Interview met Biffy Clyro op Pinkpop 2025 “The live experience has to be a different animal from the record!”

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

Biffy Clyro kondigt MTV Unplugged album en tour aan

Biffy ClyroBiffy Clyro hebben hun eerste akoestische album ooit aangekondigd. Het album heet MTV Unplugged: Live At Roundhouse London en wordt op 25 mei uitgebracht.

Het album is vorig jaar op 8 november opgenomen in de beroemde Roundhouse venue in Londen. Het album bevat de favoriete tracks van de band en een nieuwe spin aan de Beach Boys klassieker God Only Knows. Tevens bevat het album een nieuwe track getiteld Different Kind of Love.

MTV zendt de wereldwijde première van het Roundhouse optreden 25 mei uit. MTV Unplugged: Live At Roundhouse London wordt op CD, CD/DVD en digitaal uitgebracht. Daarnaast wordt het album uitgebracht in de vorm van een speciale vinyl/CD/DVD box set. Het album kan via de officiële websitege-preordered worden.

Daarnaast heeft de band ook nog een Europese tour aangekondigd. Biffy Clyro is dit jaar op 3 oktober in Paradiso, Amsterdam te zien. Bij de pre-order krijgen fans een pre-sale code cadeau voor de ticket kaartjes van het Europese concert.

LIVEDATUM 03/10 Paradiso, Amsterdam

Tracklisting MTV Unplugged: Live At Roundhouse London

  1. The Captain
  2. Biblical
  3. Re-arrange
  4. Drop It
  5. Black Chandelier
  6. Folding Stars
  7. Different Kind Of Love
  8. Mountains
  9. God Only Knows
  10. Opposite
  11. Small Wishes
  12. Bubbles
  13. Medicine
  14. Many of Horror
  15. Machines

Biffy Clyro – Many of Horror (MTV Unplugged Live at Roundhouse, London)

Elke ochtend om acht uur is het tijd voor een verse Clip van de Dag. Met vandaag een vervolg op de succesvolle en historische MTV Unplugged sessies. De Schotse rockband Biffy Clyro mag nu ook zo’n liveopname op hun toch al imposante cv zetten. Bij de modern classic Many of Horror is nu ook een videoclip verschenen. En vanwege het grote succes gaat Biffy Clyro nu ook op een unplugged tournee.

LIVEDATUM 3/10 Paradiso, Amsterdam