In my experience, people have either never heard of The Struts, or they’re completely obsessed with them, eagerly awaiting the day in which they receive every accolade they are overdue. The rock ‘n’ roll four-piece originally from Derbyshire, England have been putting on the best live show in all of rock music for the last four years – and finally, people outside of their fervent fanbase are starting to realize it.
Aftering releasing the killer EP Kiss This and one of the most realized debuts in recent memory called Everybody Wants in 2014, The Struts have since opened for The Rolling Stones, The Who, Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, and The Killers. And they’ve all barely turned 30 years old. We called up lead singer and songwriter Luke Spiller in anticipation of The Struts second album Young & Dangerous — coming out on October 19 of this year — and their fall US tour, which started on September 21st and will be running until early December. Below, Luke opens up about his love of fashion, collaborating with Kesha, and his thoughts on the current state of rock music in a world where everybody keeps claiming it’s “dead.”
Hi Luke, how are you?
Hi, Kat! I’m good. Just currently strolling through Zara with my girlfriend looking at the new collection.
Fabulous. I’m actually wearing a leather jacket from Zara today and have gotten a lot of compliments. I’m into Zara.
I do like them. I love the women’s stuff. In a lot of ways, it is quite unisex. Quite cool.
Awesome. I wanted to start out by thanking you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule today and also wish you a belated happy birthday! I’m actually a huge fan of The Struts and am looking forward to talking to you and hear about the new record Young and Dangerous, which is coming out next month. I’d love to hear you talk a bit about it and what you would say is the most defining feature of the new album, and what makes it different than your debut [record Everybody Wants, released in 2014].
Well I would say it’s Part 2 of Everybody Wants, but what we consciously tried to do was say, “Okay, well, yes, it’s been awhile since we’ve been playing these songs from the debut album, but for a lot of people, they’re quite recent because we’ve been going from state to state.” And we had to bear that in mind, we can’t really stray too far from what people have recently fallen in love with.
So you’ll hear a mixture of some things that are instantly recognizable from The Struts and things people love about us, but we’ve also pushed forward. We’ve taken some risks, we’ve tried to push sounds into a new place and take some chances. Honestly, that’s what makes it such a great album to me, in my opinion.
That sounds fabulous. I’m really curious to hear about the songwriting process behind it. The Struts are such an incredible live band and the performance is so integral to the experience of listening to your music, so I wonder – when you’re writing, does thinking about how the song will be performed live inform the lyrics or melody or anything like that?
I think, yeah, you’re right. We think about it a little bit, but not to the point where when it comes to recording– We sort of think, “We shouldn’t put too many guitars on, or we shouldn’t do piano here because we won’t be able to do that live.” All I do know is, if it’s got some energy to it and it feels great and you can picture it being done live, then you know you’re onto something very good, if that makes any sense. We do keep the fans in mind. We do think, “Would people enjoy this?” And usually, like 90% of the time, if you already have a great song, when it comes to playing it live, it becomes that [much] better. So really, it’s all about a great song at the end of the day, and it will always be great live.
Yes, that’s very true. I’ve seen you guys live about three or four times now and there’s something so visceral about songs that are already so great just transforming on the stage and people being so moved by them. I’m actually most excited to hear “Bulletproof Baby” from the new record because I think it has really great harmonies and a singalong quality. Do you have a favorite song on the record that you’re excited to perform for the reasons we’re talking about?
Yeah, I really enjoy performing “Somebody New” and “Ashes” — two new songs. And we’re playing them right at the end of the set. And for the first time ever, I’m playing piano on them, which is really cool. For me, it’s a really refreshing experience ‘cause – don’t get me wrong, I love being up front there, stood up, and getting the crowd going, but I actually enjoying playing sometimes just as much as being like the frontman. It’s actually quite cool to be able to sit and actually contribute something musically to the group, not just vocally.
Yeah, I bet that’s interesting and gives you a new-found perspective when performing.
It’s nice. And the audience loves it as well. It gives the show a new dynamic. I’m also playing “One Night Only” on the piano, which is cool.
Oh, that’ll be good to see. How exciting! Last time I saw you guys perform was at your mini residency at the Roxy in LA this year, and was so shocked when Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe joined the band onstage. Are there any other legendary rock ‘n’ roll icons you haven’t collaborated with that you’d like to?
I would love to do something with Bruce Springsteen. That would be really cool. Honestly there’s so many people, it’s hard to keep track. I guess recently, after those Roxy shows, we’ve become to open to having anyone jump onstage with us and just have a good time. As long as they can obviously play. (laughs) I guess anyone really. Anyone. If we like them, we’ll say, “Hey, you wanna get up?”
Yeah, I think a good example of that is the super fun reworking that you just did on “Body Talks” with Kesha. That was great cross-genre magic there.
Yeah, exactly. It happened really naturally. We met through a college show and she was really cool. And in a lot of ways, we enjoy the same type of music as well, which is really nice. And when we were writing the album, we always thought it would be great to have someone featuring on one of the songs. And it wasn’t until “Body Talks” was done that we thought she would be fantastic. So we sent her the track and she said yes after the first 10 seconds of the song, apparently. When it came to recording it, I was with her and she said, “I don’t know the words to the chorus” and I said, “Why not?” And she said, “Well, I didn’t even hear the chorus yet. I just said yes straight away.”
(laughs) That’s so awesome. She’s great. Since we’re talking a bit about genre, I’m curious how you place the Struts in the grand scheme of other rock acts out there right now. To me, you guys have very clear influences and certainly a nostalgic quality about you, but still sound very fresh and new and now. Do you sometimes feel like you guys as a band were born in the wrong era and rock has somehow become passé, or do you think that’s cynical nonsense and people need to get over it? Do you think classic rock is having a resurgence, or something else? What are your thoughts on this?
