McFly are back, and this time they're free of record label shackles.
The band released three albums on Island, including 2006's 'Motion In The Ocean', plus a Greatest Hits, before announcing earlier this year they had parted ways. New single 'One For The Radio' is out on 14th July on their very own newly formed Super Records label. McFly also recently revealed their fourth album 'Radio:ACTIVE' would be given away free with the Mail On Sunday on 20th July.
We caught up with Tom (vocals, guitar), Danny (vocals, guitar), Harry (drums) and Dougie (bass) to talk about life on a major label, why they haven't yet been able to tour internationally, and Danny's plans for producing.
You've said you no longer have to compromise with a record label - did you have to compromise with each other at all when it came to making this album? Dougie:Danny's quite demanding! Tom: Well, that's what pre-production is for. When you have the basic structure of the song, you have to argue out how it should be done, and come to an agreement as to what it should be like. When you get a song it its basic form there's a million different ways it can be played and recorded, so there are always debates around it. Harry: If there's not, then there's something wrong! It's not compromising though, it's finding something we all agree on.
Can you tell us what you did have to compromise on back when you were on your record label? Harry: Little things, like having to do a couple of covers here and there. Tom: Or afterwards, when we'd recorded the songs, there'd be mixes made that we wouldn't know about, or they'd want to change lyrics. Danny: We'd be working on an album and the last minute they'd want to change things. Tom: There'd be phone calls to the producer saying contradicting messages about what was to be done, and the record label were the ones paying the producer. He'd obviously want to please the record label who were paying his wages, but it wasn't the direction that we'd agreed on. Harry: It wasn't a drastic thing, but it's nice now as we talk to the producer.
Has the way you work together changed since you've been on your own? Harry: Not really, but I think in a few areas we have a bit more responsibility. Danny: We use email a lot more now! Tom: Yeah, we get lots of emails...
Which of the new songs are you most proud of? Harry: All of them. Because we did it all together, and I can listen back to the ten songs knowing it was just the four of us.
'One For The Radio' seems to be born out of the frustration that there's still an enormous amount of snobbery about what you do, as opposed to solo pop artists and girl groups. Tom: We definitely don't want it to be seen as a negative song at all. It's more positive, you know, uniting the people together that do like us, and saying if you don't, well, we don't care as we're happy and proud of who we are. Harry: It is a bit odd though, like the examples you gave, like bands who play guitars and write their own music come under more criticism. It's weird, but that's the way it is.
Were you nervous about what people would think after the announcement you were giving away your album with a paper? Danny: Not once did we worry about it. We just thought it was a brilliant opportunity to get our album into millions of homes in one day, which is unbelievable, as we've never sold that many albums! Tom: I think a lot of people don't really understand the opportunities. Like our families and stuff are "why are you giving away your album?", because they just think you're giving away your music. Danny: We're still going to release the album in September with more tracks, but we just think it's going to create this massive... just let people hear the music, and they'll probably still buy the album afterwards.
The reaction seems to be positive following the announcement. Tom: Yeah, as soon as we announced it I looked on our MySpace and googled for news stories, and it was all positive. I was waiting for "your music's so bad you've got to give it away", but it was all "wow what a good move". We're really pleased with the response we've had so far.
Why did you decide to work with 'Motion In The Ocean' producer Jason Perry again? Harry:Jason not only is a great producer, but he totally gets what we're about. He was genuinely a fan of our music before we ever got involved with him. He always really wanted to work with us, which is always encouraging! Plus he had been in a rock band, but he always wanted to get into the more pop side of things. He's also really in tune with the sort of music we're into, and we get on with him so well, he's just like a mate. He's brilliant creatively, and brilliant at firing us up and getting us motivated. It's literally the perfect match for us. Tom: We always want to work with people who really want to work with us, and are enthusiastic about McFly, not just people who think it's just a good job to have, but people who understand us and get us. Jason's so enthusiastic. Dougie: It was his idea to go to Australia. He worked it out that it would be cheaper and more fun. Danny: He's like a little kid as well.
Danny, you produced McFly's cover of 'Umbrella' [b-side to previous single 'The Heart Never Lies'], do you see yourself doing any more producing? Danny: I love it, yeah! I've done a few acoustic b-sides for the new album. And a track for the album, which they've said I need to redo... [laughs]. I want to be half decent, you know, I don't want to be shit at it. I'm doing alright, I'm getting used to it. What's weird about it though, is that it's your band and you're playing on it! Yeah, it's still early days, but I'm getting there!
