Music Q&A: SikTh

What informs your music and songwriting?
Musically we always want to evolve yet stay unique and true to our sound. Lyrically I’m very much inspired by world events, human interaction, etc. This album I talk a lot of how social media and modern life have suppressed a lot of creative minds. How the focus for many is instant gratification with the over-saturation of web-based platforms, reality TV, etc. I write about the evil that swells under City undertones. Then I talk of love, magical flower beings and diving into fictional worlds.

How have you evolved as a band over the years?
I felt it was better than before in many ways as you miss that buzz so much. On the first round being in a band you almost take it in your stride or take some things for granted. But coming back after all those years was a great experience. I was almost in tears at Download festival on our return show.

What are you up to at the moment artistically outside the band?
I am a voiceover artist and a casting director for a video game called No Truce With The Furies. I also direct and edit music videos. Other than that I have various other musical projects. I’m always busy.

Are SikTh working on any new material?
Not right now. The album we made and released in spring really took it out of me. I don’t expect to record with SikTh for a couple of years now.

What’s on your rider? Are there any ridiculous demands or are you more in favour of healthy choices?
I personally am into healthy foods. Some others are not. I like liquorice for the voice. Quite simple stuff like that. Our tour manager puts different footballers on our dressing room wall every show. We used to have Jessica Alba, in India we got a life-size cutout of her but it seems to have changed to Luther Blissett, Graham Taylor or John Barnes. I’m a Watford fan so it’s fine with me.

Tell us your most embarrassing or surreal experience.
One very odd experience was when I was dodging doing a load-out – we were in Falmouth. Back then I liked a smoke so I was heading out the back whilst many fans were standing waiting for autographs. Just as I was walking all of a sudden I flew in the air and landed with one foot forward and one foot to the side. I didn’t know what had happened but it was all silent. Then when I got up I discovered I actually slipped on a banana skin.

What song do you wish you’d written?
Well, my favourite song is probably Venus in Furs by The Velvet Underground. I love music which takes you to mystical and magical place – all about the vibe.

What’s your worst lyric?
I wrote some very bad lyrics on our first album – some really poor writing on songs yet some moments which were good too. I was just trying to shock people on half of that first album. My poetry came out properly on the second album, then progressed every album since.