The Futureheads ring the changes

May 2 2008 by Gavin Allen, Western Mail

DEPENDING on who you listen to, the music industry is either in crisis or revolution. Selling music over the internet has fundamentally changed the business, freeing up artists to work on their own terms (revolution) but also severely denting record company profits (crisis).

Radiohead made headlines by releasing In Rainbows with its ‘honesty box’ internet pricing system, Prince gave away his new album on the cover of the Daily Mail, and The Charlatans gave away their latest work for free online.

But you notice one thing here – this artistic freedom suits only big names.

“I think to a certain degree that is the case,” says Ross Millard, guitarist in The Futureheads who, having been dropped by their record label, set up their own label to release their new album This Is Not The World.

“I know for a fact we couldn’t have done this without having a back catalogue of songs and an existing fan base and some money in the pot to push it.”

So while the revolution gives greater power and reward to already established artists, it still drives emerging bands into the arms of record companies, although Millard says that is no bad thing.

“We self-financed our first single,” says the affable Geordie.

“If you can do that and earn a record contract from it then that is a perfect trajectory.

“I’m not saying major labels are wrong for everybody, it is just wrong for us at this time.”

Millard says the band never seriously considered splitting but they did go through a period of deep reflection.

Their second album, News And Tributes, wasn’t as successful as their self-titled debut album, commercially or critically, so their record label 679 Recordings gave them the bullet.

“We were disappointed but not surprised because we knew it was going that way,” says Millard, 25, of what happened prior to them establishing Nul Records.

“We are massively proud of News And Tributes and we think it contains some of our best work but the reality is you can’t sell records without bona fide hits and we just didn’t have them on that album.”

The Futureheads believe their new album is true to their roots as “an orthodox punk band with pop songs” but also contains the depth of its predecessor, and they aren’t afraid to call it a comeback album.

“A lot of bands in our position 12 months ago would have split,” he says with pride.

If 679 wanted proof that The Futureheads had it in them to better their superb cover of Kate Bush’s Hounds Of Love, then they have delivered it with their comeback single Beginning of The Twist.

“It’s been our biggest ever hit, sold more than Hounds Of Love did,” says Millard.

“But if this album fails then we are the bosses and we are to blame.”

But if it is a success, this time, the profits are theirs to keep.