The Viktor Wilt Show

The Artist Interrogations podcast. This is Sam from Architects and you are listening to K Bear 101. It's a really good radio station. I think you're gonna enjoy the song they're gonna play next. It might be Architects.

If it is, you'll definitely like it. If it's something else, you can enjoy that as well. You can listen to any music you want. It's all good. But just make sure you listen to K Bear 101 because it's a great radio station.

Yeah. We were here yesterday. Here yesterday. Was it the evening before yesterday? Yeah.

And then back on back on Saturday. It's pretty fun, man. You know, I can't complain. It's it's a cool life. Like, you could moan about it, but why?

You know? It's it's what it is. You get to come somewhere and people will talk about your record, and it's great. Well and it was awesome today getting to hang with you at the bowling alley. Yeah.

Checked out the new album. Yeah. That was a surprise treat that was announced recently. Yeah. I was a big fan of the band for a long time.

To get to hear it a month early, it it was pretty pretty awesome. Yeah. Yeah. It's really fun to, like, have been able to have done that. And, yeah, as as I said, like, when I was there, like, I've never, we've never done anything like that before.

We've never, you know anytime anyone's heard the record early, they've just sort of heard it themselves. And, yeah, to be able to actually do it and sort of see a reaction and have conversations with people was was really exciting. It's been great in the last few years to see radio finally in America starting to come more on board Yeah. With architects. First time I think that I really saw you blowing up on the charts was with Animals Yeah.

Which was just a monster, awesome song. The album that that track came from, you guys put that out about a year and a half ago. Yeah. So that one was worked on during the pandemic. The new album that you guys have dropping on October 21st, the classic symptoms of a broken spirit.

Did you guys go about the recording process the same as the previous album? Yeah. It was it was the same studio. I think because of lockdown, the first, like, the first major lockdown, we had done, we had done a lot of the writing before the lockdown happened for for the for the last record. So when it came to actually recording, it was done pretty early on in the lockdown, very separate.

Like, Dan recorded drums by himself. Then me and Dan recorded vocals together in Brighton because you can only you're only allowed to have 2 people at a time where where we were at that time. But it was done. The record was done within sort of the 1st month of of the lockdown really happening. So then it led us with a a lot of time on our hands.

We were like, well, let's just start writing again. Let's carry on writing. Let's carry on creating because that's kind of what we do best, and and it's what makes you feel like you're in a band. And we couldn't do the other things that made you feel like you're in a band. So, yeah, it was great, man.

You know, we sort of started started like First of Wish to Exist finished, and then sort of halfway through, it was like you can all be in the studio and you can, you know, go in groups of 6 and be, you know, around each other and create that way. So, yeah, it was, it was really good, man, and and and, yeah, a really fun way to, yeah, finish it all. When you guys write, you know, do you tend to get together in a room and write together or people throwing together parts and sending ideas to each other and kinda building it that way? Yeah. It it's really different.

Like, we actually sort of a couple of records before, it was very emily, like, you know, sort of Dropbox link here. What about this idea? And, you know, back and forth ideas, and it's a really great way of doing it. I love it. But then on the last record and, you know, sort of animals came about really sort of everybody oh, no.

And not being in the same room, but was very quick again, emily. But we learned, like, there's some fun in that sort of that the animals was created in a day. Oh, wow. And there is a fun aspect of, like, catching that moment where you're like, cool. This is, yeah, this is great.

We don't need to overthink it. Like, just go. And actually being in the studio together, you know, we were able to do when we were young, be very afraid. And, yeah, so many ideas were finalized with us all being together and and and sort of creating in that atmosphere of not overthinking, all being together, and not having to be, like, sending it here, waiting here, sending it there, and, yeah, it was great. Yeah.

You guys seem to churn it out pretty quick. I mean, when the Yeah. We need a break. We need a break of writing. Yeah.

When we got the new single a while back when we were young, I mean, I was kinda surprised to see new music pop up so soon after the the last release. I guess you're taking a break from writing now and looking more at hitting the road. Yeah. Yeah. We were we're excited.

I feel like we've got, like, 2 albums worth of of touring to do. But, yeah, you know, I think that we're always creating. I think Dan is a is a monster and so is Josh, and they just they love that's their time. You know? I think that's their time at home to just go and create.

So there's always ideas flying around, but I think it's gonna take me a little bit to sort of have my brain sort of refreshed to sort of wanna get going again. One of my favorite thing about being in a band is performing and and connecting with crowds and and and, yeah, we're ready to do that. Like I was telling you at the, bowling alley, you know, I saw you guys play the little club called Joe's Grotto in Phoenix Yeah. Years ago. Yeah.