I absolutely have no idea really. Give me an example of another band that you’re comparing us to.
Oh, I don’t want to compare you to anything. I just think that sometimes people talk about how rock music is dead. And my first instinct is to say, “Well, what about The Struts? What about Foo Fighters, etc.?” There’s so many rock bands. Do you feel like people are overly cynical, or do you think rock music has become a niche?
Hmm. I agree, I think it has – or had – become boring and complacent within itself. And you know, let’s be perfectly honest, I’ve always been wanting to do the same thing ever since I was 16. When I really think about it, even when I was in school [playing with] my old school band, we were all playing rock ‘n’ roll music and listening to AC/DC and Queen and stuff like that, people were saying [rock] was dead then. And that was over 10 years ago. So, it’s one of those things, in all honesty, I can’t remember a band that came along and did what they wanted and had “classic” roots and wrote fantastic music. That’s the crux of the whole situation.
Yeah, there’s been a real lack of bands who have our kind of influences – that’s one thing. But no one’s had great music to go along with it. And people ask me, “What’s happened to rock? Why aren’t there more bands in the Top 40? Blah blah blah.” Well, let’s be honest: none of them have any good songs. None of them have good tracks that are gonna sell loads and loads of copies and get into people’s heads and get played on Top 40 radio. There’s a lot of good bands out there making mediocre music and I think that’s what makes us different.
Yes, I totally agree with you. It kind of reminds me of something Noel Gallagher has said. He’s like, “Yeah yeah, this new ‘great’ band is doing something, but what’s their song? Do they actually have a song that is really good? If they don’t, what are they doing here?”
Exactly! Exactly. He’s been a massive influence on myself and the band. Just because of that thought. [Oasis] are the walking testament of that. Five guys from Manchester who, let’s be quite honest, weren’t even the best musicians or dressed the best in the early years, but my God, they had such a prolific songwriter in their group, so they were gonna be unstoppable. They’d be nowhere without songs like “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Hello” and I think that’s what he’s getting at. People are always — I don’t know, you go to New York and everyone’s too worried about what they look like. You go to LA and everyone’s worried about who they know and who they don’t know and what kind of bar they want to hang out in. Then you go down to Nashville and it’s all about how well you can play. And all at once, I want to marry them altogether, you know?
Yeah, I totally agree. As The Struts, you guys have opened for Foo Fighters, The Who, Guns and Roses, and The Rolling freaking Stones. Unbelievable people. What do you guys want to do next? What are your big dreams for the future of The Struts?
My big dream is I really want to get us out there now on the road, doing our own shows and growing as a group. I think it’s been fantastic the last year writing and recording and doing some amazing support slots for the Stones and big guys, etc., but I really want us to grow. I want for this album to truly flourish and thrive in an environment where it is presented correctly and that’s at a Struts show. And we just have to keep touring, touring, and touring so people can see it in that environment and absolutely get it. And yeah, just keep on going really. We’ll sit down at some point and say, “Once we’ve exhausted this material, where are we going next?” Simple as that.
Right. Are there any fun surprised or exciting things that the fans can look forward to for this upcoming fall tour and in the near future?
I’m not quite sure if I can confirm with you a few things, but all I do know is that we’re looking forward immensely to go back to the UK after Christmas going into 2019. Our first tour, by the looks of it, will be a sold-out tour throughout the United Kingdom, playing the biggest venues we’ve ever played with still no radio support out there. Which is a huge feat for us.
And we’re going to go abroad for the first time in awhile. Milan in Italy, doing Germany I believe, and hopefully getting back out to Japan as well. And then, at some point, going back to the States. In regards to the album, we definitely have another single coming out, which will have a big push on the radio like “Body Talks” has and that will arrive around the same time the album’s released.
Awesome, that’s great news. I so look forward to it. I just want to thank you so much again for taking the time to chat with me today. I’m honestly such a huge fan of The Struts. I think you guys are incredible and I get so excited thinking your future and what’s coming up for you guys. Thanks so much for talking with me!
Thanks so much for having me honestly and thanks for the support and enjoying what you hear. Thank you!
The Struts perform at The Stone Pony on Friday October 5. This show is sold-out.
Here are the rest of their tour dates…
October 6: Philadelphia, PA – TLA SOLD OUT
October 8: Washington, DC – 9:30 Club SOLD OUT
October 9: Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
October 10: Asheville, NC – Orange Peel
October 12: Atlanta, GA – Variety Theater SOLD OUT
October 13: Orlando, FL – The Beachum Theatre
October 14: Tampa, FL – Orpheum Theater
October 16: Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room SOLD OUT
October 17: Jacksonville, FL – Maverick’s at the Landing
October 19: Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen
October 20: Destin, FL – Club LA
October 21: Tuscaloosa, AL – Druid City
October 23: St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
October 25: Fort Smith, AR – Temple Live
October 26: Arlington, TX – Texas Live!
October 27: The Woodlands, TX – Buzzfest
October 29: Austin, TX – Emo’s
October 30: Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
October 31: Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
November 2: Tempe, AZ – Marquee
November 3: Anaheim, CA – HOB
November 4: Ventura, CA – Majestic Ventura Theater
November 6: Napa, CA – Jam Cellars Ballroom
November 8: Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades SOLD OUT
November 9: San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore SOLD OUT
November 19: Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts SOLD OUT
November 20: Huntington, NY – Paramount
November 21: Harrisburg, PA – Club XL
November 23: Chicago, IL – House of Blues
November 24: Chicago, IL – House of Blues
November 26: Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
November 27: Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
December 5: Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
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