The 1975 on Phl: Craziest place we’ve been to

MANILA, Philippines - When The 1975 first came to the Philippines early this year, the British band was booked for a mall tour. It was, however, already clear at that time that 1975 was gaining momentum here and elsewhere in the world, and embodying what industry pundits were saying about the band — the Next Big Thing in the music scene.

Now, when 1975 returns to the country in January 2015 — leading the wave of British acts (One Direction, The Vamps, Ed Sheeran, Bastille) coming for shows — it will be in a big way, with the band riding high on the crest of a breakthrough year and debut-album success. These past months saw the band selling out major concert venues and topping worldwide sales of over 250,000 for its UK No. 1 eponymous debut record featuring such hits as Chocolate, The City and Girls.

As we write this, 1975 is in the midst of a US tour. And what other better way to affirm its status as one of today’s hottest acts than to have for an audience music superstars like Taylor Swift and Harry Styles of One Direction, who reportedly showed up at the band’s L.A. concert.

The British band 1975 returns to Manila (for a show at the MOA Arena on Jan. 24, 2015) in a big way, riding high on the crest of a breakthrough year and debut-album success

Formed roughly a decade ago when the members were teenagers, the four-piece 1975 is made up of Matthew Healy (vocals, guitar), Adam Hann (guitar), George Daniel (drums) and Ross MacDonald (bass).

If it’s the first time you’ve heard of 1975 (just in case, you’ve been out of the radio loop), know that it’s not a retro band. 1975 is current as current can be, providing the soundtrack of this generation, the millennials. Its music has been anointed with such labels as indie rock, alternative, emo-punk-goth (the latter more attributed to the band members’ signature all-black look) but the band is proudly pop, with its main songwriter Matthew unabashedly claiming in interviews as heavily influenced by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

The STAR recently had a phone chat with the 25-year-old Matthew (Matty to fans) and although we were later told that he was tired (presumably from one of his US gigs), he proved true a description we’ve read about him being a well-spoken guy. He’s very much psyched up to revisit the country, and even with the fandom he and his band now enjoy wherever they go, he still calls the Philippines the craziest place he’s been to.

Here are excerpts from our quick interview:

On 1975’s first visit to the Philippines:

“It was crazy, there was so many people like chasing the band. It’s the craziest place that we’ve been to. Fans were the most crazy in the Philippines. It was a lot of fun, we were treated like kings in the Philippines; we can’t wait to come back.”

On what they think about their debut success:

“I haven’t thought (we’d) be big in the UK, now in America, now in the Philippines. So yeah, it’s amazing. It’s humbling… (Is it everything I’ve imagined?) It’s everything that I’ve imagined and more. I have nothing like I’ve imagined as well because obviously, when you imagine something, you only imagine the most ideal conclusion. You don’t think about or wonder what it’s like when I’m conflicted about people knowing who I am or wonder what it’s like to discuss you know, and you don’t think about the inconsistencies of that life-change. But yeah, it’s amazing.”

On what draws people to their music:

“I really don’t know. I mean, I think that I am very much… that my band is very much (in touch) with our generation, we create music in the same way we consume it. I suppose I make music for myself, therefore, I make music for like-minded people and that must mean there’s a lot of people like me and feel the same thing so I think we need this, you know. What you do is you articulate the bits of life that people don’t necessarily know how to articulate themselves. I think that’s what people look for. I think that there’s a lot of that in our music.”

On the band’s first big break:

“I can’t really tell what it was. I mean, it happened gradually and you know, all I really did, us and our manager, we decided that we were just gonna make a set of pieces and put it out on his label and see if a specialist radio would take it and see if we could become like a low-level indie band in UK. And as soon as I clicked on the radio, like every week there was just this insane development. Like we got a playlist on the radio. And we booked a tour in America and then we got booked to support shows and we were on the radio all the time and then we were going to Japan. Slowly, slowly, it was happening and now it’s just something crazy.”

On how they stay “sane” amidst a crazy touring schedule (they play as much as 300 gigs a year, according to The Guardian) and keep the energy show after show:

“We don’t really stay that sane, everything is kind of fluctuating… But the show is the best part of our day, so the energy just comes from there.”

On his comment about the loss of privacy being the downside to fame:

“I’ve just been doing that promo and I think that’s the only interview (where the comment appeared) I’ve done in about a month… It was difficult for me because I was just constantly doing promo and I felt like, you know, people asking me questions and I didn’t want to be somebody who didn’t care, I didn’t want to answer questions if I wasn’t being honest. So, I found myself traveling to some countries and pouring my heart out to strangers. It was just exhausting and I just couldn’t do that anymore. So, I just kind of slowed that down a little bit.”

On how does he see himself and the band five years from now:

“I don’t like planning that much ahead because I’m not inspired by conjecture and that kind of thing. I’m more inspired by the articulation of the unexpected. The unexpected is kind of what keeps me going. That’s how I think about things so God knows, but I guess we can get something creative whether it’s bringing out a child or making more records.”

On the band’s sophomore album:

“I’ve got no idea (when we’re going to release it). I mean, we’ve written a lot of it. We could start recording it properly April next year, so as soon as it’s finished we’d put that out. The first record was about being a young adult, being a teenager. The new record is about being an adult and coming to terms with your idea of success and love, and I think it’s all of my fears and experiences put into one thing. So yes, it’s gonna be interesting.”

On advice to those still waiting for their big break: “Take your time and don’t compromise. Don’t compromise anything you believe is correct because if you do that, you’ll create awe that isn’t for yourself and if you create awe that isn’t for yourself, people won’t connect to that.”

Produced by Music Management International (MMI), Ovation Productions and Viva Concerts, the 1975 Live in Manila concert happens on Jan. 24, 2015 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Tickets are available via www.smtickets.com or call 470-2222.