Hot Press meets Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro

When tattooed rockers Biffy Clyro told their record label they were working on a double-album, the vibes were less than positive. Double LPs have become a byword for bloated indulgence. Were the Scottish trio about to make their Use Your Illusion, Parts One and Two? Initially enthusiastic, after a little contemplation Warner started to fear the worst.

“At the start I think they were really excited about the idea of a double-album,” proffers singer Simon Neil. “From the band’s perspective we were confident because our last record had done well and, in the eyes of the record company, was a success. Which meant we had more leverage. As we were completing the album everyone started to get cold feet. Warner were like ‘Shit, we don’t think you should do a double.’”
Both parties agreed to a compromise and a single disc version of the LP was also made available.
“We understand the mentality behind the single disc release but we wrote this record as a double-album,” Neil resumes. “Not to sound like a total ponce but it represents Biffy Clyro. The label couldn’t dissuade us because we felt the double-album is what we set out to do.”
With each new release Biffy have honed and adapted their idiosyncratic sound to make it more accessible to a wider audience. Opposites is the next natural step in their evolution. Thematically, The Sand At The Core Of Our Bones is anxious and bleak, its The Land At The End Of Our Toes counterpart positive and uplifting. The anthemic choruses and riffs we’ve come to know and love are present throughout. There’s also evidence of a willingness to experiment and of a band having fun.
On ‘Stingin’ Belle’ we hear bagpipes, on ‘Spanish Radio’ a Mariachi brass ensemble. Band Of Horses’ Ben Bridwell also features as guest vocalist.
“We played a couple of Foo Fighters shows with Band Of Horses and got on really well with Ben. When we started recording we felt there were a couple of songs which his country twang and high tone would suit. Ben loved the idea. Sadly he was on tour so the recording was done via-email. He recorded it one night on his laptop in a Detroit hotel room after a gig.”
Neil admits he’s attracted to the darker side of life and doubts whether he would be as creative if he was happy all the time. For him writing is a form of catharsis.
“I don’t mean to sound a total dick but it’s almost like therapy. I can get deeply personal stuff off my chest. It’s liberating.”
He usually sits alone for a couple of hours every night strumming a guitar after his wife, an English teacher, has gone to bed.
“Sometimes you come up with zero good ideas and another night you’ll come up with half-a-dozen. Of course, not every idea you come up with is very good but if you want to be creative you need to work at it. You can’t sit around and expect it to hit you.”
In an effort to stay creative and be inspired Neil also listens to music from some unlikely sources – a comparatively new habit.
“When I was younger I wasn’t interested in music unless it was obscure,” he confesses. “Certain genres that I would have closed myself off from in the past, I now embrace. I’m much more open to new ideas. A country band called The Civil Wars and a hip-hop artist called Zebra Katz are two examples of artists that inspire me. That probably wouldn’t have been the case a few years ago. Katz has a song called ‘Ima Read’ where he spits rhymes over a solitary kick-drum. It’s beautifully produced and works well.”
Neil admits he wasn’t the easiest to be around writing Opposites.
“My wife will tell you, I’m a total nightmare when writing,” he says. “I normally have 30 fucking riffs or song ideas flying around my brain. I like to do the quality control myself. So I’ll play these ideas for weeks until I feel they’re fully formed. If, after that, I still feel they’re worth exploring, I’ll take them to the boys.”
Biffy Clyro have always been hugely popular in Ireland. Neil has a pretty good idea why.
“The Irish and Scottish are similar in a lot of ways. I think we like good times. But we both suffer from that glass half-empty point of view. We’re defiant and want to stand on our own. Honestly, if I really knew the secret of our success in Ireland, we’d have made a conscious decision to make it happen a lot sooner!”

Clyro play the O2, Dublin on March 28.