View hopes delay won't mar US plans
Scottish band, primed to break out after UK success, awaits resolution of visa issues related to singer's cocaine bust.
With a mountain of buzz behind them and a series of performances lined up at SXSW last month, the View was primed to be 2007's version of breakout British rock band the Arctic Monkeys. The band's debut album, Hats Off to the Buskers, has already reached platinum status in the UK on the back of the hit singles "Wasted Little DJs" and "Same Jeans."
But a conviction on cocaine possession charges for frontman Kyle Falconer last year has sullied those plans, as Falconer has been unable to get a green light from US immigration officials to enter the States due to the conviction.
The delay forced the band to ccancel its planned US tour last month, a trek that was to include the SXSW performances. It rescheduled the dates but had to cancel them again last week because the visa problems are not yet sorted out.
The View guitarist Peter Reilly spoke with MP3.com from the band's hometown of Dundee, Scotland about the importance of breaking in the US and getting a quick resolution to the visa delays.
"When you first start a band you want to be the best band in the world, and America is the place where you become the best band in the world, so it's very important for us to have success in the US," Reilly said. "It was just a really stupid mistake by Kyle."
Falconer plans to apply for a waiver that would allow him to enter the US for a limited time, but has been advised to wait for an unspecified period of time before doing so.
"Because it's such a recent incident we need to wait," Reilly said. "He needs to wait a while and go back the next time and say, "See, I've been a good boy. But I don't know how long it's going to take."
Reilly said that he and bandmate Kieren Webster might come to the US to play a few small gigs and promote the album, which is set for a May 8 release in the US.
"We want to be there right behind it when the album is coming out," Reilly said. "Anything we can do to help when the album comes out because we don't want too much time to pass."
mp3.com, 12th April 2007
With a mountain of buzz behind them and a series of performances lined up at SXSW last month, the View was primed to be 2007's version of breakout British rock band the Arctic Monkeys. The band's debut album, Hats Off to the Buskers, has already reached platinum status in the UK on the back of the hit singles "Wasted Little DJs" and "Same Jeans."
But a conviction on cocaine possession charges for frontman Kyle Falconer last year has sullied those plans, as Falconer has been unable to get a green light from US immigration officials to enter the States due to the conviction.
The delay forced the band to ccancel its planned US tour last month, a trek that was to include the SXSW performances. It rescheduled the dates but had to cancel them again last week because the visa problems are not yet sorted out.
The View guitarist Peter Reilly spoke with MP3.com from the band's hometown of Dundee, Scotland about the importance of breaking in the US and getting a quick resolution to the visa delays.
"When you first start a band you want to be the best band in the world, and America is the place where you become the best band in the world, so it's very important for us to have success in the US," Reilly said. "It was just a really stupid mistake by Kyle."
Falconer plans to apply for a waiver that would allow him to enter the US for a limited time, but has been advised to wait for an unspecified period of time before doing so.
"Because it's such a recent incident we need to wait," Reilly said. "He needs to wait a while and go back the next time and say, "See, I've been a good boy. But I don't know how long it's going to take."
Reilly said that he and bandmate Kieren Webster might come to the US to play a few small gigs and promote the album, which is set for a May 8 release in the US.
"We want to be there right behind it when the album is coming out," Reilly said. "Anything we can do to help when the album comes out because we don't want too much time to pass."
mp3.com, 12th April 2007
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