Interview: Bombay Bicycle Club

London band Bombay Bicycle Club are one of the best of the recent crop of ‘indie’ bands. Jeff Hemmings spoke with the foursome’s founder Suren de Saram

“We had to do a gig the following day, and we still didn’t have a band name. There’s a restaurant called Bombay Bicycle in the area and I think it was Jack who suggested we use it!” So says Suren De Saram, the highly talented drummer behind this most captivating of bands, riding a crest of a wave that has seen them rise to the top in a few short years.

Made up of Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Ed Nash and Suren, Bombay Bicycle Club have just released their third album, A Different Kind Of Fix, to widespread acclaim and healthy sales. There’s a more layered sound, more electronic effects and more complex constructions without detracting from the underlying melodies. It represents a radical departure from their acoustic based second album Flaws, which also hit the top ten. They have, in short, remained interesting and are, without a doubt, one of the best bands the UK has produced in recent years. Their confidence levels must be high, and with a sold out tour ahead of them things couldn’t get any better.

“Jack is the main writer – he has a high output [this being their third album in as many years – highly unusual in this day and age]. I don’t think we’ll do another album until the year after next…”

Although you can hear the subtle influences such as New Order and Fleet Foxes among others, their eclectic indie-folk-rock sound is all their own, with fresh and inventive variations on a well-worn format.

“There’s a restaurant called Bombay Bicycle in the area and I think it was Jack who suggested we use it!”

Originally known as The Canals, they came together while at school, all just 15, and their early apprenticeship has served them very well, forming a tight bond and developing those important, if undefinable, chemical alliances that is often the difference between good and really good. “It was a tricky period for us,” says Suren. “We were always juggling school with the band. We all wanted to finish our school education, up to sixth form. We did all apply to go to university and got places, but we decided to go for it as a band. I have no regrets – this is the most exciting time as a band,” enthuses Suren.

Their moment of truth came when they entered the Road To V competition and ended up beating the favourites The Holloways in the final and playing at the prestigious festival. “It was completely random,” says Suren. “Our guitarist Jamie sent in an application as a joke, and didn’t even tell us!
We found out we were through via Myspace. We thought it was a prank.

We played at Islington?Academy and got through to the final and then they chose us for V. That was a dream for us – I ended up getting quite drunk and running around backstage. We probably made massive idiots of ourselves.”

This behaviour didn’t harm their future. This is rock ’n’ roll after all, but these young men are obviously adept at knuckling down and coming up with the goods, first by releasing the ‘The Boy I Used To Be’ EP on their own label while still at school, and which was produced by Arctic Monkeys producer Jim Abbiss at his own personal request. “My dad is a classical musician – I used to hear him practice. When I started learning the drums I was taught by a jazz drummer. I used to listen to guys like Buddy Rich, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones (all famous jazz drummers). But there’s no jazz in my style now.

“Occasionally I hook up with a few friends to play jazz together, maybe a party or a wedding. It’s nice to have that variation.”

With events happening so fast for this band, almost all their adventures are new ones including a recent visit to the USA to play the legendary South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. “That was crazy. You’re walking down the main street in Austin and every bar has a different band playing. We were playing smaller clubs – it’s like starting all over again – really hot and sweaty ones.”

The band will be busy up to the end of the year: a European tour follows the UK tour, with a short trip to Brazil in between. And then maybe Australia early next year. “It’s pretty amazing to get paid to go to these places,” says an almost disbelieving Suren. And with his father a Sri Lankan, Suren harbours ambitions to be able to play there one day. And, of course, with their name, it would seem natural to go to India, the second most populated country on Earth and one with a rapidly expanding taste for western music. “Now that would be amazing!” says Suren.

Bombay Bicycle Club, Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, Friday 30 September. SOLD?OUT