The Psychedelic Furs originated in London and released their self-titled debut album in 1980, the end of the punk era's golden years. After emerging as a leader in progressive music with such hits as “Pretty In Pink," "Love My Way," and "Heaven,” the Furs have released their eighth album, titled “World Outside”.
Richard Butler, John Ashton and Tim ButlerThe Furs feature Richard Butler as vocalist, brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, and John Ashton playing guitars. The “World Outside” album also includes Joe McGinty (keyboards), Knox Chandler, and Don Yallech on drums.
"World Outside” was produced by Stephen Street, whose earlier producing efforts include Morrissey and the Smiths.
Mirror staff writer Theron Roe spoke with bassist Tim Butler to discuss the band's latest album and tour. The January 31 interview follows:
Roe: Could you describe "World Outside In comparison to your earlier efforts?
Butler: Well, this album and “Book of Days" were actually recorded as a six-piece band live in the studio, so I think It makes a more live, energetic...more of a human feel to it. You can tell it's six people working with each other in a studio as opposed to someone going in there and over-dubbing their part separately. It's more of a live feel of an album.
Roe: I remember that during the “Book of Days" tour there was no material performed from the “Midnight to Midnight" album...
Butler: Yes, that's still happening (laughs). We still think of "Midnight to Midnight" as a rock direction for us. It was too slickly produced. It took us six months on and off to do that album, which In a long time to pour over the songs.
Roe: As opposed to how long did it take to record the "World Outside" album?
Butler: This album and “Book of Days" both took eight weeks to record and mix, which is really quick. We did pre-production before going into the studio and just bang (the songs) down without rehashing them too much. I think the more you play over and over a song in the studio you tend to sterilize it a bit so I think the songs on “Book of Days" and "World Outside" are fresher sounding.
Roe: Can any of the moodiness of "World Outside" be attributed to new producer Stephen Street?
Butler: I don't think he had that much of an influence on the mood of the album. We had the songs in the direction were going in. I think he probably helped us get it together, which a good producer does. A good producer is one who doesn't leave his trademark on you. A lot of producers have trademarks that you can tell from one album to another that it's a certain producer. I think a good producer, like Stephen is, helps you and puts in ideas that don't leave a trademark. He just helps you get the best out of your band, which I think Stephen did on this album.
Roe: You were talking about how you do your recording, basically live. What process does the band go through in creating a song?
Butler: What happened, for this album, is that we had written the songs— Me, Rich, John, Knox, and Joe—on the band's sixteen track studio setup. We go around and lay the songs down an a sixteen track, then we all got together on the pre-production and what we do is jam around a song and work on it that way. Rich always has notebooks, bits of paper with lyrics and stuff written on them. So when he hears a song he'll look through his book and find the lyrics that most fit the mood of the song.
Roe: I notice that there's a slightly different lineup on this new album?
Butler: Well, Joe and Knox have been with us since the “Book of Days" album. Joe actually joined us right at the end of the "Midnight to Midnight" tour, so he's been with us the longest out of the three new guys. It's pretty such do some lineup, except the drummer an this album is Don Yallech who joined us while we were writing this album after Vince left again (laughs). We had musical and personal differences.
Roe: You're talking about Vince Ely?
Butler: Yes, he was our original drummer, then he left for a period of four albums and he came back and we got along all right for awhile, but then we started to realize why he had gone in the first place.
Roe: How would you describe the working relationship with your brother Richard? Is that ever difficult?
Butler: Obviously, you work so tight with each other as far as working in the same band, you get a certain sort of tension and you get in arguments, but they tend to pass really quickly. It's like anybody with their brother or sister—you get in an argument, but it's not like a heavy-duty “I hate you forever” sort of argument, and it tends to blow over in about ten minutes and you forget what you were arguing about (laughs).
Roe: Both “Until She Comes" and "Don't Be A Girl" on this album have done really well over here on the college play lists. Are there any plans to release a third single?
