intermusic.com - december 1999

A tight three-piece hailing from Devon, Muse are one of rock's brightest hopes for the Millennium. Helen Dalley tracks down frontman Matt Bellamy to find out why. Muse are already huge in France and it's only a matter of time before the UK falls for their dramatic, Radiohead-esque sound. With an average age of just 20, the band have already clinched support slots with the Chili Peppers, Live, Pavement and the Flaming Lips. Guitarist, singer and songwriter Matthew Bellamy explains how they got started. "After Britpop was dying, V2 [who signed the Stereophonics] signed, then dropped, loads of bands. We didn't want to be part of that, so we started our own record company and released two EPs." It was only a matter of time before Mushroom records snapped them up, but initially it proved difficult for the band, hailing from the deepest south. "There's nothing in Devon really. All the bands are very pub rock," says the guitarist. But that didn't stop them. "We'd play small halls, or round at each others houses... we couldn't get any gigs until we did this battle of the bands contest when we were about 16. We weren't very good musicians, and knew we were going to lose, so we just took the piss. Then we won," he says with a shrug. "All the rest were Jamiroquai or Pink Floyd types, and it made me realise how important attitude is in music." The band's debut, Showbiz will invariably lead to Radiohead comparisons. Not that Matt is bothered. "I think we asked for it, having John Leckie (The Bends) produce the album. I'm influenced by vocalists I know Thom Yorke likes as well, such as Jeff Buckley and Nina Simone who try and express more than just words through singing." But, as Matt rightly points out, "we're definitely not in their generation anyway, they're ten years older than us, and gonna go off into AOR land now. You can't really rock out when you're 35, can you?" he suggests with a cheeky grin. The album, however, suggests that Muse are older and more experienced than their tender years. "I don't believe that," says Matt, who writes all the lyrics and music. "It's very basic, I think; I'm not very good at English, I don't know that many words so I just say things how they are, pretty much." But there is beauty in simplicity. "I don't record or write anything. I just think it up, and if I remember it, then it's good. I think it's bad to document things too much, 'cos that's suggesting that you think everything you create is good." Muse's next step, explains Matt, is "to move into weirder places, like Nick Cave and Tom Waits. We're not ready to be rock stars yet." Could this be the dawn of 'Devonrock', then? Apparently not. "Devon and rock just don't sit well together,"says Matt, point blank. 'Muse' and 'successful rock band', however, do. They're going to be huge. radiohead and rage He may be a really good player, but Matt doesn't wanna talk about it, really. A player since he was 12, Matt is largely self taught; in all that time, he's only had five weeks worth of lessons on Spanish guitar. When talk turns to guitarists, Matt is more forthcoming. With suggestions of Radiohead influences, will Matt admit he's a fan of Jonny Greenwood? "Yeah; he's very influenced by the Pixies, Sonic Youth... the sort of things I like." Elsewhere, Matt's musical tastes and influences are more highbrow. "I like (conductor/pianist) Andre Previn and the composer Villa Lobos. Matt also takes his hat off to the new RATM album. "I think there's plenty of stuff out there, it's just not in the mainstream." On the Millennium "I don't think there's going to be anything really popular in guitar music for another two years," Matt pronounces. "Right now the public are more interested in the Millennium, and when people lose interest in music and the arts, that's when you get loads of crap music in the Top 40." A modest talent: Matt's written about 80 songs, "But there's probably only about 20 good ones; they're not very good really." Touring: They're touring with Bush in Europe in the new year, then are back in England for February/March, when they'll be doing a headline tour. Later in March, they're off to America. Helen Dalley

back to articles