Cecilia Dinwoodie: You’ve said in interviews before that you’re an introvert. I’m wondering in what sense you mean that?
Brooks Nielsen: I’m shy, I definitely am. It’s pretty pathetic! I don’t really wanna deal with people. I think music is my tool to figure out how to do that – I’m strong with people behind me. I think people get confused with that a lot in this industry. A person who’s sitting on stage or even talking in interviews is not exactly the person that someone else may know. It’s about turning it on and, most of the time, you don’t wanna do it at all, you know? There’s no calling in sick in this, and you’ve really got to turn it up all the way, because there are so many people depending on you – travelling and paying money and loving you.

Cecilia Dinwoodie: So a solo album in the future’s out of the question!
Brooks Nielsen: [laughs] That would be difficult for me, but I think it’s pretty inevitable when you see how peoples’ lives take natural course. It’ll probably happen one day – and by then, I’ll be fine. I’ll be a nice old man with a lot of stories to tell, and I can just make country music or something [laughs].

Cecilia Dinwoodie: I read that you said drugs like acid helped your creativity and imagination while song writing. Do you think winding it all down could inhibit your song writing?
Brooks Nielsen: [laughs] Oh, God! With all the pressures and what not, it’s easier to get fucked up but I find it actually gets in the way now. It doesn’t make me perform any better, it doesn’t make me write any better – it’s actually doing the opposite. When I was young, I think it was good to just break down walls that were built around me. It showed me that not everything was black and white – it can also be kaleidoscopic, but shit’s changed!

Marshall Hanwell Speaker: £650

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