Eastpak Antidote Tour 2010: Headliners Sum 41 chat to Stereoboard (Interview)
Friday, 22 October 2010
Written by Rob Sleigh
Next week, the Eastpak Antidote Tour will be hitting the road again for its sixth year running and four more awesome bands have been lined up for the occasion. The tour will spring into action with seven dates in the UK, before heading out on a month-long trek around mainland Europe. Canadian pop-punk-metallers Sum 41 are this year’s headliners and they’ll be bringing three other great bands along with them. First up are The Black Pacific, the new band of former Pennywise frontman Jim Lindberg, who released their self-titled debut album last month. Joining them for the ride are Texan punk’n’rollers the Riverboat Gamblers and one of Epitaph Records’ most recent signings Veara.
It’s been over three years since we last heard from Sum 41, following the release of their fourth album ‘Underclass Hero’. Now, almost a decade after their debut ‘All Killer No Filler’, they are getting ready to make their long-awaited return with the launch of their next offering. Before the album makes its appearance, however, they are taking a short break to join the other bands on the Eastpak Antidote Tour. With just a few days to go before the first show in Norwich, frontman Deryck Whibley had a quick chat with Stereoboard to talk about the UK dates and Sum 41’s new album.
The Eastpak Antidote tour starts in the UK next week and Sum 41 are headlining. How excited are you about it?
We’re really excited. Playing live, in front of people, is the best thing about being in a band.
When did you last play in the UK and what do you like most about playing over here?
I think the last time we were there was 2008. We’ve always loved playing there. The crowds are always great.
You’ll be sharing the stage with several other great bands. Are you looking forward to playing with them?
Yeah. We were on tour with the Riverboat Gamblers this summer. The lead singer of the Black Pacific used to be in Pennywise and we’ve known them for about ten years. It’ll be fun.
Were you a big Pennywise fan?
Yeah. We grew up listening to Pennywise and bands like NOFX and Bad Religion.
Is it a lot of fun to play as part of a big tour like this with lots of other bands?
To me, it’s no different. I just love touring in general, so it’s always fun.
It’s been over three years since the last Sum 41 album. When is your new album likely to be released and what will it be called?
Well, it’s going to be called ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’. We’re still trying to figure out when it’s going to come out. It’s all done, it’s just record company kind of stuff. Trying to figure out a release date that’s going to work. I think it’s going to be in the new year.
The last album ‘Underclass Hero’ was seen as a bit of a return to the punk rock style of your earlier stuff. What can fans expect from the new album?
The new album doesn’t really compare to anything we’ve done before. It’s a lot of different styles of music within each song. The whole record sort of keeps changing. It’s hard to explain. It’s fast, then it’s slow, then it’s heavy, then it’s soft.
We’ve been hearing about the new album for the best part of two years now, so you must have been working on it for a while. What has it been like to make?
It’s been a process, which is why it’s taken so long, but it’s been a really fun process. It doesn’t really feel like it’s been a lot of work. I sort of work at my own leisure. When I have an idea, I’ll put it down. The ideas come really quick and I’ll do something, but then for a month, I might not have anything. I’ll do my own thing and then, all of a sudden, I’ll have a new idea. That’s why it’s taken so long. It’s been really easy, but it’s taken a while.
Next year will mark the tenth anniversary of when your breakthrough album ‘All Killer No Filler’ was released. How do you feel nearly ten years on?
You know what? I feel the exact same [Laughs] . It doesn’t feel like any time’s gone by. I’m more enthusiastic about being in the band than ever.
How do you feel that you have changed as a songwriter in that time?
I don’t really feel like much has changed, to be honest. I just feel like we’ve gotten better.
Some of your more recent work has been quite personal and political. What do you think was the motivation behind that change in direction?
It was sort of natural. It just started coming out like that, so I just went with it. It was a different lyrical style than I’ve done previously, so it just seemed like something that would be good to do in order to change things.
How do you feel that Sum 41 has developed as a band since you started out?
We’ve covered a lot of different styles of music over the past ten years. We’ve always tried to change things. Incorporating metal or incorporating hip-hop stuff. We’ve kind of covered a lot of bases. We’re still all best friends. When we’re not on tour, I talk to them everyday. We still hang out and enjoy each other’s company. I think we’ve grown into great friends.
The last album was the first one that you did without Dave in the band. How different was it to make compared with your previous work?
To make the record, it wasn’t that different. The only thing that was different after Dave left was that he wasn’t on stage with us anymore. In terms of recording, it didn’t really make any difference.
What lies ahead for Sum 41?
A whole lot of touring. We’ve been off for a few years now. The record’s done and, when it comes out, we plan on touring the whole world like we always do.
The Eastpak Antidote Tour will call at the following venues from 27th October:
OCTOBER 2010:
Wed 27 Norwich UEA
Thu 28 Southampton Guildhall
Fri 29 London Forum
Sun 31 Glasgow ABC
NOVEMBER 2010:
Mon 1 Manchester Academy
Tue 2 Birmingham Academy
Wed 3 Bristol Academy
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