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It\u2019s safe to say Enter Shikari<\/strong> are veterans of the Reading and Leeds Festival<\/strong> having played there repeatedly over the last eight years. For the most part, 2014 has been a quiet year for the St Albans quartet. However, having just returned to the UK after four weeks on the Vans Warped Tour, we caught up with Rou, Chris and Rory from the band at the Leeds Festival<\/strong>.<\/p>\n We questioned them on which is better – Reading or Leeds, and we also asked them a bit about their upcoming fourth full-length.<\/p>\n AH: To begin with can I get your names and role in the band?<\/strong> Chris: I\u2019m Chris. I play the four strings.<\/em><\/p>\n Rory: I\u2019m Rory. I play guitar.<\/em><\/p>\n AH: So you\u2019re back at Leeds for the sixth year running?<\/strong> Rou: I saw somewhere someone had wrote seven out of the last eight, so that makes sense.<\/em><\/p>\n AH: What is it about Leeds and Reading that makes want you to come back again and again?<\/strong> Rou: Yeah. It\u2019s an institution. It\u2019s THE festival, it\u2019s just the one. The line-up is always so diverse which we absolutely love. We never really feel at home on any bill but like the diversity of the Reading and Leeds bill is just incredible.<\/em><\/p>\n Rory: We\u2019ve very much at home.<\/em><\/p>\n AH: What has been your favourite year?<\/strong> Chris: Yesterday was really fun.<\/em><\/p>\n Rou: I actually made a point in the set yesterday where I made sure I stood and looked out and took it in, instead of getting with it. It just becomes a blur if you go on and don\u2019t think about it. That was good. I really enjoyed the set.<\/em><\/p>\n Rory: I think every year is good in the same way, so it\u2019s hard to pick one.<\/em><\/p>\n AH: I\u2019m going to put you on the spot, which do you prefer Leeds or Reading?<\/strong> AH: What advice would you give to new bands playing the festival? <\/strong><\/p>\n Chris: I don\u2019t know really. Just do what we do, play hard. Just enjoy it. It sounds cheesy.<\/em><\/p>\n Rou: We do whatever we do at a club show.<\/em><\/p>\n Rory: Yeah if you keep it in that mind frame that its not any different even though you\u2019re probably shitting it.<\/em><\/p>\n AH: Just try and transfer that energy from the club shows?<\/strong> AH: You\u2019ve been away for awhile working on the fourth album. How has that been going?<\/strong> Rou: We\u2019re in the very final stages of mixing. Then we\u2019ve got to master it and think of a title, then artwork. We should be announcing the release date along with a February UK tour pretty soon.<\/em><\/p>\n AH: What can fans expect in terms of sound and songwriting on the new album?<\/strong> AH: It sounds interesting. Have you got a release date you\u2019re aiming for?<\/strong> AH: Going back a few months. You\u2019ve been on Warped Tour. How was that?<\/strong> Rory: Saw some good bands and made some good friends.<\/em><\/p>\n AH: What\u2019s the difference playing UK and European festivals compared to Warped Tour?<\/strong> Chris: Feels more like a festival.<\/em><\/p>\n Rou: They\u2019re (Warped Tour) are on in car parks.<\/em><\/p>\n Rory: I did some rough maths earlier and I figured the amount of people we play to are the four weeks of Warpd Tour we did is the same we did to yesterday at Reading. Four weeks work into one day.<\/em><\/p>\n Rou: So much easier.<\/em><\/p>\n AH: Is it quite testing being on Warped Tour? I hear alot of stories about all the travelling and weather conditions.<\/strong> Chris: It was the coolest weather they\u2019ve had in years apparently.<\/em><\/p>\n Rory: I think with Warped Tour, if you go into it with the right frame of mind, then you\u2019re going to have a better time. I think because we had done it twice before we knew what to expect.<\/em><\/p>\n Rou: It ended up being one of the most fun tours we\u2019ve done in a long time.<\/em><\/p>\n AH: In terms of crowds, how does the reaction from US fans compare? Is it any different?<\/strong> AH: Any final comments you want to share with Already Heard readers?<\/strong> Enter Shikari<\/strong> links: Website<\/a>|Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Tumblr<\/a><\/p>\n
Rou: Hello I\u2019m Rou. I shout.<\/em><\/p>\n
Rory: I don\u2019t know anymore. <\/em><\/p>\n
Rory: They keep asking us.<\/em><\/p>\n
Rou: I\u2019m really enjoying this year so far.<\/em><\/p>\n
Rory: It\u2019s got to be Reading, it\u2019s the one we went to as kids. They both have there pros and cons I think. Leeds would be awesome if wasn\u2019t for the weather but it kind of makes it a special vibe because people don\u2019t give a shit, and are in that festival state of mind, which makes it better in a way. It makes it more communal, and everyone is in it together.<\/em><\/p>\n
Rory: Yeah exactly.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Rory: Really well. Successful.<\/em><\/p>\n
Rou: It\u2019s just as diverse as ever really. We pushed ourselves again. There\u2019s a lot of concentration on texture. We\u2019re massive fans of melody and rhythm but this time we\u2019ve really concentrated on texture this time. There\u2019s a lot of orchestral instrumentation as well which is really fun to record and write for. It\u2019s got some of our heavier stuff and some of the most delicate stuff we\u2019ve ever done, so it\u2019s a nice mix.<\/em><\/p>\n
Rou: Just January.<\/em><\/p>\n
Chris: It was fun. We were a bit nervous going over there because we did the full thing last time and it got a bit long, but this time we had a lot more fun than we thought we would. All the shows were good.<\/em><\/p>\n
Rou: They\u2019re completely different. The size first of all, European festivals are massive, and also the surroundings. Being on grass\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n
Rory: I was dreading it. I don\u2019t do well in hot weather. I\u2019m made for overcast like today. But the weather was actually really good this year. I can\u2019t believe we\u2019re talking about the weather. (laughs) <\/em><\/p>\n
Rou: It\u2019s quite similar all around the world.<\/em><\/p>\n
Rou: Big love to anyone who has given us support and hopefully they will enjoy the new album as much as we do.<\/em><\/p>\n