Unless you’ve been ensconced somewhere in the Himalayas for the last couple of years, you’re probably familiar with a little band from Brighton, called Architects. Making the kind of waves that are usually reserved for fifties disaster movies, this five-piece have already produced three very impressive records, with their fourth, ‘The Here and Now’ poised to drop as I write this… so it’s only right that we catch up with the band’s amiable frontman Sam Carter to talk life on the road, spontaneity, and mindfucks.
Planet Loud – OK awesome, cheers for your time Sam. How are you doing, day been alright so far?
Architects – Sam Carter (Vocals): Yeah it’s been good man: we had band practice earlier on, but other than that we’ve just been chilling out really, it’s all we’ve been doing while we’ve been at home.
Planet Loud – Cool. So, ‘The Here and Now’ is rapidly approaching release… it’s the band’s fourth record overall and the third with your current line-up, have you developed a particular template for or approach to writing in that time?
Architects – Well we pretty much approached the record the same way that we have done every time that we’ve recorded. It’s just how it is, we let the music do its own talking: we don’t go in with any set ideas of how we want it to sound, it just kind of happens. It’s really about what feels right for the record at the time.
Planet Loud – Do you guys write collaboratively or does someone take the lead?
Architects – Generally Tom (Searle, Guitar) writes all of the music, and then brings it into practice… but Tom and Dan (Searle, Drums) live together so they can also work on stuff at home when they get the time. Once they’ve brought a song into practice and I have a demo I can start working on the lyrics, before we all polish it out a bit.
Planet Loud – The new record is your most diverse to date, and there’s some stuff on there that will perhaps challenge people’s perceptions of what Architects will do. What would you say has fed into this?
Architects – I think it’s essentially about trying to write the perfect record, a record that’ll keep you interested from start to finish. That was our main goal… but other than that it was just a case of getting our heads down and writing a record that we’d want to play for the next three years, you know? I think we successfully did it, we were quite selfish on the writing front, just doing what we wanted to do and not letting anything or anyone impact on us: not worrying whether we’d lose fans or anything like that. We produced the record that we really wanted to write, we just went for it.
Planet Loud – Seems to have worked pretty well so far. So, the album’s title comes from the lyric ‘To those not living in the here and now’, from first single ‘Day In, Day Out’. Would you say that you’ve tackled a particular theme or set of themes lyrically on this record… what’s the lyrical focus this time around?
Architects – I think it’s more band related, about what we’ve been through over the last year. We spent about ten months away from home and we got to the point where we felt a bit burnt out, a bit fed up. But then at the same time, realising how lucky we are to be able to do what we do, and to do it so much, as it’s the best job in the world. The record is a reflection of how lucky we are, a lot more positive than previous records.
Planet Loud – Cool. You worked with Steve Evetts (Every Time I Die, Dillinger Escape Plan, Saves The Day) this time around, what was his approach like?
Architects – He was amazing. It was a great experience, very different to recording in Reading which is what we’d done on our last couple of records. It was great man, he’s obviously a great producer and has recorded a few of our favourite records, so to go with him and see how he works was amazing. He definitely brought some intensity to the table, really made us step up our game and push ourselves. He worked us really hard and got the results. We were often working into the late hours of the evening, he definitely took a hands on approach.
Planet Loud – There’s a couple of guest appearances on the record as well, Andrew from Comeback Kid and Greg from The Dillinger Escape Plan, both of whom have been hugely influential. How did you find the experience with working with them?
Architects – With Comeback Kid it was cool, they’re some of our best friends, and it seemed right to have Andrew sing on the record: I’d sung on their last record which was extremely flattering, so it was kind of perfect to have him on ours. And with Greg it was unbelievable: he approached us to sing on it. He said that he was a massive fan of the band and that he believed in what we were doing, that there weren’t that many new bands around at the moment that really excited him, so to have him ask to sing on the record was a dream come true. Working with him was amazing, he’s an extremely talented vocalist.
Planet Loud – He’s on the last song on the record?
Architects – Yeah, it’s a really intense bit, he absolutely nailed it.
Planet Loud – Absolutely. There’s a reference to your home town of Brighton on the record in the form of ‘BTN’, what do you make of the music scene in the area at the moment?
