Biffy Clyro: Back on the right track

BIFFY Clyro’s James Johnston felt like he was in a James Bond movie.

“We were booked to play the 40th birthday of the Crown Prince of Norway and weren’t allowed talk about it for weeks,” he laughs. “It was all hush hush and cloak and dagger. The actual gig was totally surreal. The crown prince of the Netherlands was dancing away in front of us. You don’t see that every day.”

It has been a strange 12 months for the Scottish punk-pop trio. In January they released an ambitious double album, Opposites, only to spend the ensuing promotional cycle talking about the turmoil that had almost resulted in their breakup a year earlier.

Then they had to come to terms with the death of their long-time collaborator, legendary sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson. That was followed by a busy summer that included the aforementioned royal gig in Norway and a triumphant headline slot at Reading Festival. You will forgive Johnston if he is still taking it all in.

“We’ve had an extraordinary summer,” he says. “We haven’t come down from it yet to be honest. Reading was amazing. It was very special for us and will live on in the memory for a long time.

When they sat down to plan their touring and promotional schedule this time around, the band decided on some firm ground-rules. Last time out, a three-month trek across America had pushed the three-piece to breaking point. They missed their families, and wanted the madness to end. When it didn’t, they turned on another and came close to splitting. If they were to stay together, things had to change.

“It gets tough when you are heading into your third month away from home,” says Johnston, the group’s bass player. “So we started to cut down on the length of time we stay away. At the moment we try to limit it to three or four weeks at the most. Then we get home to our families. It reminds you why you are doing this in the first place. It is good for your sanity to be able to see your loved ones. After 10 or 15 years of touring, I feel we’ve finally figured out a fantastic way of doing it. Our energy levels have never been higher.”

On finding out that band was working on a double album, their record label gently expressed their misgivings. Of course, Biffy Clyro would be free to pursue whatever artistic avenues they deemed appropriate. However, some give and take was expected.

“They were behind us to a point,” says Johnston. “We got to make the record we wanted, all 20 tracks. The pay-off is that we agreed to make a 14-track version available too. That was down to the label’s side of things — down to commerce. It was not something we cared about. Our goal was to make a 20-track album. I suppose it is one of those compromises that is part of being in a major label. Then again, if we didn’t have their backing we wouldn’t have been able to go to Santa Monica, which is where we recorded the LP.”

They went to California because they liked the idea of recording in the sun. However, they also wanted to draw a line in the sand and leave the bad blood behind them. Having always worked in the UK, the idea of going to the other side of the world appealed. It was the best way of forgetting the infighting and the angst. Far away from home, they also had an opportunity to indulge their creative side, channelling their love for progressive rock and incorporating quirky flourishes such as a mariachi marching band.

Early on, Biffy Clyro were a punk-rock outfit straight from the casting department. They played sweaty clubs around Scotland, often with their shirts off, the better to showcase their multiple tattoos. They quickly won a huge local following, though it took several years for major labels to express an interest.

Even after signing to Warner Brothers, several years elapsed before their career truly took off. Their early records were kindly reviewed but seen as niche affairs, of interest mostly to small-town headbangers and metal fans looking for something with a pop veneer. However, they never stopped trying to win over new supporters and, gig by gig, began to win a reputation — among music fans if not journalists — as one of the most thrilling live bands in Britain.

Their break-out was 2007’s Puzzle, which shocked the industry by debuting at number two in the UK album charts and selling more than half a million copies. It was also the first record to feature cover artwork by Storm Thorgerson, the legendary sleeve designer best known for his work with Pink Floyd. Biffy would go on to collaborate with Thorgerson on their next two albums. The designer passed away in April aged 69. Johnston still finds his death difficult to talk about.

“He was one of the most remarkable people we’ve ever come across,” he says. “He influences our lives in a lot of ways. He wasn’t just a designer. He wanted to be part of the music. He would listen to the lyrics, figure out what it was all about and reflect that in his work. If you think about the things he accomplished before working with three goofballs like us, it is amazing. In a way, he was the last of his generation — one of the great designers of record sleeves. We’ll miss him and consider ourselves extremely lucky to have worked with him.”

* Biffy Clyro play Arthur’s Day, Sept 26