They're from Scotland.
The oldest member is 22.
They like girls.
They make damn good music.
So we ring them up, and as we're talking to them, they're on their bus driving to Glasgow for a show in Strathclyde University. It's part of a headline tour through the UK, and although rave reviews are flying around the place, if we were to review them on their conversational skills, they'd get a shabby one out of five. Nevertheless, we can't all have the gift of the gab.
"We've had such a great time so far. People have given us such a good reception wherever we go," enthuses guitarist and vocalist Kyle. Well, perhaps enthuses is the wrong word. For a young lad who has the world at his band's feet, he is remarkably monosyllabic throughout the whole interview. Friendly but almost guarded with his information. Then again, perhaps he's just not quite ready to give away the secrets of how the View have managed to collect such a high-profile set of fans.
"Bobby (Gillespie) asked us personally if we'd do support for the forthcoming Primal Scream Tour. We're big fans of the band so it's pretty exciting. He's told us that he really likes our stuff."
Debut single, Wasted Little Djs reached #15 in the UK single's chart on its release. A week prior, it had entered the charts on downloads alone – one can assume that the MySpace hype surrounding The View may have had something to do with this. Demo tracks had been available on the site since November last year. Big things are expected of the second single, Superstar Tradesmen, which already has been championed on Radio One, as Edith Bowman's Single of the Week. And further in the future, what can we expect?
"Our album is going to be out in January. We're working with Owen Morris on it. He's produced albums for Oasis and the Verve and he understands where we're coming from."
Signed to 1965 Records, a subsidary of Sony, Kyle claims that one of the most important aspects of their contact was to be able to have creative control. Of course, every new band these days claims the same but he is admanant that the View will not allow themselves to be influenced, or led astray.
Originally from Dundee, one of their biggest performances to date was in their hometown at the One Big Weekend event in May. Although seemingly glad to escape from the small town mentality, Kyle is relatively complimentary about the Dundee scene.
"There is quite a bit going on – bands playing in bars but most of them don't go anywhere. We always wanted to do something with this, to get out of Dundee. We always wanted success."
Success and all it entails perhaps? Rumours were rife after the band's performance at Tennant's ViTal. Apparantly our young friends were fully enjoying themselves with a group of keen female fans in the dressing room. When probed about this, Kyle is politely reticent. "We're young. We like to enjoy ourselves." And the dead silence that follows speaks more than he ever could.
Rock n roll young'uns but gentlemen all the same.
New single, Superstar Tradesman out 23rd October on 1965 Records
Sunday, October 15, 2006
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