I remember that. Straight from the path. Yeah. And, since then, I mean, in the last few years, just watching the progression of the band Was that and that was in Phoenix. Right?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, what's it been like to go from playing these smaller venues? I mean, you guys, especially overseas, you're playing, you know, these huge arenas and things like that.

It's mad, man. It really is mad. I think even, like, thinking about Phoenix, like, yeah, we did Joe's Grotto. And then the last time we were there, we were somewhere else. We're in a, like, the biggest room we'd done in Phoenix, and it was like I remember we're going on stage and being like, this is crazy.

This is Phoenix. What the This is awesome. But it's like that everywhere at the moment. It just everything just feels super exciting and is so, like, appreciated. It's not taken advantage.

We don't, like, take, like, oh, cool. That's just our lives. It's like every show where there's these big jumps happening and these massive amounts of excitement. You're like, how? Like, it's just yeah.

It feels so great, and it feels really great to just have everybody on board. You know? Yeah. You did a couple really cool things during the pandemic as well at some bigger and some kinda legendary venues. Yeah.

You did the live stream of the, full for those that wish to exist album at Royal Albert Hall? We did. Yeah. We saw at Abbey Road. We did that Abbey Road.

So we did for those which we exist with orchestra there, and then we did did Royal Albert Hall was kind of the introduction of the new record. So we played, like, 3 songs off of that and just did, like, a normal set list or, like, a normal set list for the time because, yeah, that's where we would normally would have been on tour. And, you know, when you're on tour, you release a new song and people get to see you perform it for the first time and see, you know, how that comes across. And, yeah, we and we just wanted to to do something to make up for the fact that we we weren't able to do that. And, yeah, and then when it came to doing for the for those orchestras again in Abbey Road, it was like, well, this is a no brainer.

Like, let's go in let's go in that big studio that the the the Beat was had been in where they've recorded their strings and, like, bring a full orchestra in here and, you know, really make something special. And, yeah, it still blows my mind that we we did that. It was really, really fun. Yeah. The versions of the songs that you guys did at Abbey Road were were awesome.

We Yeah. Played the orchestral animals a lot. Yeah. It's super fun. It's nice to, like, bring because obviously a lot of that record had strings on already.

Right? But then there's songs like Animals and Ordinary Extinction and that didn't. So you you then you bring that level on top of it, and you sort of rewrite, and you kind of think, oh, that could have been cool if we'd have done that. But then you'd end up doing it anyway and then you then you have it and it's, you know, sometimes those versions mean more to people than the others. So it's cool.

Yeah. Are you guys big Beatles fans? You know, is it pretty cool to be doing something like that in that venue? Yeah. Yeah, man.

Like, I think for I think for anyone involved in, being in music within the UK, like, Abbey Road is such a, like, historical place for for everyone. You know, every band that is a big important band in the UK is recorded there. And, yes. I've been on a lot of studios in my life, and that is one where you can sort of feel the presence of, like, greatness has been in there. You know?

It's it's, it's iconic. Just even walking into the building is amazing. So, yeah, to be able to actually have a record recorded and released from there and and that be there forever is is incredible. I mean, having done things like that, playing these huge legendary venues overseas, what's on your bucket list as far as things you can do with architects next? Well, I'd quite like to come back to America.

We'd love that too, man. So I think, yeah, that's on the that's on the agenda. I think we've got a lot of touring planned and coming up and there's a lot of exciting things that are gonna be happening. There's not a lot I can say really. We're going to Germany in January.

We got the UK with Biffy Claro in November, but then there's, like, a lot of things that are gonna get announced at some point and I'll get in so much trouble if I say it early. But, yeah, we have a lot of plans and and it's it's just nice to see things coming back to normal. You know, I think there was so much stress around trying to make the US work and we were so close to making it work, but difficulties with getting visas sorted, bus rentals, even down to, like, crew, it was like everybody in the UK was coming. Well, not even just the UK, everyone in the world was getting visas and trying to get there then. And it was like, this is such a huge financial risk for us.

Like, if we don't make it and we don't make this call now, then we're gonna lose so much money. And we already lost money by having to cancel it, but it's just a a safe decision. We didn't have a lot of income because of everything with with COVID and and everything slowing down. So, yeah, it was it was just the right decision, but, yeah, one that will will be back for sure. Well, fingers crossed on maybe, you know, a Boise or Salt Lake date.

Yes. Yes. I've I've like I said, I'm willing to make the drive to somewhere like Phoenix to see you guys play. Yeah. Yeah.

It's, you know, long drive. Yeah. Boise is cool. We played Boise before, I think. So Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. We haven't played it in a while, but, yeah, we've definitely done it before. So we'll be we'll be able to do that again for sure. Right on, man.

