Photo: WENN

As the BBC Sound of 2015 is announced and we listen to the hotly-tipped acts set to soundtrack our year, we sat down with DJ Zane Lowe to reflect on where we're at right now.

For the Radio One DJ, that means lessons he learned from his divisive Drive re-scoring project, taking risks in radio, why Muse will own the summer, who's going to headline the festivals of the future and which bands will really definte 2015. 

What were you favourite albums of 2014? 

Ben Howard, I Forget Where We Were. That was one of my favourite albums without question. Interpol El Pintor: that was an amazing record. Royal Blood too. Club and hip-hop had some great moments too.

It was a great year for music, it's an interesting time. While music is being made and the creativity and that side of it is thriving, everyone else is busy working out what environment music is going to come through and what the norm is going to be for people. The quality of the creativity is about the only constant at the moment, because everything else is all over the place.

Is that why pretty much everyone on your Drive soundtrack project was a relatively new artist?

We wanted to do something that was very reflective of our radio show, rather than go and bring in a whole load of older or established artists. The thing about that movie is that we knew it was going to be sensitive ground for some people because of the quality of the original and the soundtrack and the integration of those two elements.

It's such a classic, and we wanted to make sure that whatever the experiment was, we could at least say that for better or for worse, the identity was very in keeping with us as a show. It had to be original music and artists that we liked on the show. Artists that we could stand by because we play their music anyway.

Is the soundtrack being released separately?

I don't know at the moment. That's still in process.

Following a number of complaints, you clarified on Twitter that your Drive soundtrack wasn't intended as a replacement for the original. Were you expecting the backlash that it received?

No, and that was probably the fundamental flaw in the whole equation. Looking back and taking some responsibility over it, in the execution I just assumed people would realise that. Perhaps we didn't explain it properly and I didn't take the full time and responsibility to make it clear. That's what is required.

I should have said 'This is why we're doing it and this is what we believe it to be. There's no replacement, it's just an experiment to see if we can fuse two different artistic ideas to create some new music and a new experience.' It took about two weeks to get that point across. Once it had gone, out on the air, the rest was pretty overwhelmingly positive because people had to see it to understand it.

Having learned those lessons, do you think you'd do it again?

I'd love to. I would really love other people to do it, the success is of other people getting inspired by it. The success is if film students go 'I want to do that' and if film companies go 'We're going to release two versions of this - one with the original and another with new music'. It's just about the idea of taking something that's as loved and respected as this film and trying to give it a new feel to inspire the musicians.

If you look at Simon from Biffy Clyro, who wrote a brilliant song for it, I asked him what he thought of the movie and he said 'I saw it, I loved what you did with it'. I understand that some people might argue that if you try and hold it up against the original then it won't stand up, and that's absolutely fair enough, but I know that a lot of people love it.

It was hardly a matter of people needing to compare it to the original - it was a tribute to the film essentially.

Absolutely. The debate was amazing. How often do you get the chance to be in the middle of such a storm like that? It's awesome. Did you like it? You can be honest...

Yes, largely for the platform it gave the tracks. Chvrches were named our best album of 2013 but the past few times we've seen them live their game has just gone up. When they dropped 'Get Away', suddenly there were on another level.

That's the thing. As soon as we heard that they were playing that song live, I was like 'Well, job done'. The director of the movie facilitated me to bring all of this together, the bands were making the music, and all of that has created something that exists on its own now. That track is a bona fide part of their live set and I was so stoked when I heard that. It's just a fun thing to do to take the pressure of making another album.

Any other films in mind that you think would benefit from the same kind of treatment?

No comment at this stage... You know, Drive is still a thing and I want it to breathe on its own terms. The last thing I want to do is go into another debate. It has to be an organic experience and a process that happens naturally. It's like Masterpieces - people ask if we're going to do that again, where we play the albums in full and tell their story. It's like 'Well, only if four spring to mind'. I don't want to force it or have to look behind the couch for four albums I think are worthy, I want to get the four that feel right. If it takes four years or we never do it again, then that's OK. That's one of the great things about living in a world now where art and ideas are so accessible, it's that you don't have to plan five years in advance.

These interviews we've been doing, we did three really quickly: Jay Z, Kanye West and Eminem. Then we did Chris Martin and Rick Rubin, really quickly. We haven't done anything since because it's about finding the right person, rather tailoring in that old-school mentality of 'one a month'. People don't look at it that way. What you do with your time is your business, I'm just grateful if you give a little bit of it to any ideas we may have when the time is right.

Being a DJ away from radio, how would you say that recent new music has changed your live set and the way that people react to it?

When you're a DJ, music is always evolving. When you make music, you play music that tends to your own voice. The music that I produce and I write, it does't matter if I'm working on a Sam Smith record or a Liam Bailey record or whatever, when I go out and I play I'm a bit of an ADD DJ and I'm always looking for whatever moves me and changing as it happens. It's about integrating what's going on with that feeling of jumping from one stone to the next. It's always evolving. I've been as influenced by deep house as anyone else, but rather than just go down that route, with what I think would be the more expected record, I look for the sound of those records that speaks to me. When I play records, I just want to feel tough.

I wish I could stand there and play a seven minute song, I wish I could play the Jonas Rathsman remix of 'Like I Can' by Sam Smith because that was one of the best remixes of last year. But I've got to move. I come from a rap background where I've got to create these clashes that sometimes work and sometimes work. I want it to be chaotic and crazy and the to feel like something unrecognisable has just emerged. I'm looking for the stuff that's got energy to it.

