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Pure Love have been bubbling under the rock 'n' roll surface for what must seem like an eternity for band members, Frank Carter and Jim Carroll.
With their debut album, Anthems finally released after a series of delays, Gigwise talk to the rock band's lead singer as he explains how good it feels to unveil the album, why he doesn't miss living in the UK and why he is happier than ever...
So Frank, how does it feel to finally have the Pure Love album ready for release?
It feels good. It feels tiring. It's been ready for us for well over a year now. It feels like the end of a long, long road and I'm pretty excited about that.
For fans who are yet to hear the album, what can they expect?
I don't know to be honest. It's just great rock songs that have been carefully crafted with a lot of love and patience. Jim (Carroll) and I are really proud and it's kind of the album we always wanted to write.
It's not a very straight forward listen and there's a lot of ups and downs. I think it's an exciting album and I hope people agree. I don't know what anyone will expect, I'm sure people will have all sorts of different expectations for what we will and won't achieve, but as far as we are concerned we are really happy with what we have done.
When you premiered 'Bury My Bones', everyone was surprised to hear a 'happy' Frank Carter. Are you still a happy guy?
I'm happy now that's all there is to it. When you're writing rock 'n' roll music, a lot of the songs aren't about happy things. Even 'Bury My Bones' isn't about happy things.
It's about making the most of it and saying I f******g love music and I'll be here forever and when I'm not you can bury me in it anyway. I don't know. I'm a lot happier now than I ever have been.
I'm done with singing about negativity in a way that just produces more negativity. At some point you've got to decide to draw a line under it. It's not about the past any more it's about going forward.
Watch the video for 'Bury My Bones' below:
What sort of differences do you see in audiences at your gigs now?
There's always a cross over but we are slowly starting to see Pure Love fans. Maybe they are fans of our old bands as well but mostly they are fans of us. It's taken a little while but I think this year will cement that.
I'ts hard for fans of the singles to know completely what we are about. Maybe the singles don't portray the band for what we really are. The record label wanted to put a certain song out. We love all the songs so we were happy with whatever they chose. It just so happens that they chose the four most 'poppy' songs. When you listen to the whole record you see what kind of depth there is. There are some proper rock 'n' roll bangers.
'Scared to Death' has got an opening riff that Motorhead would be proud of. We love music and we love rock n roll especially and that's what I would describe this as. Once you get past the four poppy singles you see what we are about which is honest rock music from the heart.
2013 looks to be an exciting year for British music especially, would you say Pure Love have more of a British kind of influence? Or more American rock style?
I think Jim writes in a very British way. He loves British rock 'n' roll. He always says 'Britain invented rock 'n' roll and the US made it better.'
I think between us we have got all bases covered. He has a very British sound and I love that because it lets me experiment with my vocals and kind of go all over the place as he holds it down with what he is doing. The heart of the album is British rock n roll.
Frank Carter and Jim Carroll are Pure Love
You mention England a few times on the record, do you miss the UK when you're not here? If so, what?
I don't miss the UK. I live in New York it's a far cry from Hemel Hempstead. I love England and I'll always write about it because that's what I know. Maybe in a couple of years I'll write some songs about New York.
You're coming up to a year since your Pure Love first show. Do you think you have achieved all of your early goals as a band so far?
I think we have well exceeded our expectations. We didn't know what we were doing when we were starting out but now it's just grown from strength to strength.
Watch the video for 'Beach Of Diamonds' below:
If you could achieve just one thing with Pure Love this year, what would you most like to tick off the list?
I'd like to get this fucking album out. I have been waiting for it for two fucking years. So I have already achieved the one thing I wanted to this year.
It's a big change from the past. I think its so balls out, all guts and there was no glory intended but hopefully it gets a little bit.
We are just going to tour as much as we can. Jimmy and I have started writing the second album already. I don't know what is in store for us. Hopefully people like the band enough to enable us to do another record. I think people still haven't heard the best of us and if we get the opportunity to write another album we will really embrace that and explore a lot more.
I just hope everyone stays happy and healthy. I hope we can have more fun, that's what I want.
You've got a UK headline run starting soon, have you got any other plans for 2013? Any festivals? Glastonbury?
I don't know about Glastonbury, I know we have got a bunch of European festivals lined up.
I'm not sure about the UK but obviously I'd love to play Glastonbury. I've never played there but it just depends on what offers come in.
You never really know until the booking agent comes in and says do you want to play this and we say 'yes'.
What has been your favourite festival experiences ever - both as a performer and as a punter? Who is the best festival band you have ever seen?
Reading and Leeds always. I've been going there since I was a kid. I've seen Rage Against The Machine, Slipknot, Metallica. All my favourite bands I've seen there.
I've played there five times now and it just gets better every time. When Pure Love played there last year, that was my crowning moment. We were on first in a massive tent to about 10,000 people having fun and that just felt good for a band with just two singles out. That felt pretty boss.
Jimmy turned around and said we've made it here. For us that was quite a feat because last year we were stuck in our little space in Brooklyn trying to hammer out these songs. I'd love to play that festival ever year. I've seen Biffy Clyro play some great festival shows. I love that band. It was amazing when they played Sonisphere. Iron Maiden put on a f*****g great show. They are probably the best festival band out there.
Thank you very much, Frank Carter. Pure Love's debut album, Anthems is available now. Click here to download from iTunes.
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