The View take time for a quick Q&A

Dundee Scotland's The View hit the ground running with their first single, "Wasted Little DJs" and their hit album ‘Hats Off To The Buskers.’ M&C was recently given a chance to chat with the band for a quick Q&A.

The View consists of Kyle Falconer (guitars, lead vocals), Kieren Webster (bass), Pete Reilly (guitar), and Steven Morrison (drums). Their album ‘Hats Off To The Buskers’ entered the UK charts at number one, and they hope to replicate that success with their US release.

The band has achieved platinum status in the UK and reached #1 on the charts week of release in Britain. The View have been touring tirelessly for the last year, acting as a headliner on the Shockwaves NME tour throughout Britain, and even touring Japan on their victory debut album since the Bay City Rollers in 1974 with Rollin. "Wasted Little DJ's" took home an NME award this year for "Best Track."

However, continuing visa and immigration issues have forced the band to cancel their May U.S. tour dates – including dates at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.

M&C: You've been banned from pubs and hotels in the past...what's that all about?
The View: We like to get right up for a gig which means lots of adrenaline pumping – it’s takes a few hours to get this out of our system so we often party and play guitars back in the hotel which other guests don’t like much ! It’s all blown a bit out of proportion really, we’re not wrecking places or trying cause trouble, it’s just that we live a different lifestyle to other guests. Some pubs have really bugging security who are just intent on stopping people having a good time – isn’t that why you go to the pub?

M&C: What are things you guys struggle with as a band?
The View: Finding time with our families and girlfriends and also to write new material. We’re so busy as a band and under lots of pressure to perform and sell records so we have to find the balance.

M&C: Where do you guys pull your sound from?
The View: We listen to pop and rock from the last 30 – 40 years so our influences are pretty varied.

M&C: How did you guys come to be such talented musicians?
The View: We’ve been playing together and listening to loads of music since 14 or 15. There’s a lot of dedication and time spent learning our craft which people forget about cause we’re still so young.

M&C: What's the news on the American tour? I've heard rumors of visa issues ... anything you'd like to add that the public probably doesn't know about it?
The View: We’re trying to get over and spent a long time trying to persuade the US embassy in UK to let us in. There’s not really much more to say than that.

M&C: What were the highlights of The Doghouse Years?
The View: Hanging out with our friends in a place we love, writing the album and not really trying to be successful, just trying to keep it real. We could stay there and play for 12 hours a day so when we had an idea for a song we didn’t leave until it was done.

M&C: Where did all the songs come from for Hats Off to the Buskers?
The View: There all real songs about our friends, who we are, and where we come from. There’s no smoke or mirrors, just life in a small town in Scotland – with a soundtrack. The majority of the record was written in a few weeks in the Doghouse.

M&C: What's the message, the point, theme behind the album?
The View: The record was written for our close friends as much as for anyone else. People can take what they want from it, but I think that if anyone wants to analyze it in a few words then they would be “dreams, romance and excess”

By Ben Rhudy, M&C Music, May 30, 2007