So, the most important thing for me right now is to get the music out, whether it's someone paying for an album, downloading a digital copy, or getting it in any way. I really have no problem with that.

-You have a live band, but it's still very much a solo project. Do you miss the whole band experience?
Definitely not. I know that sounds very negative. As a drummer in other bands, with the exception of a couple of Lostprophets song, I never wrote anything.

With Lostprophets, the one song I wrote properly was on their last album, called 'It's Not The End of The World'. Musically, I did that and it's fine. It's what the singer feels most comfortable coming up with melodically over the top of it.

Most importantly, I've seen many bands and been in many scenarios where you have the argumentative aspect of it, with tastes colliding.

Doing it myself, I don't really have anybody to deal with, which is really comforting. It allows me to do things a lot faster, because I know what I want to do, and I do it. That's all there is to it. I really like being alone in the studio. It sounds very antisocial, I know.

-I get where you're coming from with it. Were you writing on the side when you were drumming with other bands, or is it just something you recently decided to try?
Well, the idea of The New Regime came about during Lostprophets. At the time, we were working on the album that became The Betrayed. Because drums are the first things to be recorded, there's a tonne of dead time.

So, at that point I'd been able to play a few instruments well. The only thing I was too shy to do was sing.

I was really frustrated in the sense that...things were really unorganised having different people with different opinions.

If you're in a band and everyone agrees on something...I think that's virtually impossible. I just really wanted to do new things on my own, and that's the reason why I started singing.

-How did the touring set-up come together? Is it musicians you knew from other projects?
Yes, definitely. It's interesting really. Within the Taking Back Sunday tour were started a couple of months ago, there were three different combinations of line-ups.

It's been a kind of revolving door of different musicians. Not because I'm getting rid of people - most people have different obligations to tend to.

-Do you see it staying as a free-flowing thing rather than a solid, defined line-up?
The benefit to doing things alone is that you're able to get people in and out, and it doesn't ruin the band. I don't mean to downplay anybody.

The line-ups I've had, I've been very fortunate with, but it's the sort of thing where if someone can't make, I'm able to keep going on.

-Going back to your time in Lostprophets, how was that whole experience for you?
It was a great experience. It was the first big band I played in, so that was fantastic. It was a lot of fun spending so much time out of the US. I really enjoyed it.

-You mentioned the occasional song you'd get to contribute to. Was the writing process quite democratic, or one body bringing songs to the table?
It was fairly collaborative, but I have to say that Lee [Gaze] brought most of it to the table. Everyone brought their own ideas. Anything that I tried to bring, most of it got brushed aside for whatever reason.

What became 'End of The World'...most of the guys didn't like it, but it was the first single off the album, so I really don't know how that happened.

-Was your ideas being pushed to the side a reason for you joining Nine Inch Nails, or just the opportunity came?
The opportunity came. When we played Reading in 2007, we were before Nine Inch Nails. That's when Trent saw me play. When Josh Freese left, he asked if I was interested in joining, and obviously I was.

I have to say, the funny thing about 'End of the World' was that it was an idea that I'd written and recorded all the instruments to when I was 16.

[Ian Watkins] enjoyed it from the beginning, which is why it's something that was always present for the next album. Really, I don't remember anyone else liking it too much.

-What to you have planned for the rest of the year?
As of now, nothing. We're pursuing other dates. As I said, we've been on tour for three months right now, and I would love to continue until I drop.

Whether the opportunities arise or not, I don't know. If they don't, I'll start writing and recording the next album. I have around 14 ideas so far.

Female First - Alistair McGeorge