Renegades soundwave

It took creating a new band for Grant Nicholas to find the Feeder of old. After several years of diminishing returns and 2008's underwhelming Silent Cry, a shake-up was needed. That came with the departure of drummer Mark Richardson and the recording of a new album, Renegades.

"I wanted to get out there and do small shows. And play our new music. I couldn't really do that as Feeder. You have people turning up wanting to hear the hits," says Nicholas, explaining why the band decided to perform under the stage name 'Renegades'. "It's the first time we've ever had the chance to play an entire album live. It confused a few people. It's got them talking again."
The freedom it gave Nicholas and stalwart bassist Taka Hirose was liberating, sparking a miniature revolution that saw Feeder move away from their recent middle-of-the-road leanings and turning full circle.
"We play some Feeder songs that we haven't played since before [original drummer] Jon Lee died. We play songs that I swore I'd never play again. It's been great. I really wanted to turn the band on its head. Strip it all back to how we started. The whole approach was very much like how we were on our first album."
Was it tempting to drop the Feeder moniker completely and all the baggage, both good and bad, that it carries?
"It was at one point. The thing is, as soon as you put my name on it people instantly say 'Feeder' anyway. Still, it definitely felt like a fresh start. I'm enjoying it more now than I have since we first began. It was becoming a little repetitive. At the end of the Silent Cry tour I felt it was time for something different. I think that's why this album came about."
The Silent Cry period was marred by financial problems and the dissolution of their relationship with record label Chrysalis. It seemed as if Feeder were fading from view. As with many other established acts, they are now going it alone. Today, Nicholas maintains a zen-like outlook.
"It was tough watching Silent Cry not get a chance. It came and went. It was frustrating. We did try and buy ourselves out of our deal but they wouldn't let us go. We didn't end on bad terms. I still think it's a good album and it didn't really get enough exposure."
During this time, Mark Richardson left to rejoin his old band Skunk Anansie. He had wanted to split his drumming duties. Nicholas was understandably reluctant about sharing members.
"We'd gone as far as we could with Mark. It was time to move on. The Skunk Anansie thing made it easier. With [new drummer] Karl Brazil, we really click. He's a good guy to have around. He's a bit of a jokester, quite a character. I'll tell you what I like about him – he's very musical. He's similar in style to Jon Lee."
Reinvigorated, Nicholas has plenty of material in the pipeline.
"I've got a lot more songs. I'm actually writing new stuff now. There's a couple of crossover songs. One in particular could be one of those songs. It could do a 'Buck Rogers'. I think it might not just appeal to people who like rock. It might appeal to someone into Calvin Harris. I know that sounds bizarre but you can imagine a remix of it. It's a bit of a one-off."
In the main, however, the next release will see a continuation of Feeder's return to rock.
"The original plan was to release a new album a couple of months afterwards. That might have been too in people's faces. There's certainly not going to be a massive gap between Renegades and the next record. We set out to make music that works as a three-piece. I think we've achieved that. We've re-established where our hearts are."