Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Sticky

By starrymag | December 1, 2021

By: Kelly Kearney

 

 

 

Q) You’ve been in the industry a while. How do you keep your sound fresh?

 

A) Self-doubt? [laughs] I don’t know. I’ve always had a never-ending need to create to be honest. From my teens through to now, I just love making something new.

 

Q) When I listen to your earlier work like “Lullaby” and compare it to the new release “Off with His Head,” I immediately notice a tonal, as well as a bit of a genre change. What brought about those changes because your new stuff is firmly landing in the Brit-punk universe, whereas before, I would have categorized your sound as a vocally hardcore band.

 

A) Every record, we are searching for something new. I think some artists find their sound and are really happy writing and making more and more songs in that world, but Frank and I are always interested in pushing the walls out further and further.

It always finds its way back to punk somewhere, but beyond that, we’re not worried where it lands as long as we’re excited by it.

 

Q) As an artist, how has the industry changed since your first release? Has this world of music streaming opened doors for you, or do you find it limiting, creatively, and always looking for that hit single to keep the fans clicking?

 

A) It’s changed dramatically, but I think it’s really important to change with it. I have seen friends and other artists burnt out by the change. Bitterness can grow. But I think you have to see it for the opportunity it creates and roll with it.

Streaming itself can be tough, in that it’s increased the speed of consumption. People move through a record so quickly now. What used to last a year, reduced to a few months and now can just last for weeks. We’ve adjusted and whilst we had more songs in the bag, we chose to just put ten out for our last album as we knew they’d all move through the life cycle pretty fast.

But, on the other hand, streaming opens other doors and removes more gatekeepers at places like radio or festival bookings. So, it’s about seeing what you can do with the industry as it is not what you can’t.

 

Q) Songs like “Anxiety” really dig deep emotionally and seem to connect with the fans. What’s the reaction been like to your work and do the fans reach out to you and let you know how the work has touched them personally?

 

A) All the time. If there is one consistent theme in our music and output, it is emotion and that has drawn people to us that have their own struggles or need for music like we do. I’ve used music my whole life to navigate harder times or escape from life when I need to, so it’s amazing to know that people use The Rattlesnakes in the same way.

 

Q) Collaborations are hot right now and “Off with His Head” with Cassyette is blowing up the streaming platforms. Talk a bit about how that came about.

 

A) We really got into the rhythm of collaborating and Cassy actually came towards the end of that. She’s such an exciting artist and we just reached out and invited her to the studio. She came down and put down the vocal in a morning and we hung out and chatted for the rest of the day. We’re taking her on tour in November, going to be fun to see her do her thing each night.

 

Q) I was immediately drawn to the video for the single “Go Get a Tattoo.” Anyone with tattoos feels that ink addiction vs. get a crowbar dilemma but the entire look and feel of that video were distinctly cinematic. As if I was watching the Gen Z reboot of Trainspotting. It was hyper realistic chaos, which is always my cup of tea. Who came up with that idea and what was filming that like?

 

A) That was Tommy Davies. I had just directed the video for “My Town,” our first single on the record and we’d been pushing to bring a more surreal look to the videos and Tommy saw that and approached us with an idea for “Tattoo.”

His vision was exactly where we wanted to see things go, but on the day he blew us away with his ideas and execution. The whole team killed it. We had a load of fun filming that clip, and I think you can always see that in the end result.

 

Q) Talk a bit about what inspired this new album Sticky. What tracks on the new album hold a special place in your heart and what makes them so significant to you?

 

A) I think “Original Sin” will always be special to me, working with Bobby Gillespie is not something I ever dreamt we would do – and the experience of him coming to the studio is one of my favorite moments in my studio life. I think for me, especially, I still carry a ton of imposter syndrome. I don’t feel good enough or technical enough to be doing half of what we do. So, then to spend a day with Bobby and hear it back, it reminds you that you have come a long way from the teenager that started getting into bands.

I also love “Go Get a Tattoo.” I knew when we wrote the music and pulled the structure together that that song would have a life of its own. So much so that we weren’t even sure it should be on Sticky, but we went with it, and I swear every time I get in my car it’s playing on the radio. That never gets old.

 

Q) Fans love your stage presence. Belting out those songs to the back of the crowd and tearing up the stage is why they keep coming back for more. As the pandemic slowly winds down and the world vaccinates, can we look forward to a world tour that includes U.S. dates?

 

A) 100%. We can’t wait to get back to the states. We’ve got dates planned in the UK and Europe and then we’re eyeing up the US in April or July. It’s always tough for us as an independent band to get far out of Europe, but we’re going to do everything we can.

 

Q) Who would you love to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) I’d love to get Jack White on a track. His new tune is incredible or Run The Jewels, Death Grips – one of those artists really applying that punk energy into different genres.

 

Q) What would you like to say to the fans of you and the music that you make? 

 

A) Thank you for everything you do. More than ever, it’s clear to me that Rattlesnakes has grown into something bigger than Frank or myself. This is run by and for our fans now.

 

 

 

All Questions Answered By Dean Richardson, Band Co-Founder, Guitarist and Producer