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The Automatic interview (2006)

Rob Hawkins

After a whirlwind year at the very start of their career, we talk to The Automatic's Rob Hawkins about what's changed for the Cowbridge foursome.

Last updated: 20 November 2008

How's the last year been for you then?

We haven't had a lot of time to reflect, really. I think it's important to reflect, to understand where we're at. We've never really had much time off and when we do it's physical as well as mental recuperation.

It's quite hard to take everything in, but we've had some amazing high points: we've achieved so much and I'm not even 21 yet! It's become a little game - what can I cram under my belt before I'm 21? We've written and recorded an album which has gone gold, we've been to Japan and done Fujirock, played at Reading and Leeds, done Jools Holland... it's crazy!

We've had a massive single that everyone wanders around singing; it's quite a lot to achieve but it's not over-whelming. It still takes you aback though!

What makes you notice the success?

A lot of the elements of the success and how well known we are, gets reported back to me; getting played on radio and TV I find out about second-hand. I don't get a lot of time to listen to the radio or watch TV!

There's been a big lifestyle change though. A little while ago we were on a little bus and tiny hotels, and suddenly we're nomads with these big buses. The last bus we were on was one of only four in the country with a shower! That was nice...

Have things worked out better than you expected then, or did you always have a sneaking suspicion that you'd do so well?

Well I thought we'd get a few albums out there, definitely, but yeah, it's been better than expected. But we've kind of set the bar too high with Monster. It's quite funny because the label are now asking us to write another Monster. Well, maybe, I don't know - we'll write what we write! We won't change the way we're writing.


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