Like countless bands that came before and after them, Biffy Clyro recorded many a love song for their upcoming new album, Futique. However, these love songs are not about a romantic interest, they’re about frontman Simon Neil‘s relationship with his bandmates, twin brothers James Johnston and Ben Johnston.
“I’ve pored over my romantic relationship with my wife a lot over the years, so she’s probably quite glad that I’m singing about something else,” Neil tells ABC Audio. “But my relationships with the boys, they matter to me as much as my marriage, and they’ve made me who I am as much as my wife has.”
Lead single “A Little Love,” for example, captures the full spectrum of the trio’s relationship. It opens with the lyric “I can’t divorce you, you put me through hell” before getting to the chorus: “With a little love, if you want it, we can conquer it all.”
“We haven’t always been so open with each other, but I feel like at this stage of our band it’s important we tell each other that we love each other and that we matter to each other,” Neil says.
Even if it has its difficulties, Neil realizes what he has with his bandmates is rare and special.
“Being in a band for 20 years, I do realize how unusual it is,” Neil says. “There’s hardly any bands out there that have the same members, and even if it is the same members, that they talk to each other still. And that I can write these lyrics about the boys and we still have a laugh about it, they’re not offended that I’m being honest about our relationship, and I think they appreciate it.”
He laughs, “I hope the appreciate it?”
Futique is out Friday.
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