With Arcade Fire's headlining slot at Electric Picnic fast approaching, it was high time that Hot Press caught up with the band and assessed the rollercoaster ride they've been on since the release of The Suburbs.

Jeremy Gara, drummer and co-writer with the Canadian collective, speaks to HP's Ed Power in our latest issue (on sale now), talking about everything from the surreal thrill that was winning Album Of The Year at the Grammys ("we don't really fit into the role of famous rock people"), to the recent controversy surrounding guitarist Richard Reed Parry plea to the Canadian public not to vote for Conservative party leader Stephen Harper. Of that incident, Gara says, "People in Canada – they genuinely freaked out. Which is strange. I mean, what's less surprising than a rock band being left-leaning politically?"

Elsewhere, he defended the band over allegations that they rub some people up the wrong way. "I think people need to have an angle for us. We're not that interesting as people. Nobody is a drug addict. We're not in tabloids, we're not beautiful models. We're some dudes who are good at what we do."

The interview is all part of our 20+ page Electric Picnic special, where we talk to the likes of Joan As Police Woman and Mogwai, and also preview some of the acts you really can't afford to miss at Stradbally this September.