Feeder came out swinging, this month. The legendary British rock duo just released their 12th studio record, Black/Red – a double album – and their first since 2022.
And what a record. With 18 songs at their disposal, Feeder has brought back some of the powerful and catchy riffs their fans know them for. But they explored some serene soundscapes in the more intricate, slower tracks.
Although Black/Red arrives two years after Torpedo, Feeder hasn’t simply churned out another album. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, frontman Grant Nicholas explained this record has been in the works since before Torpedo even came out.
“Basically, some of the songs were actually written during lockdown,” Grant explained. “And I got cold feet on the whole double album and I thought, oh, maybe we’ll wait. And so there’s a few songs that were kind of done then and written then during lockdown, and then they were just kind of left.”
The Buck Rogers star explained that Black/Red is, in many ways, connected to Torpedo. “Like, sonically, I really wanted it to feel like it was a natural kind of move on from that. And I didn’t want to do a completely different sounding record.” He chuckled: “I wanted it to feel like it was almost like a trilogy thing. Which, I know is a very… it sounds a little bit prog-rock, but I was kind of in my mind. And I thought, you know, after you’ve been around for so long, it’s just nice to try new things.”
While Grant was open to trying new things, he has found that not every new experience is for him. Feeder’s first official record hit the charts in 1997, and they have naturally seen the music industry change a hell of a lot in (almost) 30 years. Looking at the other artists around him and in the charts, Grant posited: “I think what’s typical for a band like us… some of these artists are massive on the back of streaming and TikTok and stuff like that – well… we’re not that kind of band.
“So a lot of – even down to the charts – that’s where they’re getting a lot of like, how they’re doing a lot. Their sales … But, I think for a band like us, even though I know the physical is tiny compared to where it used to be, I think we’re a band that still needs to do that for our fan base. And we’ll do that for as long as we can.”
Hearing himself, Grant added: “And I think it [social media] is really important, but I don’t feel bitter about it. It’s just the way things are. It’s just a different world now … So, you know, we’re learning new things as we go along. But we still want to keep our identity as a band. We don’t want to feel like we’re doing something doesn’t feel right to us.”
Regardless of the band’s position or use of social media, the weight of their legacy has catapulted them to the top ten in the UK’s official album charts. Could Black/Red be Feeder’s first number-one album? Grant certainly hopes so.
“I know everyone says [it] but we have picked a particularly tough week,” Grant said. “There were like 28 new releases or something.”
Citing the likes of Beyoncé and The Libertines as the band’s rivals this week, they certainly have a big battle ahead of them. “Good luck to them,” he added, without an ounce of bitterness or irony. “It’s a pretty tough chart, but if we manage to stay in the [top] ten I’ll be chuffed.”
At the time of writing Feeder is holding number four in the top ten. I think it’s high time they grabbed their first number one.
