Scouting For Girls Interview

Written by Anna Gault

Interview
Scouting For Girls

A few years ago no one had even heard of Scouting for Girls but after their self-titled first album went to number one in 2008 it was hard to not hear Scouting for Girls everywhere you went. A few years ago no one had even heard of Scouting for Girls but after their self-titled first album went to number one in 2008 it was hard to not hear Scouting for Girls everywhere you went. After forming in 2005 it took the three-piece a few years to get signed but their rise to fame has been meteoric since then. 2008 seemed to be their year with their music been used in a nationwide Next campaign and various performances at big festivals throughout that summer. Their success was such that it led to three BRIT award nominations but unfortunately no wins. Still, Scouting for Girls have achieved more than most bands in the first couple of years of their career. Yet in 2009 it seemed as though they all but disappeared however they were merely gearing up for another assault on the charts this year.

After all this success it would be understandable to feel a significant amount of pressure to meet the same level with their next album. “There was no kind of pressure from our record label or our management,” reveals bassist Greg Churchouse. “The only kind of pressure that I think we felt was internally. We wanted to produce an album that was worthy of the amount of people who bought our first album. You don’t want to let the fans down by producing a second-rate rush album. ” That sophomore album is often a turning point for bands with number one debuts. It is the point at which they either fail and disappear into obscurity or they succeed and solidify their standing in the music industry. Scouting_For_Girls_TV_Heads

As The Banter goes to press it looks as though Scouting for Girls have gone for door number two as the first single from new album Everyone Wants to Be on TV has gone straight to number one. Yet as this interview was conducted before the fact, Churchouse was unsure of how their new album was going to be received at the time and admitted that they never realised how difficult it would be to make another successful album. “It was actually, I think, a little bit harder than we kind of all first envisioned. When we recorded the first album we literally had all the songs ready to go. We were in the studio for six weeks recording the first one but for the second album we spent the whole of 2009 crafting what we hope is a better album.”

Hopefully this album will result in more nominations and possibly a few wins at next year’s BRIT awards. As they are one of very few music award ceremonies in Britain and probably the largest to be nominated is quite a big deal yet Churchouse describes it as a surreal experience: “It’s always really nice to be recognised for doing what you really love, you know album sales or just people chatting to you after gigs telling you they really enjoyed it. But being nominated for the BRITS was amazing although I think I drank a bit too much.”

There seems to have been some kind of magic formula in Scouting for Girls’ music which enticed listeners and led to their album going platinum. However with a new album usually comes a new sound but is it wise to alter a sound that has worked unbelievably well? Although their songs are poppy and catchy, it is easy to fall into a repetitive trap but Churchouse feels that the band have worked hard to mix things up but maintain some of the old sound that has brought them so much success. “We really wanted to work on our song writing and our production, keep that classic SFG sound but sort of develop it,” he reveals. “When we came to write the second album we down and thought about what appeals about our band to a lot of people. And I think a lot of it is to do with how upbeat and positive we are as a band but also the songs that we write are quite accessible.” That accessible, happy-go-lucky sound has proven, once again, to please the masses as This Ain’t a Love Song gave the band their first number one but the rest of the album has still to prove itself.

Touring is very important in this area as fans who enjoyed the previous album will come to hear those songs and be treated to new songs which may lead to an album purchase. For Scouting for Girls they began touring with new material in December and have been pleasantly surprised at the response from the crowds. “Those gigs were kind of like a fan club Christmas party to say thank you for all your wonderful support,” says Churchouse. “We went around before them handing out mince pies and chocolate coins and it was nice to go around chatting to people and everyone seemed excited about hearing new stuff.” The band are carrying on from those gigs with an April tour that will no doubt sell out and plan take things up another level and collaborate on stage with Matthew Simmons who Churchouse deems as “one of the best keyboard players in the country”.

As his comments suggest, Churchouse and his band mates appear to have remained quite grounded despite their previous successes. Whether or not their most recent achievements go to their heads remains to be seen. However Churchouse certainly has his heart in the right place when it comes to making music. “It’s all about having longevity. It’s not just about the money, the girls and the fame. We just want to be around as long as we possibly can.” Well with a number one debut album and single under their belts Scouting for Girls are definitely going the right way about it.

Scouting For Girls will be releasing their new single ‘Famous’ on 12th July and Scottish fans can see them live again this summer at T In The Park.

Competition - For your chance to win Scouting for Girls album Everybody wants to be on TV check out our competition here.

www.scoutingforgirls.com

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