Author: Gijs Vervliet

Biffy Clyro is een Schotse rockband, nog steeds bestaande uit Simon Neil (zang, gitaar) en de tweelingbroers James (basgitaar) en Ben Johnston (drums). Albums als Opposites (2013) en The Myth of the Happily Ever After (2021) behaalden aanzienlijk commercieel succes. De band heeft nooit onthuld waar de naam Biffy Clyro vandaan komt — maar het is in ieder geval een naam die blijft hangen. Dit jaar staat het Schotse trio opnieuw op het programma van Pinkpop, en vóór hun optreden kreeg ik (Martien Koolen) de kans om met de tweelingbroers te praten. Dus, daar gaan we…

Back on home ground, right? This isn’t your first time here — I believe it’s your fourth time?
James: “Really? Fuck me, mate — that often? We always enjoy it here, but today it’s ridiculously hot. Especially for us Scots — we’re not used to these temperatures! Ha ha.”
Ben: “The lineup is always great here, with lots of eclectic bands. We always end up hanging out with friends from other bands. It’s a great festival.”
James: “The Dutch crowd is always a challenge — not an easy one. You really have to work hard to convince them!”

You do work hard!
Ben: “Yes, we always go full out as a band, ha ha. It’s always nice to play for such a big crowd — they sing along and really connect with our music.”

Did you prepare anything special for Pinkpop 2025?
James: “No, not really… ha ha. Every show is special. We’re starting this one with our new song.”
The one that was released as a single — A Little Love?
Ben: “Yeah, exactly. I think it’s quite bold to open with a brand-new song that the crowd doesn’t really know yet.”
James: “But every show feels special. We’ve been doing this for over twenty-five years, so I think we know what we’re doing, right?”

How difficult is it to put together a setlist when you have so many songs to choose from?
Ben: “We don’t — ha ha. Simon does that. We don’t care! He’s the one digging for the right songs to get the right vibe. And he does a great job.”

Are there songs you have to play — the so-called crowd-pleasers?
James: “That’s tough. We’ve got so many great songs — pretty much every song in the set is a single. But there’s always someone in the crowd who’ll complain about a song we didn’t play. So yeah, it’s difficult.”

Are there Biffy songs you’ve never played live?
Ben: “There are a few, yeah — but maybe those just don’t fit the live vibe or the energy of the set.”

How has Biffy’s music evolved over the years?
James: “I think our songs have become simpler. Over the years, we’ve developed a unique Biffy sound that keeps evolving. We’re not a band like Iron Maiden — though I love Maiden — who have a clear signature sound. We like to experiment and mess around a bit. We enjoy surprising our fans.”

There’s quite a difference between your studio sound and your live performance. Why is that?
Ben: “Yeah, the albums are a bit softer. But live — all the energy and adrenaline comes out. We turn into fucking monsters, ha ha!”
James: “We do play faster live than in the studio. But I think it’s good to have that contrast. The live experience should feel like a different beast than the record.”

The new album is nearly finished. How does it differ musically from the last one?
Ben: “It’s definitely a different album. We worked with a brand-new producer — a younger guy who brought fresh ideas to the table. The production techniques are quite different. Especially the way the drums were recorded — I’ve never recorded like that before.”

You’re a power trio. Have you ever thought about bringing in a fourth member to change up the sound?
James: “For the album, no. But live, we’ve got a couple of extra guys helping us out this time. I think there’ll be seven of us on stage later — ha ha.”
Ben: “In the studio, we’re happy just the three of us.”

What are the musical advantages of being a trio?
James: “It’s easier to reach a consensus. If you’ve got six people in a band, it’s much harder to get everyone on the same page.”
Ben: “And of course, James and I are twins, so we’re basically one person, ha ha. Our way of communicating is hard to follow for outsiders. We’re a tight unit.”

What are you most proud of so far?
James: “Still being here. That’s what I’m proud of. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs. Many of the bands we’ve been friends with have broken up, but we’re still going — longer than most marriages, and we’re not divorced yet, ha ha.”
Ben: “And we’ve just finished our tenth studio album. That’s fucking amazing. To still be doing it, still enjoying it, still feeling hungry. It’s not about the money or treating it like a job. It’s about our musical ideas and sharing them with the audience. We still love what we do — even though it gets tougher as we get older, ha ha.”

Any ambitions left to fulfil?
James: “Yes, we still haven’t played in a lot of countries. So yeah, we’re ambitious — but quietly so. As Scotsmen, we’re a bit more reserved. We’re not planning to fucking land on the moon — but we want people to hear our music.”
Ben: “If we’re still playing live ten years from now, that’s the dream!”

Which band would you love to share a stage with?
James: “Ooooh, nice question, mate… Pearl Jam. They were huge for us growing up. They’re very down-to-earth, and I love that. They just plug in and play — that’s it. Massive respect for Pearl Jam. They’ve been around forever.”

Final question — if I were in Biffy Clyro and you were the music journalist, what would you ask?
Ben: “Oooooooh, another great question. How about: ‘Would you like a million pounds?’ Ha ha.”
What would be your answer?
James: “Yes!” (very loud laughter)

Thanks for your time, gentlemen.
Ben/James: “Thank you — great interview, mate. Interesting questions!”

—Martien Koolen