Butler: Yes, I think “In My Head” to going to be released. I'm not sure at the moment. We've been taking a rest over Christmas, so we haven't been in contact with the record company yet, so we don't really know.
Roe: Now a little about your tour. Did you play Europe before your U.S. leg?
Butler: Yes, we did. Basically, we started out doing five weeks in Europe, then we came over here and last year we did about eight weeks in America. We finished up just before Christmas in Minneapolis. We start up again next Thursday in San Diego and do another six weeks.
Roe: I've read that after the Furs took a little time off in the late ‘80s you relocated to New York. Are you still there?
Butler: Yes, Richard and I have lived in New York for nine years, so pretty much this is home. John relatively recently, two years ago, moved over to New York. The band is pretty much based in New York now, so it makes it a lot easier to get together to rehearse and write. Before that, we'd have to exchange tapes—send tapes to him he'd send tapes to us and then we'd have to fly over to England or he'd fly over here to rehearse. It's a very long-winded way of doing things.
Roe: I noticed that you're playing in Glenn Miller Ballroom in Boulder, which is rather small for what I'm used to seeing the Furs play at, and also the China Club in Aspen, which only seats 350. Is there a particular reason that you're playing in the smaller arenas this year?
Butler: Yes, the recession. People don't have as much money to go out to gigs and stuff. It's better to play it safe than to over stretch yourselves. It's really bad out there on the road, bands have hit some pretty rough times.
Roe: Is there a particular reason you wanted to play Aspen as well as Boulder in Colorado?
Butler: I don't know, it was our booking agent. I was surprised that we were doing Aspen and Boulder but we're not doing Denver. I was on the phone with our agent saying "Why aren't we doing Denver?" and he goes... I don't know what excuse he had, but it's weird, he doesn't book us there and that's his job to do that.
Roe: Actually, It so seems like a trend. A lot of bands are coming to just CU in Boulder and not playing Denver at all. I thought there was some reason for that, but I guess it's all in booking. What artists do you listen to personally these days?
Butler: REM I'm a big fan of, U2, the Pixies, and of course everybody now is listening to Nirvana. They're quite a pleasant surprise when I heard that album.
Roe: Do you ever listen to your own music, or after recording it and hearing it so many times do you got tired of it?
Butler: This album (“World Outside") I listen to more than the oldest of them. This one's the only album of ours that I can listen to from beginning to end and like every track. Looking back on the past albums, there's always certain things that make you sort of wince and you think "Oh, we could have done that one better," or "That one is a bit of a clanker." This album I can sit down and listen to it and still enjoy it. Being so close to it, playing songs every night and having been in the studio recording it, that's quite good to be able to sit down and listen to it In your own private time.
Roe: Yes, I enjoyed "World Outside” a lot. There seems to be a feeling throughout the album that goes back to your “Forever Now” days. Would you say that the moods may be the same?
Butler: Yes, I think that the reason that those two albums we similar is the use of the cello. "Forever Now" before this album was always my favorite, and now the two albums are favorites. I can't really put a finger on why, maybe because of the construction of the songs and the way they're recorded.
Roe: I read an old article saying that David Bowie had been interested in producing the Psychedelic Furs. Has anything ever come of that?
Butler: No, what happens is when we're looking for a producer, he's always doing something on his own, so we never quite manage to get the same time free.
Roe: So it's all scheduling?
Butler: Yes, he's always out when we're doing this. I think he's recording right now with Tin Machine. It never quite matches up.
Roe: Do the Psychedelic Furs have any plans after the “World Outside” tour?
Butler: Yes, it's funny—when we were rehearsing for this tour we actually wrote some now song Ideas for the next album, which I think is a very healthy sign. I think we're planning on taking some time off to do some solo projects. I think Richard might be doing a solo album and then we're going to reconvene in the early fall and do the next album.
Roe: So we can look for a new Psychedelic Furs album next year?
Butler: Yes.