Shaped By Fate interview

10 September 2008

Photo By Craig Burton

When the Shaped By Fate guys rolled up in town there was no way FemaleFirst could resist an interview with a band that have been dubbed ‘The Future Of British Metalcore.’ So I caught up with singer Paul and guitarist Luke to find out how to make it in the industry, why European audiences are the best and why they want to have a Chuck Norris, Clint Eastwood and David Attenborough orgy What have you been getting up to over the past few weeks; anything exciting?Paul - We have just got back from Belgium to do a few festivals which were cool. We also went on tour with Parkway Drive and have been writing music for the new album which should hopefully be ready for the end of this year. Luke - Hopefully our New Years Resolution won’t be to finish our album!

So how do other European audiences compare to British ones?

Luke - They’re way cooler! I think kids over here have been spoilt because they get so many bands willing to come over here whereas a lot of places in Europe don’t get so lucky as it’s such a huge area of land so kids just enjoy whatever comes rather than being dictated by what is ‘cool’ at the time. They also don’t just dance on fast bits and stop on slow bits!

You were labelled by Kerrang as: “The future of British Metalcore,” how does it feel to be given such a title?

Luke - Nice, although we wouldn’t really class ourselves as metal core but the sentiment is definitely there and it’s quite a compliment to be called “the future of…something!” it makes your head swell.

Paul - And your other bits!

The scene seems to be getting less popular as Indie and Rave music muscle in, why do you think that is?

Paul - Like we said before, I think it’s with the fact that people are spoiled thing as there are so many shows on that people don’t want to go to them anymore because there’s too much choice!

Luke - Plus this happens every few years as the kids who constitute the ‘scene’ at the time hit a certain age and have to worry about growing up, getting a job and attracting girls who probably don’t like the same music but then have other things to worry about than what bands are cool and getting involved in the scene and coming to shows.

It sucks really because we’re 26 and 27 and we still love all the metal!

What can be done to revive it?

Luke - Once all these kids hit a certain age and stop coming out to shows there is another group of young kids who are actually too young to come to shows but can’t wait to start coming out and will make up the new scene. It’s like something that David Attenborough would tell us about like the water cycle or something.

Paul - They need to stop worrying about the eyeliner and hair products.

Last year we saw bands like Enter Shakari taking over the airwaves, and now it’s ‘cool’ to listen to rave music, carry as many glowsticks as possible and to take any drug you can get your hands on; what do you think of the rave scene?

Paul - You mean the kids who wanted to be alive in the nineties or those who have just gone from metal into rave music because they think it’s cool? [FF: Either]

Luke - To be honest those kids can do whatever they want because I don’t really give a shit about people who just trend-jump onto whatever is going to get them the most friends at the time and you always get kids like that, it’s the same as when kid’s were getting into Aqua.

Paul - I like going out and raving it up sometimes!

Luke - I did security for Enter Shakari once and I did get really irritated by the kids with glowsticks and it just seems like a gimmick to be honest.

A lot of new (and old) bands look up to you guys, but who do you look up to?

Paul - I am pretty tall. (haha)

Luke - David Attenborough

Paul - Clint Eastwood

Luke - Yeah definitely Clint! I think if I could amalgamate all the awesomeness of Clint with the wise knowledge of David Attenborough and his ability to be at one with the animals I’d have it made.

Paul - Oh and the roundhouse kick of Chuck Norris. So Chuck, Clint and David - whatever comes out of that orgy is what we look up to.

How about within the music industry?

Luke - I don’t think there is anyone within the music industry because once you’ve done a few tours and played with a few bigger bands you realise that everyone is in the same boat and there is no real star persona except for those idiots like Tom De Longe who disappears so far up his own arse that he can lick his own tonsils.

So is the life of a rockstar what you thought it would be?

Luke - It’s not how I imagined it when I was 16!

Paul - I thought there would be a lot more women, a terrible drug habit and a shed load of money and I don’t have any of them!

There are so many bands trying to make it in the hardcore sector of the industry at the moment, what would you say sets you apart from everyone else?

Luke - Because we’re not really trying to make it! We’ve been going for quite a while and we’re at the point where we’re writing and playing because we want to and enjoy it and I don’t like 9-5 existence and I don’t want to work a job just to do something at a weekend. It’s not in order to get some MySpace hype and become a 15 year old girl’s poster.

Paul - When it comes to shows we just give it our all and we don’t stand there with our best poses and we probably look like idiots but we just get up and play and it’s a true smile! And we’re older than most of the other bands!

Who would make up your ‘super group?’

Luke: Clint Eastwood and David Attenborough playing some oddly carved instruments and Chuck Norris can be the drummer with his feet!

Both - Okay, realistically: Can we have a contemporary one and then one of classic/possibly dead people? [FF] Go on then!

Contemporary - Kurt Ballou from Converge on guitar, guy out of Mastodon drumming (Troy Sanders), that guy from Bleeding Through on Bass because he does funny spinning things and Chuck Ragan from Hot Water Music on guitar and he can sing too.

Classic/Possibly dead - John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) on drums, Angus Young (ac/dc) on one guitar and Santana on the other, bass: who cares and Freddie Mercury on Vocals