Photo courtesy of Piczo
“Please – please call me Woody.”
Bastille’s drummer Chris Wood – Woody – is immediately likable as he explains the nickname he’s had since he was 9-years-old.
“My wife’s name is Christina and there are a million Chrises in the world – so you can imagine…” he laughs.
I never expected to be calling an international rockstar by a nickname, but here we are.
Bastille’s most recent album, Doom Days, released in June 2019. Like much of the band’s music, this album tells a story. It’s set to chronicle a night out, which starts at a pub with the first track, Quarter Past Midnight. The last song is set to end in the morning around 8 a.m., most likely winding up on the kitchen floor, with Joy.
“We were really aware that our previous album was about the gloom and doom of the world,” Woody says. “I think our job as musicians is to sometimes offer some form of escapism from all the world’s ills and worries, so we wanted to make this album about that.”
All This Bad Blood was, Woody admits, a lengthy album, with 19 tracks. Doom Days is much more precise, really emphasizing that idea of escapism.
Bastille has been successful for years, officially forming in 2010 and releasing two tracks with an independent record label in London. Only 300 copies were pressed at the time. As of February 2019, Bastille has sold over 9 million records worldwide.
However, with the rise of technology and fast-paced lifestyles, it seems attention spans of listeners has become shorter and shorter. The rise and fall of popular musicians happens so quickly nowadays, that Bastille’s relevancy is certainly impressive.
“I think we’re fortunate Dan’s [lead singer Dan Smith] voice is recognizable, so that gives us an opportunity to venture in terms of genres and styles,” Woody says. “But we really always stay true to ourselves. We worry about making music that we like. If the rest of the world likes it, great.”
He also says the band doesn’t feel particularly pressured to stay relevant, especially with such humble (and quite brutal) beginnings.
“Our first album got abused by the critics,” Woody says. “We got one star across the board – but that album actually ended up being a breakout for us. So I don’t take heat from what’s written about us – that would be foolish.”
He says the only kind of pressure they feel is to leave their fans with genuine, relatable music.
"If you try to follow trends too closely, it all falls apart and it doesn’t come across as genuine."
One of their most recent hits, skyrocketing to success on the charts, featured Marshmello. It was a collaboration many didn’t predict.
“Dan had written a song that didn’t feel entirely Bastille, and the idea of working with Marshmello was thrown out there,” Woody says. “Honestly, it all happened very quickly.”
Bastille is coming to Columbus Sept. 29 at EXPRESS LIVE! and the city cannot wait. For Woody, this tour means sharing music for those people they’ve met in their long journey who have been so affected by them.
“We’ve been fortunate to tour the world and meet a lot of people who have been touched by the music, whether it’s gotten them through a happy time in their life or a tough time,” he says. “That’s what matters.”
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Quick facts with Woody
Dream collaboration?
“It would have to be Rhianna. She hasn’t taken our calls yet, but she will one day.”
Favorite deep track on the Doom Days?
“Those Nights, which we shot a video for. It’s all shot in one continuous shot and it’s amazing. That one is one of the best that Dan has ever done. Nocturnal Creatures is very UK-centric, if you really want a British-centric sort of song, listen to Nocturnal Creatures.”