Crossing so many genres as you do, you must see the potential in crossover bands. What do you make from the controversy and uproar caused by metalheads when Muse were announced to headline Download?

That's ridiculous.I understatement that people have their tribes, their t-shirts, their groups of friends. We've been through this so many times before. We've been through this with Jay Z at Glastonbury, and it was the same with Chase & Status at Download. There was this backlash of 'Oh, you can't have electronic music'. Safe to say, they were one of the absolute highlights of the weekend. It was just chaos.

It's good, it kicks it up - it's easy to get frustrated when people are like 'Stay in your lane', but never before have we existed in an era where there's such a broad freeway, so why can't we change lanes? Why can't Muse play Download? It's about the only festival they've never headlined, get it done.

I've seen that band come on and do a riff masterclass. I've seen Matt Bellamy come on and say 'It's the end of 'Plug In Baby', I'm just gonna' play riffs for two minutes - you two cool with that?' He's just riffed, they follow up and it's like they're in a rehearsal room in front of 40,000 people. Those guys have got the onions and they will deliver, no question - they are a powerful live outfit. Anyone who's doubting that in that crowd will walk away at the end of it and deep own there will be element of respect.

And if they don't step up then we're left with the same cycle of dinosaurs on the circuit...

I was going to ask you about that. What's the solution? How do we get past the same 10 headliners?

You need to see that ascension. In the next few years, you'll see Haim headline a festival like Latitude. Florence + The Machine could probably headline Reading and Leeds.

Absolutely. There are festival headliners in waiting. It's just a matter of confidence from the promoters and confidence from the artists themselves to take that punt. I always refer to Depeche Mode when they did 101, where they booked a festival in Detroit and everyone was like 'This is ridiculous, you don't have the audience for this'. Then for ten years that's all they played, because the expectation was that they were a stadium band.

You can still see that happening. The 1975 sold out Brixton Academy before they even had an album out....

I know. Do you like that band?

Yes, for my sins. They get a harder time than they deserve

Ah, who cares?

Exactly a good band is a good band. For instance there's often a stigma attached to being a Manics fan because they aren't 'cool' per se.

Really? I've never had to defend myself as a Manics fan. Anyone who argues isn't cool with me.

Exactly - 'This conversation is over, you're already wrong'.

Ha! That's a t-shirt right there.

Who do you see headlining festivals in the future?

I think Royal Blood will have their day at some point. It's just the power of their music and we've seen The White Stripes headline with just two people, and Black Keys. There's no issue with that and that's going to happen. I think Disclosure will have their moment at big dance festivals. I think if Pendulum come back then they could walk straight into a headline spot. I think they could headline Reading and Leeds.

We've got these festival headliners in waiting. The 1975 could eventually have their moment, their second album could be important for that - but for everyone it's about getting that moment and that song that just satisfies and connects and you've got to have them on the bill. That's what Glastonbury and Coachella do very well in taking risks. They did it with Coldplay and Radiohead before they were massive and at the time they seemed ahead of the curve, after that then they could headline anywhere. It's that one final, risky brave move.

Who are your big new acts for 2015?

Slaves, Real Lives, Years & Years, James Bay, Stormzy, Kaytranada, Spooky Black, there are lots of authentic British voices coming through who are children of Jamie T, The Libertines and The Streets who are talking about stuff that's very specific to where we are right now. Who am I missing?

Raury.

He's great.

Wolf Alice.  

Absolutely. I heard an interesting pop act from Australia recently called Banoffee. Prides are cool, Temples are finally blowing up in America. I think 2015 is going to be great. Music has never been easier to make but the stakes have never been higher to make something good. You can dive so deep and eventually you'll find something amazing.

I like Huxtable: we need someone to step up and back up Royal Blood. They're currently sitting in a room surrounded by cake and sandwiches going 'Is anyone going to join us?'

Carl Barat was telling us that although streaming has meant there is limitless music online, in some ways radio is more important in curating what people actually get to hear.

It's always been hard to stand out, it was hard for The Libertines to stand out. I think that everyone is a curator and that's great, but only as a global phenomenon. Really, beyond that, it's just that the most passionate are heard because you love it and you want to share it. There are mates sharing a few Soundcloud links to their mates and that's how it starts.

In light of that, do you get frustrated with people arguing that Radio One might only play stuff that's going to sell, rather than what's good?

I can't speak for Radio One or the daytime shows, but for my friends and the people who make our show, that's not really a thing. There are records we hear and know that by rights it should connect with a lot of people, it feels like a radio record, but we're just looking for what's exciting.

What do you think the riskiest record is that you've played recently?

Honestly, probably something like 'Hotel California' by The Eagles. Playing something really old on Radio One really freaks people out. In terms of new music I don't really see anything as that risky because after Skrillex became popular, anything goes. The first time you heard his music it was like a a computer having a nervous breakdown. He went on to win six Grammys a few months later. Anything is possible now. I loved hearing Slipknot's 'Negative One' on Ferne's morning show the day after we made that the hottest record, that's uncompromising - same for Aphex Twin. It may not seem risky but that's a real watershed moment when it carries through the morning show. Music is music and ideas are valid.

Zane Lowe was speaking at Relentless Live. relentlessenergy.com