Now you're not tied to a label, can you see yourself playing abroad more? Tom: Definitely. We've always wanted to, but on a label you have to be an 'international priority' for them to fork out the money to send you places, and we were never a priority. It's definitely something we want to do. We've got some planned for Brazil, Germany, France, Japan. We're booked for Brazil in October. We're really looking forward to it. This is going to be our first international album.
Is there anything you look back on and cringe, or regret? Harry: We always look back and cringe. Tom: I think every band does that, but I don't think any band has to look back and cringe as much as we do! Danny: At the time you think it's cool. Tom: It's just the age though, everyone looks back at when they were 16 or 17 and does it. Harry: Like when we first started, not the songs, but in regards of production and the videos, we didn't have much involvement. But it terms of regret, I don't think any of us regret it, because it got us to where we are today.
Finally, what's the most rock n roll thing you've ever done? Danny: I set my pubes on fire. Harry: I'm not rock n roll at all. Dougie: He has his moments... Tom: I stole our manager's car once! I couldn't get back as it was in the middle of London and it was all one way streets!
With their return to our radios imminent, McFly are joining other high-profile acts such as Paul Weller, Suzanne Vega, Sam Sparro, the TingTings,CSS, N*E*R*D and the Feeling on the stage at Camden's Koko club for the second annual iTunes Festival: London.
With the series of completely-free gigs taking place over 31 nights in July - entry to which can only be earned by winning tickets in exclusive competitions - the festival represents a great chance to enjoy your favourite acts without hurting a wallet already pressurised by the credit crunch.
And having made the break from Island to set up their own label, Super Records, the pop-punk foursome have "the best album we've ever made" to show off during the festival.
inthenews.co.uk's Richard James spoke to the McFly guys about their new offerings, going it alone, movie stardom and Gordon Ramsay.
Hey guys, so you're playing the iTunes festival this summer, who are you looking forward to seeing?
Tom: There's a lot great acts playing such as Paul Weller and NERD, who are starting it all off, and people like the Zutons.
Danny: I'm going to be there every day!
Tom: It's going to be awesome. We're very proud to be playing.
I'm assuming you're all big iPod users, what you do you think of the whole downloading music phenomenon?
Harry: Absolutely. I pretty much download all my music now. I buy CDs now and again but I think it's pretty much awesome because wherever you are, and if one of the guys recommends some music to me, I can literally have it like that.
So you're not worried about the negative effects of illegal downloading?
Tom: We definitely don't agree with people downloading music illegally. There's been a huge change in the music industry over the last couple of years because of downloading, which we've experienced. And now there's stuff like downloads, for example, counting towards chart positions. We love downloading music - as Harry said you can pretty much have it anywhere.
Dougie: It makes it a lot easier for me because whenever I'm walking around HMV I always need the toilet and I can never remember what I need to buy either. But if you're sitting on your laptop you need up buying more music anyway.
Tom: And you can go to the toilet while you're downloading!
Danny: And you can buy music videos and stuff.
Tom: I still like going to record stores and stuff.
Danny: The smell!
Tom: The smell indeed, and just browsing for an hour or so but yeah I certainly enjoy downloading.
So what happened with your old record label Island Records? What caused you guys to leave?
Harry: We left on really good terms with Island Records. They did a lot of good stuff for us and helped us to get to where we are today so we're very thankful for that but I just think it got to a point where we were just going through the motions and we just released a greatest hits which was something we didn't really want to do. And we just felt it was a great opportunity to do something different and that's why we left and set up our own record label.
So was the release of your greatest hits album forced upon you to a certain extent?
Harry: I mean it was a positive thing but it wasn't something we necessarily wanted to do. I can understand why the label wanted to do that. But it was things like that [and now] it's given us a complete free range to go out to Australia and record an album and spend as much time that we wanted and needed to make the album that we always wanted to make really. So it's a great experience so far.
So then, what can we expect from this new album? Is it similar to the stuff you've done before?
