By Sarah Mills
(Reuters) – Rock duo Royal Blood began its life in the southern English coastal resort of Worthing, but says it feels at home in the United States, where it will tour its fourth full length album to be released on Friday.
Formed in 2011, the band initially struggled to get a gig in its home town, often regarded as the genteel little sister to trendy Brighton.
It has toured in the United States for nearly a decade and heads there in September after dates in Britain.
“I feel like in America, rock’n’roll (is) such a part of the language,” lead singer Mike Kerr told Reuters. “Wherever you land in America, you get straight in a taxi, the radio goes on and there’s a guitar solo – it’s part of the culture,” he said.
The duo’s debut album reached number 17 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, while their last album Typhoons hit number 48.
Kerr, together with drummer Ben Thatcher, said he was not concerned about rankings as that was beyond their control.
“Our efforts are best put into just trying to be the best band we can be. The rest, you just see what happens,” Kerr said.
Still, he said he had never felt more confident lyrically than in their new album “Back to the Water Below”.
“Sometimes there’s a temptation, particularly in rock music, to hide behind the music because it can be so boisterous … but on this record, there’s times where we kind of let the dust settle and I feel more revealed,” Kerr said.
Thatcher said the lead single “Mountains At Midnight” was classic Royal Blood rock, but other tracks, such as “Pull Me Through”, were more introspective.
“A big part of the song (Pull Me Through) is about asking for help and looking to someone else to help you get out of a certain feeling or a certain situation,” Kerr said. “For me, it was an easy place to write from, being submerged.”
(Editing by Barbara Lewis)