Architects – I think that the scene is good, it went through a stage of people dipping in and out of bands and bands finishing but I think we’ve still got some great bands from Brighton, The Xcerts, The Ghost Of A Thousand… there’s a lot of good bands coming out of here, and kids are always going to shows and keeping busy. Brighton’s great for music. Growing up here it was always the place to play shows, and it’s still really good, a great place for bands to break.
Planet Loud – Towards the end of last year you headlined one of the tours of 2010, with Norma Jean, Devil Sold His Soul and Lower Than Atlantis in support. How did that go… you were playing some seriously big venues.
Architects – Yeah, it was just a laugh man, it really was as fun as it possibly could be. Everyone got on, we had a great time together and played some of the biggest shows of our lives. It was fucking amazing, I’ll never forget it. It was so much fun, every day was a party… amazing.
Planet Loud – It must have been odd to have a band like Norma Jean in support, almost a marker of how big you’re getting these days?
Architects – Having them in support was a definite mindfuck (laughs). It was unbelievable to see that band go onstage before us every night, definitely quite weird. They’re an amazing band and it was a real privilege to tour with them. Like you say it was quite a marker of where we’re at and stuff, so we’re excited to see where we take it next time, you know? We’re one of those bands who really like to bring out bands who have influenced us, just good bands who people that like us would be into. We’re definitely not one of those bands who’ll just take anyone out, we put thought behind every band that we take out. In that regard to have that kind of decision is awesome, not having it made for you.
Planet Loud – Your popularity seemed to have building incrementally for years, but it looks like a particularly exciting time for you at the moment, and that 2010 was quite a significant year for Architects…
Architects – Yeah, it’s always been a case of slow building for us, we’ve never had massive overnight success. I like the fact that we didn’t just blow up, we’ve never been a ‘hype band’… I like the fact that we’ve worked really hard to get to where we are. I think that 2010 was the hardest-working year of our lives, and it’s a real testament to the hard work that we’ve put in so far to see the fanbase building. If anything, 2010 has opened up so many windows for 2011. We’re just keen to get this year underway and go for it.
Planet Loud – In that sense having the album out in January must be positive.
Architects – Exactly (laughs). No rest for the wicked, we’re getting straight back into it.
Planet Loud – In the spirit of that, it’s not too long until you’ll be heading out on what’s likely to be one of the tours of this year, with Bring Me The Horizon, Parkway Drive, and The Devil Wears Prada. Looking at some of the venues the tour’s hitting it’s apparent how big bands like yourselves and BMTH are able to get these days… what’s your take on how the internet has allowed certain, less mainstream bands to reach a larger audience?
Architects – I think that with Bring Me it’s cool, they’ve definitely worked hard and I have a lot of respect for them in that they’re a good band, and that they’ve been able to get out to a lot of people. At the same time them getting bigger has helped us too, because they’ve the same kind of dudes who like to take out their friends’ bands, and bands that they like. I have the utmost respect from them for sticking to what they’re doing and generally being good dudes. I mean, the internet has helped a lot of people get bigger and get success, but essentially, one day, it’s all going to turn around again and go back to people buying CDs, bands putting in the hard work. I mean, if you put the hard work in and use the internet to help you out it can be a great thing, but at the same time if you sit on your arse and let the internet do all the hard work, it’s not really going to help you. I think that one day it’ll come back to normal and band will start selling records again. I hope, anyway (laughs).
Planet Loud – Yeah. You’ve played various places around the world recently, for example Australia last year. How’ve you found the reception around the world: have you had to almost start from scratch in some cases?
Architects – Yeah, though in some places it’s actually been a lot easier for us than it has been in the UK. For example we’ve been to Australia three times now and I love it out there, it’s amazing, and the shows are awesome. Canada as well, we’ve been out there a few times and it’s going incredibly well out there. You know, America’s a really hard nut to crack and we’ve obviously got to keep going back until it kicks off out there… having said that, England’s still the best place to play, by far. But you know, we’d rather be touring somewhere and losing money than sitting at home.
Planet Loud – Awesome. What bands have been impressing you recently, either live or on record?
Architects – There’s a band called The Xcerts from Brighton, their last record, ‘Scatterbrain’, is fucking amazing. And Lower Than Atlantis, I just got their new record through the other day and it’s great… they’re really good friends of ours and I think they’re going to do really well this year.
Planet Loud – Great. Cheers man, take care.
Architects – Cheers mate, bye.
Interview by Rob Sayce