Tom: It's just that the quality of the production and the songs is a lot better than anything we've done in the past. Somehow we've managed to write the best songs of our career on this album and it's the best we've ever made. And production wise Jason Perry, who was the lead singer in the rock band A, he's produced this album and he's done an amazing job. It's a real step up, it's got lots more energy and a lot more balls, it's not necessarily a drastic step in another direction, it's just the quality of the songs are a lot better than the stuff we've done in the past and we're incredibly proud of it.
Are Tom and Danny still doing the majority of the song writing then?
Tom: We all write. Harry probably writes the least but he writes some lyrics with us sometimes and it's different every time. Sometime me and Danny will write a song or Danny and Dougie will come up with an idea. We come up with ideas individually and then over a year period we work towards putting them all together.
I've read that you're releasing your new album for free with the Mail on Sunday. What's the thinking behind that, is it just to get your music out to as many people as possible?
Harry: Exactly yeah. There's something like three million people who buy the Mail on Sunday and to have that many people have our album in one day is an opportunity we could never have considered in the past. We make music because we want people to hear it and enjoy it and we also wanted to appeal to a large audience so that's why we did it.
Where you able to make that kind of decision then because we had left Island Records and you had more control over your music?
Harry: Exactly that, yeah.
Have you signed anyone else to your record label or is just yourselves at the moment?
Tom: We're just concentrating on our stuff first but in the future it's definitely something we'd consider.
Do you feel under any pressure to produce a certain kind of pop music and to keep out producing the same kind of music?
Tom: No. I think that's been one of the things with leaving the record company, we gave ourselves complete control over the music and something that was really important to us, you know, we didn’t want to have any preconceptions, we wanted to go out to Australia and make the album that we wanted to make and it just felt very natural to us. The songs we were writing just happened to better than anything we've done before and we've come back having made the album we've always wanted to make really.
Harry: We're still very much a pop band. That's the music we enjoy and the music we enjoy making.
So you don't ever feel pigeon-holed into make a certain type of music?
Harry: Absolutely not no. As Tom just said, the songs were written and we just went out and had fun recording them.
You guys appeared in Just my Luck alongside Lindsay Lohan. Have you got any plans to appear in anymore films soon?
Danny (joking): Yeah I've got Batman coming out soon if you want to come to the premiere.
Tom: Imagine you in Batman! No it was just a one off opportunity really. It was something that came along. It sounds corny but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity when you get offered to appear in a Hollywood movie. If something like that comes up, I wouldn't say we would never do it again but we'll just have to wait and see.
Danny: We're going to get acting lessons next time! Well I will anyway.
OK then, one final question. You appeared in The F-Word with Gordon Ramsey recently. How did it go? Is he really as intimidating as he appears on TV?
Tom: It was a lot of fun. We have a great time. He takes cooking really seriously.
Danny: Does he?
(Silence)
Danny: I'm joking, that was terrible
Tom: That was terrible. He's a really nice guy and we had a really good time.
So he wasn't too intimidating then?
Tom: No. He's a really nice guy.
Harry: I think Tom and Dougie sweat out a few pounds!
Pop band McFly have been speaking about their new album deal which will make them the latest act to see their record come free with a national paper.
Following in the footsteps of the purple one Prince, the cheeky foursome are treating fans to their new album, Radio:Active, without having to dig too deep into their wallets.
Following in the footsteps of the purple one, Prince, the impudent foursome are treating fans to their new music, without having to dig too deep into their wallets
In this way, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd will become the first mainstream pop act in the UK to distribute an album with a newspaper and are hoping to shift millions of copies.
Lead singer Fletcher says he's hoping it will get more people listening to their music.
He said: "It's really important for us, because it means we can get our album into almost three million homes."
It's the band's first release since leaving their old record company to set up their own label, Super Records.
McFly have so far notched up an impressive seven UK Number one singles and Jones says they are loving having more control over their musical direction.
He said: "Sonically, it's a lot better, a lot ballsier, some songs are slightly different to what we've done before and a lot of them are just awesome McFly songs."
McFly Performance and Interview on GM:TV
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McFly are a British, BRIT Award winning pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band members are: Tom Fletcher (lead vocals–guitar), Danny Jones (lead vocals–guitar), Dougie Poynter (vocals–bass guitar) and Harry Judd (drums). They are managed by Prestige Management, and were signed to the Island Records label from their launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records.
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