Ben Thatcher and Mike Kerr didn’t really see it coming. Sure, they’d been playing music together since they were teenagers, but if you asked two years ago what they’d be doing today they probably would have been a bit off. Their answer most likely would not have included playing with the Arctic Monkeys, opening for the Pixies, and scoring a No. 1 album in the UK.
But, yeah, they’ve done all those things this year.
Based out of Brighton, England, Thatcher (drums) and Kerr (bass/vocals) play as the duo Royal Blood. Their sound is somewhere between Muse, Jack White, and Led Zeppelin—it’s a catchy, blues-inflected melting pot of ROCK ’N ROLL, BABY. Their self-titled debut record came out on Warner Bros. this past August and Royal Blood are currently in North America opening for the Pixies. You can see their human bodies live in person this Sunday night at the Orpheum.
In advance of the show, we were fortunate to speak with Ben Thatcher about the press, the industry, and the rock ’n roll.
Although it’s no secret that you have broken through to British listeners, it seems like you’re just now starting to tour heavily in the States. How have things been going over here?
“Amazing. I mean, England is a small place so it’s easier to get from city-to-city much quicker. In America, you have to spend a bit more time but the shows out here have been phenomenal. We love being able to see America and Canada.”
Royal Blood has received a lot of press from the major British publications like NME. I know some artists, both American and English, feel that there’s a hyper-sensationalized approach in certain British rock press—have you guys experienced that? Do you notice any difference in the press outlets here?
“When you start a band, you don’t necessarily think about press and photo shoots and all that stuff. We don’t really tune in to too much of that stuff. It’s really all about the writer’s opinion…It depends on who’s writing the article and if they wanna support what you’re doing. In England, there’s a lot of different opinion. You’ll get one magazine, say the NME, raving about you and you can get another one absolutely slating you. It’s all hit and miss.”
You mentioned in a DiS interview that you feel comfortable with Warner Bros. and the amount of freedom they allow. In what ways does being on a major has been an advantage over an indie?
“Warner is definitely a company that we feel comfortable with. The people here are great and we’ve got such a great team behind us. They understand what we wanna do, the music we make, and the marketing that we choose to go with. For us, Warner has been brilliant because, since they’re a major label, they can put money in to you and help you sell records. With an indie labels, you know, which we did have a few meetings with…it’s a different thing. I couldn’t tell you whether we would have sold more or less records with an indie because it depends on which one you’d go with but for us it was all about the team behind us at Warner.”
This year’s been a bit of a whirlwind for you guys…I think you’ve played over a hundred shows by now?
“Oh… definitely.”
What’s the big standout moment for you?
“All the festivals were brilliant. Playing Glastonbury and T in the Park. Playing South by Southwest was an experience too…playing some of our first shows in America. But I will say my favorite as of recently has been playing the Troubadour in L.A. There was a great buzz about the gig and the crowd was really up for it.”
I’d imagine it can be tough sometimes with just two of you on stage…no one can be slacking off or taking breaks. What are some things that you do to get ready before you play?
“I think by this point Mike and I are pretty consistent in our performances. We’ve been playing together forever and we know how to feed off each other, work from each other. Our show is consistent in how we play things but the energy level of the crowd and venue changes quite a bit.
“Just before the show we have a ritual and it’s no ritual, really.” (laughs) “We just hang out in the dressing room…tighten the shoelaces, make sure Mike’s hair is looking good.” (laughs)
I know that throughout your teenage years, you’ve been in bands. But Royal Blood is obviously on an elevated level. What’s one assumption about the music industry you had that was proven wrong?
“I think the whole thing about the music industry, you know, with major labels and things like that…people think that the label changes you, but for us it’s been a pleasant journey and we haven’t been told “no.” People have been right behind us.
“I think there’s been a change in the music industry where you had a lot of artists who kept to themselves in their own genre but now music is opening out a bit. You can have singer/songwriters and bands at festivals and there’s a thing of unity about it, at the moment.“
So for an obvious question—how unreal is it to open for the Pixies?
“It’s an absolute honor and privilege. They’re a band that has been going a long time and have a lot of experience and great fans. It’s been interesting. Some of the venues have been seated and it’s been a bit of an older audience than we’re used to but, you know, we’re there to support the Pixies. We’re just taking it as it is and absolutely loving it.”