Leeds 2005: Razorlight

Virtual Festivals: So how are you doing, Andy?
Andy Burrows: I'm doing cool, doing well. It's just been an amazing weekend. Really amazing weekend. It's weird, it's kind of an end of an era, which I know that sounds a bit dramatic, but it is. We've got tomorrow in Edinburgh, a couple of bits and bobs, a gig in Dublin, but for England that's kind of it for this album, which is really kind of sad, but cool. We did the full run of English festivals last year, and the year before that we did them, so this is our third year. And hopefully we'll do them again next year. It would be good to get a good four-year run.

Who've you caught this weekend?
Kings of Leon like this, listening backstage both nights, Foo Fighters last night, I haven't really caught that many bands. Yesterday we were doing press all day and today I went out and saw Editors and they were great, really cool. But I haven't checked out as much as I would have liked to, but time just sort of passes you by, and then you're suddenly onstage. I'm definitely gonna watch the Foos tonight though.

What was your favourite festival this summer?
I mean, the Reading and Leeds weekend has been amazing, because the lineup's been amazing. I've made some nice friends this weekend. I don't know, I can't make up my mind, we did T in the Park and it was amazing, and Glastonbury obviously, because we were headlining the Other stage, and that was obviously a dream come true times a billion, and then this is just brilliant. So I honestly can't make up my mind now, this summer's just been really good. Last summer I can definitely say that T in the Park was the most exciting, but this year they've all just been brilliant.

How did it feel to be up against Coldplay at Glastonbury?
It didn't really feel like we were up against them. I mean obviously it was on our minds, but I think it was kind of cool, you know, one of the world's biggest bands on the Pyramid Stage, and a new British band headlining the Other stage, I think it was a good choice and I think it shows healthy times for music, you know what I mean? And I think obviously Coldplay had an amazing evening and a ginormous crowd, but we also enjoyed a pretty good crowd and had an amazing night, so...

What are your plans once you've finished your English gigs?
Well, we've got a couple of things left to do, like this Thorpe Park T4 thing, and then we're going to finish the whole thing off in September/October, with two nights. And that will be the end of Up All Night, even though we said we were going to finish Up All Night in Alexandra Palace in March it's kind of dragged on a bit. And we've already got ourselves a place in London where we're rehearsing the new album, so hopefully we'll have it recorded by the end of the year and have it out and ready to go by March. That would be ideal.

So have you got the whole of the new album written, then?
No, no, no, there's loads of stuff written, loads of bits and bobs, it's just a case right now of putting stuff together. We're working on a few songs at the moment which are finally we've got to the stage where it's like 'Wow, these could be contenders'. Still early days though.

Any indication of what this album's gonna sound like?
I think that's the exciting thing about it is that we don't have any idea, it will still sound like Razorlight, because obviously it is the same band, but I think it will be different to Up All Night, because obviously I wasn't in the band when they did that, so it's a different band, I suppose from that point of view, but also what we've done in the last couple of years will have influence on this album and, you know, I think it's gonna be great. I know that sounds crap, but I think it will.

Did you expect things to escalate as much as they have?
No. I mean, the whole thing to me has been insane. The past year and a half has been unbelievable.

What's been the best things about the last year and a half? What's been your ultimate highlight?
The fact that this year and a half has happened, honestly. For like seven years before that I was in bands and stuff trying to get a record deal, trying to get noticed or heard or whatever, so I don't think I can say a highlight. I mean things like Glastonbury and Live8 are obviously right up there, but the whole thing has just been phenomenal. I mean, last year seems so long ago, we've done several American tours, it's just been amazing, I couldn't possibly put one thing down apart from just saying just being in this band, you know?

Anything else you'd like to add?
All I really want is for us to now bugger off and come back with a stunning album, that's really what I want now. And this just feels like a really good closing to it.