Censored - The Spring 2007 Sohostrut Interview We featured the first Censored single in our last “Fresh Cuts”. It seemed an appropriate moment to catch up on where the band are right now. The past year, the events, the future. “Blow It Out My Mind“, “Your Eyes Are Made Of Gold”, “When You Come Along”, The Great Escape Club nights. So Rob Massey met up with Matt Henshaw and put a few questions to him.

Its been an eventful year for you boys. How would you sum it up? So far it's been great. We expected it to be quite quiet actually, just get our Nottingham shows a little bigger and do some new songs. But we've done some great supports with people like We Are Scientists and Good Shoes and we've recorded a 3 track single that sounds fantastic, if i'm allowed to say so myself.

It must be excellent to be releasing a single. What‘s it about?. The song we're releasing first as an a-side is a bit deep and heavy, we like to gamble. Called 'Blow It Out My Mind', It's about being in your late teens as we are and what we did thinking about people that might be our age signing to up for the army and being shipped off to Iraq or Afghanistan ankle deep in sand and an AK47 in hand, it doesn't have any cheesey lines like that obviously as you know but the middle bit gives a little perspective, someone said to me it's a goosebumps moment live which was nice.

Who wrote the tune?
It started off as an Nathan idea for a few verses and a bit in it somewhere that spelt a word, we ended up going with the word LIFE, which is a pretty big one, so in the middle it says Life Is Forever Ending, which Chris thought up. And I did the chorus pretty much and the middley bit. It's the most democratic song we've ever done, so that's another reason for it being the single. The b-sides are great as well, they're different versions of other tunes, wait 'till you hear.

You've recorded some high quality demos in the past. How did the recording process for the single differ?
It was the same really, we'd play the song live and then do the vocals again. The difference this time is it sounds beefier and it's been mastered and mixed better. We've got James Singleton produced it who is amazing, and he's a Wednesday fan as well soobviously got a certain amount of cool.

Would you say your approach to your music has changed at all over the last couple of years? If so how?
The approach is always the same. We put the emphasis on qulaity on every tune, make each one different, all contribute bits and make it catchy as fuck where possible. The only thing that changes is what you're listening to now and then, we'll always keep our musical routes but you're always hearing new stuff.

There has been a sartorial change in your approach. When you first started out, you all used to wear suits. Now you have a more casual look. Any reason for the change?
Comfort is one. But mainly we just used to get compared to The Jam all the time, and whilst it's a nice one to have there's alot more to what we're doing than just ripping the Jam. It was a good to get us noticed early on but now we've got our own identity more and more.

You've put on “The Great Escape” your own club night in Nottingham. There's a good crowd each time - and a top atmosphere. Where did you get the idea for that?
The Beatles played the Cavern, The Who played Goldhawk Road, The Stones and The Yardbirds played the Crawdaddy, we just wanted somewhere where everyone knew we where we were every month in Nottingham and people would know there'd be good bands on because we're picking them. Hopefully in a few years time bands will think playing Junktion 7 is soemthing of a big deal, or that may just be wishful thinking, it is the best small venue in Nottingham though. And our crowds make everywhere a great atmosphere. Spread the Love!!

You've established a standard of quality with the bands you've put on with you. How have you chosen them?
Hear of them somehow and get in touch. We've got a few ears to the ground and a few scouts. It's picking a 5-a-side football team every month with Censored upfront, you've always got to have good people behind you. Dale Winton will tel you that!

You did an acoustic set as a band recently. How did that come about?
Well it was a gig we didn't really want to do so we agreed to do it, but do it differently. It worked out alright and we like how some of the tunes sound acousticly. We'll probably record some that way. We're not gonna ruip you off though like the Kooks and do the first album again but acousticly, maybe do a few b-sides that way.

What plans for gigs have you got coming up?
Censored's Great Escape will be going on untill May, then we're breaking for the summer to do festivals and that. Before that though we've got some supports slots and a Club NME tour. And then after the Summer there'll be a second single and a big support tour and loads more dates.

What next? When can we expect your first album?
Next year hopefully if all goes well. We'll do an album when the time is right, we don't want to do one for the sake of it and let it disappear without trace like an All Saints album. We'll do a few singles and see how they go, we've got some good people behind us now like I said so hopefully they'll do well, a nice little progression.

There must be stories behind "Your Eyes Are Made Of Gold" and "When You Come Along". Tell me more.
Your Eyes Are Made Of Gold is a lovely one and i'm glad it's so popular. I wrote it just after Chris' grandad died and it's about questioning mortality and keeping positive in this life, in a really nice way. The funny thing is though that most people think it's a love song but it's actually about Chris! When You Come Along is just us being crude little boys and playing with words and innuendos, trying to be sexual in a non-overt way. Some of the bits are true, some are not, some Lady Sovereign references from me in there (I love her!) and some bits from Nathan that I dont' want to talk about!!

As we speak, there are rumours starting to circulate about band members and a certain celebrity. Any comments?
That Paris Hilton thing's quite funny intit. We've been spending alot of time down in Camden recently as well, that Lily Allen's alright!

And finally. If you had to pick one event of the last year as special which would it be?
I can't do that. There's been a few, hopefully plenty more to come. Chris making me chicken nuggets at 3 in the morning the other night pissed as a newt in full chefs outfit was pretty special. The mad bastard!
Cheers Matt.  Hope the next year is as successful as the last.  And "Blow It Out My Mind" is huge.  It deserves to be.

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