In late 2005, three kids pushed beyond the limits by hometown boredom got together and formed The Enemy. Eight months later they released their debut single ‘40 Days & 40 Nights’ on the legendry imprint Stiff Records becoming the first band to sign to the dormant label for twenty years. Now, almost eighteen months, several tours and four singles into a career that is steadily building up powerful momentum, the Coventry three-piece are currently bringing the raw and passionate sound that broke them to cities across the country as they hurl through a headline tour. A tour which is seeing them appeal to the masses, thanks to the rip-roaring success of their top ten denting single ‘Away From Here.’
As they’re rolling up to Leeds, Gigwise catches up with unfeasibly shy drummer Liam for a chat. Brushing aside the hysteria that is surrounding the band at the moment, Liam modestly reflects upon their signing to Stiff Records all those months ago. “When we first approached Stiff they hadn’t had anything released in twenty years so it was a long shot – they had Madness on there, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, bands that make it a massive compliment to be associated with them”.
It’s common knowledge of how prestigious the record label is, so we put it to Liam that The Enemy must be a pretty fucking special band to pull them out of retirement. But when asked, Liam is very modest, “I think we fit with the whole Stiff attitude, keeping it real, putting out the sounds on 7 inch vinyl- that’s what we approached them for. We just fitted in with the Stiff ethics, like all the other bands did and that’s what we’re about”. And just like those other bands these guys have thrown themselves into the thick of things and are having a blast. “We’re just taking it as it comes and enjoying every minute of it!” Liam laughs, and as for the lifestyle of Rock n’ Roll excess and success, “We have them kind of moments but none of us go too crazy, we always run around in the shows but then we get time to have a decent drink and chill it just as much as anyone else!”, but he’s very coy when Gigwise enquires about any crazy tour antics… “I don’t think we should really go into it to be honest! That’s just between me, Tom (Vocals and guitar) and Andy!”. Boring bastard.
As the conversation moves on, Gigwise comes to the question of new media, since music is every where it never was before - in major high street shops, (depressingly) Supermarkets, TV adverts and thousands of internet sites. All places where The Enemy are currently shifting units by the bucketload. “I think it exposes more talent,” muses Liam. “It’s all wide and varied. I think that having the music out there and it being more accessible and in different formats makes it easy for people to get their hands on it and that’s a complete bonus. Good music will always shine through- people will dismiss the crap music and sign the good stuff. It’s a matter of taste, as long as there’s something out there for everyone”.
The inspiration for The Enemy’s own music comes from what they were doing in their mundane 9-5 jobs, their friends and things that go on around them - something that comes across in their lyrics; words that bear a serious undertone enhanced all the more by the fast and aggressive young energy of their sound as the drummer explains “How do we balance it out? I don’t think that’s something we’ve got to think or worry about because we just do what we do and anything that happens is just us. We are a Rock n’ Roll band and we have got a social conscience-both of them is what we’re about”. But when asked if there was one song they could have written he’s less sure, pausing for a while before answering with “One we’d all agree on is ‘Life On Mars’ by David Bowie- quality!”.
Another favourite of their’s is Kasabian whom the band were luckily enough to support a few weeks ago “Kasabian is one of our big favourites because we were into them before we even got started, me and Tom used to drive around in his car and blast Kasabian out so actually playing with them was amazing! Our first tour was with The Paddingtons. We got our first taste of being on the road with them and bands like that were a pleasure to go on the road with…we had a top time and they took us under their wing and that put us in good stead”.
Interesting words to use for a band known for their love of Rock n’ Roll conduct. As for any run ins with other bands, again Liam plays it cool. “No, we get on with most people like The Fratellis who took us out and we got introduced to some really big venues. We were only used to playing to 400 or 500 hundred capacity and with The Fratellis it was something like 5,000 capacity at Brixton academy!” But these two aren’t the only big name bands The Enemy have played alongside, there’s the Futureheads and some future dates with the Manic Street Preachers coming up too not to mention this years festivals- “I think they’re all on the cards. I’d like to do T in the Park; I think we’re doing Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, maybe something in France. I’d like to do every single one of them.”
As the interview comes to a close and the last few questions are asked, there’s one thing Liam wants to say, “Just keep coming to the gigs and keep at it. We enjoy meeting fans as much as we do other bands so if people want to come and have a beer with us then that’s sound.”
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