It can be a scary thing interviewing a band just after they've exited stage right from a cauldron-like atmosphere of an (almost) home town gig, it can be made even more scarier when your editor rings you up the day before to tell you that your doing it! That said meeting Mr Billy and Charlotte Subway straight after their ferocious performance during freshers' week couldn't have been a more pleasurable experience. Initially you are struck with how down to earth they are and their normality makes you question how the hell have these three randoms from Welwyn Garden City have just tantalised 2,000 blood thirsty students. "Our music is kind of sub-urban, it's different between cities and the suburbs there鈥檚 a lot more heart and soul in the city" they say. Clearly coming from a small suburb hasn't got in the way of their aspirations. They are fresh from the stage after a furious opening gig, the first of their headline tour, yet the band are keen to remain open minded. "We've just abandoned expectations" an enthusiastic Billy Lunn explains to me and who can blame him for his enthusiasm. He has just stood on stage and listened to songs penned in his bedroom a couple of years ago being sung back to him by a few thousand people. Bedroom "They were even singing the more obscure songs!" he said. It鈥檚 a feeling few will experience and a night he鈥檚 been practising for in front of his bedroom mirror with a tennis racket for a good few years. He maintains a startled rabbit look throughout the course of the interview which takes some getting used to but merely adds to the passion he conveys for his band, something which is unavoidably obvious from the moment he opens his mouth. | "Ian uncovered an open nerve within the band, he tamed the sound and brought out the character in the songs." | | Lead singer, Billy Lunn, on the role of producer Ian Broudie. |
Although this is 'his' band playing 'his' songs he has alongside him a rock steady accomplice in the shape of his girlfriend / bass player Charlotte. She is stunning, an assured bassist and can sing, on stage tonight you can't take your eyes off her and the duelling guitars with Billy make for fairytale rock and roll. Frequently during the gig they'll break from their mics to face each other, it鈥檚 a special moment. Organic "On stage it's all feeling and emotion, everything about us is organic, playing live is purely organic, we've had the same manager from day one which is a real help too" says Charlotte. Completing rock and rolls version of The Waltons is drummer Josh who's Billy's younger brother and he manages to get one almighty sound out of the most basic of drum set ups. I've seen buskers on the tube with more equipment but Dave Ghrol junior still conjures up some impressive beats that perfectly compliment the grungy subway sound. "He forgot his hi-hat for one gig and found a whole new range of sounds playing without one and hasn't used it since!" explains Billy. While the roadies haven't got too much to worry about with the drums, they have got Billy鈥檚 fondness for kung-fu kicking mic stands to deal with and it takes several batterings tonight as Billy plays the moody lead singer role to a tee. "The roadies get paid loads, its okay" he says. Pinnacle Prior to this tour 'the ways' had been touring with Oasis, which they describe as "the pinnacle of our career". They also appeared at the main festivals over the summer which has served to fuel the bands desire to keep on gigging. "We had some time off after playing constantly for two weeks during a European promo tour but I've been having sleepless nights because I've been wanting to play again" explains Billy, underlining his hunger for success. He's got the attitude to back the tunes up and if that wasn't rock and roll enough for you, he cuts his own hair. OC The band are ambitious and keen to be heard overseas. "We've just been signed to do some tracks for 'The OC', something a lot of other bands were turned down for" he says. And they are learning from the mistakes made by tour buddies Oasis who鈥檚 quest to 'break America' went famously tits up early in their career "they lacked concentration" something The Subways won't be guilty of. Exciting times lay ahead for the band and their debut album 'Young for Eternity' is one of the most diverse records to be released in the last 10 years. It's produced by Ian Broudie of 'The Lightening Seeds' who graced us with guitar laced Britpop gems such as 'Sugar Coated Iceberg' and of course the goose bumpingly brilliant 'Three Lions'. Ian's Britpop influence is evident and traces of 'Elastica' can be heard between the lines, a comparison the band find "really refreshing". "Ian uncovered an open nerve within the band, he tamed the sound and brought out the character in the songs, he wasn't afraid to experiment in the studio and he was good to drink with!" says Billy. The Subways are touring the UK until Christmas before embarking on America. They're passionate, sexy and they've got the tunes. Those yanks'll love em. This article originally appeared in The Universe. | 
