Preston - Interview

Grace and Bradley are keen to speak to Preston to see what he's been up to lately, and go bearing gifts of McDonald Cat Masks and the like. It's actually great to see Preston back, on form, with the Ordinary Boys, doing what he enjoys most.

Grace: So you've been away for the past 3 years or so why do you feel now is the right time to come back?

Preston: I just thought it was a fun thing to do, a sort of Christmas present because everyone's wearing their Christmas jumpers so it must be Christmas.

starts playing with cat mask

The eyes are quite cool on their own actually. Will you take a photo of me? I could do a David Bowie and do one of each.

I'd had some success in song writing.. Oh that is disgusting!... yeah as a kind of reward my publishers said we'll book you a little tour. So it was just for self indulgent nostalgic reasons more than anything.

Bradley: They're the best kind of reasons

Preston: Yeah I just wanted to relive it all a bit before I get old which seems to be creeping up. I wanted to do it while I was still in my 20's I think. And the other guys couldn't do it so I met, well I've just met you recently (Toby). Last night he played drums even though he's the keyboard player. That's the kind of wild s**t that we're capable of!

Grace: I'm expecting a wild night!

Bradley: We've had a look at the set lists and you seem to be basing the tour on 'Over the Counter Culture' instead of your other two albums, why have you decided to do that?

Preston: Cause we're playing in the same venues as we did when we first started so I thought I wanna just recreate that. I think that's where we worked best as a band so it makes for sense.

Grace: It's my favourite album

Preston: Yeah it's the best one really.

Grace: Not that I don't like the other two..!

Preston: I just think people really like that album. We watched Jurassic park 3 in the van today

Grace: Was it good?

Preston: Pretty good

Grace: They're bringing out a titanic 3D...

Preston: They did Jurassic park 3d didn't they?

Bradley: I don't know if they did

Preston: They should

Grace: We do media we should know this...

Preston: I did media... You shouldn't have given us toys...

Grace: No I should have waited until the end should I?!

Preston: What about a weird 4 eyed mutant cat...

Grace: Boys will be Boys we know has featured in such films as 'Harry Potter' and Programmes like 'The IT crowd' how does it make you feel that your music's appeared in such well known things?

Preston: Apparently in Harry Potter when they play the song he like puts his collar up.

Grace: I can't say as I've ever watched it...

Bradley: Yeah this was one of my questions.

Preston: But yeah its awesome, it's cool. And its good as well cause then it's a little bit more cemented in time to people who aren't actually going to seek it out, it's nice to have it just kind of sitting there and come on telly at Christmas time in our Christmas jumpers.

Bradley: How would you describe your sound to people who have maybe only heard a couple of songs or perhaps only know you for your appearances on big brother?

Preston: Erm I don't know, what would you say?

Toby: what in regards to the first album?

Bradley: Well in general

Toby: I don't know, mod revival?

Preston: Apparently we're mod revival, everyone's writing we're mod revival, I think we just always thought we were a punk band. Just sort of punky music.

Grace: Good music...

Preston: yeah I'd say good music.

Grace: The best description would be nice music

Preston: Nice music, cool music bro.

Grace: You cite Morrissey for the choice of the name of your band, who would you say your musical icons are?

Preston: Morrissey!

Grace: That would be a good start..!

Preston: I really like Terry Hall, I really like Dee Dee Ramone. I love the Ramones but I especially like Dee Dee he's my favourite one. He's so kind of wild and weird. Christopher Cross, we've been listening to a lot of Christopher Cross on this tour cause we like Michael Macdonald backing vocals. We think every song should have Michael Macdonald backing vocals.

Bradley: You've performed with Lady Sovereign in nine2five, is there anyone else that you would want to collaborate with dead or alive?

Preston: Erm Dead or Alive I'd like to collaborate with them that would be a good one.

Grace: I like that answer!

Preston: I don't know Oh Michael Macdonald!

Grace: What's happened to Lady Sovereign now? That's not a question I just want to know.

Preston: She was really promising when she first came out. A lot of that grime stuff started off really good, I was really into it then a lot of it sort of meandered off into weird directions. There's a lot of people that still do grime stuff but I prefer Christopher Cross really.

Grace: This is a really random question but on the cover of 'Over the Counter Culture' why is there a weird lamb thing? And I think it looks menacing.

Preston: It's meant to be a black sheep.

Bradley: This makes more sense now

Grace: Why

Bradley: you know what a black sheep is?

Grace: A black sheep..

Preston: Like the black sheep of the flock, it's like a really cute one.

Grace: I understand now but I thought it looked menacing.

Preston: It is very menacing! In the photo shoot it was... no there wasn't a photo shoot! He was a real diva.

Bradley: Your last album was called 'How to Get Everything You Ever Wanted in Ten Easy Steps' what are the ten easy steps?

Preston: They were the songs I think, wasn't that the idea?

Toby: step one, step two, step three...

Preston: Yeah the songs are like the steps.

Bradley: That probably makes more sense as well.

Grace: My favourite song is "Just a Song", what would you say was yours?

Preston: What's my favourite song Simon?

Simon: Seaside.

Preston: Oh Seaside yeah I like seaside. That one always goes down the best. I don't know what else is good to play?

Toby: Week in Week outs good

Simon: Maybe Sundays the best one to play

Toby: especially when I play it

Simon: And I get to crowd surf.

Preston: They swapped around and Simon just ran out into the crowd and just did a massive stage dive. It was a real mental one last night. Really really busy and a good venue.

Grace: Are you playing 'Just a Song' tonight?

Preston: nope! We were going to but not now!

Bradley: The X factors coming to an end, how do you feel about artists that release products as a result of being on the X factor?

Preston: Well I had a number one for Olly Murs so I don't really mind stuff like that.

Bradley: I don't have anything against it, I don't think either of us have, but you just get some people say it's not "proper music".

Preston: No its not proper music but it is what it is so it's fine. You're not treading on anyone else's toes cause the charts are just the charts.

Grace: If you were going to go into Big Brother again, would you do it differently?

Preston: What if had already been in and I was going to go again?

Grace: Yeah

Preston: I wouldn't do it again, I think twice is enough for any human being.

Grace: Is it really as horrible as it looks on the TV?

Preston: No its fine it's a really good time

Bradley: Sometimes you watch and think oh my god I could not be in there and sometimes you look at it and think actually that looks fun.

Preston: I just chill anyway so it's cool

Bradley: Why did you choose to go back into "Ultimate Big Brother"?

Preston: I don't know really. I hadn't got anything on, I just don't really over think these things and do whatever I fancy.