they've sold more records than in the UK. Feeder's Oxford gig marked a welcome return for them – and also for hundreds of live music fans who for over two years had been deprived by the Covid lockdown of the collective joy of cheering along a seriously good rock band. Not surprisingly, Feeder received a rapturous reception! “It has been great, playing live again,” said Grant Nicholas. “Like lots of bands, we were a bit knocked for six by lockdown. Our previous 2019 album ‘Yesterday Went Too Soon’ debuted at number four in the UK Top Ten and we had a lot of songs ready to follow up that success in 2020. Then the lockdown hit and everything stopped. But bassist Taka Hirose and I didn't sit still or start baking banana bread or fighting the flab with Joe Wicks over the internet! Instead, we penned more tunes, improved some we'd already written and then the band emerged with our latest album, ‘Torpedo’. We've even enough material now for a follow-up record next year. We have been dying to play live again. Everyone in music is the same. There are a lot of bands and solo artists out there now, tours are happening everywhere - it's a music frenzy! We play a range of different music...not just straight rock. From pop to mellow to heavy rock and funk. A lot goes into all we do. From our very first album we have always experimented, been innovative. We are all about the songs and that's what's given us our longevity. As you can see from our Oxford audience, our music appeals to a wide range of people.....our fans are amazing. You'll see students, kids, diehards and whole families come to our gigs – which is brilliant!” ‘Torpedo’ is a powerful album. It is a product of our time with the alternating moments of darkness and light so many have endured these past two years. And all the material from the record went down a storm with the crowd in the packed Oxford venue. As he finished his set with rousing anthems ‘Buck Rogers’ and ‘Just a Day’, Grant Nicholas was full of praise for the Oxford crowd, seeming visibly moved by their hugely positive reaction to the band. Almost tearful, he repeated to them, “Thank you, thank you Oxford. You have just been amazing. It is so good to be back!” Feeder's new album 'Torpedo' is available now via Big Teeth Music

Also at O2 Academy, Oxford

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