Back to the new album. Again, coming out October 21st, the classic symptoms of a broken spirit. We gotta check it all out today. Yeah. What are some of your favorite tracks on it, man?

Because I I didn't get track names as we were listening. Yeah. We should've done that. We should've put that up on the wall and and said it. But, no, I think there's so many good songs in it.

I love doomscrolling. I love, All the Love in the World is is really great. That was a really good track. I caught caught the chorus on the hook. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. It it sticks with it. Yeah. That was really fun.

Numero Low Ground is fun. Yeah. There's so many fun songs in it, man. It's it's a I think it's a front to back, you know. It's like a a real, like, get in and just enjoy it from front to back.

I think it's it's a special record that was kind of, you know, put together and all the parts were done kind of piece by piece that it was that we had so much time, and it was no rush because no one knew we were doing it that we could really finesse. They're like, what is this missing? Where can this go? What about this? How do we finish it?

And, Yeah. I'm just super proud of it, and I I I think it's probably the best architect's record. I was certainly impressed, and it was fun standing with you from time to time while the the album was playing. What was the name of the track we were listening to that had the little little treat for the fans? Oh, yes.

Spit the bone. Yeah. Spit the bone is super fun. I I I love that. I love that song because it's just so out there and so, like, crazy, like, no rules.

But, yeah, it was nice to put a little throwback noise in there for people to to get excited about because people seem to miss it so much. You know? It's yeah. It's funny that little things fans hang on to. Yeah.

Yeah. It's so great. I mean, like, I love it. It's, like, kind of one of those things where you, you know, the more you try and avoid its existence, the more it's there. So you just gotta roll with it.

And, yeah, it's it's funny, man. Like, we were talking about, we were in the studio, and and Ronaldo, which is a football player for Man United, he came back to Manchester United after however many years of not being there. And I was like, well, Ronaldo's come back to Man United. Like, we gotta get the blur back for architects, you know. Well, it fit in a really cool spot in the song.

Yeah. Giving it away. It's not where you would expect it to be. Yeah. Exactly.

So it's there. It's there. It's just yeah. You'd maybe know where you'd expect it. Like I did with for those that wish to exist, I plan on playing this album start to finish on the morning show.

Amazing. There's a handful of albums that come out that I I just like them so much. I gotta do that Amazing. For the listeners. So Thank you, man.

We'll be throwing an architect's party on K Bear on October 21st, and, you know, we've got all the new tracks in rotation. I think we were the very first playing tear gas. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Sig, man. I had to make my own edit of it to, you know, get rid of the naughty words. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. American FCC. Yeah. So we got the full length version of the track in there. Yeah.

I know there's a shorter version floating around for radio. Yeah. Yeah. How do you feel about that kind of thing as an artist when certain programmers ask for these versions of songs? I I I just don't understand why they think they need them.

But Yeah. Yeah. Is that frustrating for you as an artist when they take chunks of songs out to shorten them off? It's one of those things where, like, you you kind of get it in a way because you're, like, well, you're playing us to however many millions of people. So I'm, like, the fact that you wanna play us at all is fantastic.

Yeah. But then, like, sometimes you just it can be frustrating, but I think it's all good. They never seem to take too much out of our songs, so we just we're okay with it. Right on. But it's yeah.

It's a it's a I guess it's kinda like a necessary part of it, but not one that is you know, if I had my way, I wouldn't do it, but it's it's sort of like not also my choice, you know. Right on. I'm always just curious to know what artists think as somebody who's written music myself since I was a teenager. I've just never, as a programmer, understood it. I've never had a listener request a Yeah.

Yeah. Shorter version of a song. Yeah. Yeah. I get it.

I get it for sure. Well, thanks again for taking a few to kick it with me, man. Thank you, man. Pleasure. New album dropping October 21st.

It's gonna be sick. Sam from Architects, enjoy the rest of your time in Vegas. Thank you so much, man. I appreciate it. Are you going to Beartooth tonight?

I'm not. I'm gonna see, Krangbin or Krongbin. I can't pronounce it properly because I'm English, but they're one of my favorite bands. Like, I own all their records on vinyl and, yeah, I've never seen them live, and it just worked out that they're they're here and they're like a sort of they sound kinda like a seventies sort of trip Oh. Trip band, and I just that's that's my jam.

I would love to see Beartooth, but I have probably seen Beartooth upwards of 50 times through touring with them. So, yeah, I I will be missing them this evening, but I will be blissed out in Vegas so it'll be good. Alright. Well I'll have to check those guys out. I've never heard of them.

The stripy man, the guitarist is absolutely incredible so yeah, it's a it's a good time. Hey, this is Sam from Architects and you are listening to the Victor Wilt Show on Kay Bear 101. The artist's interrogations podcast is a production of Riverbend Media Group. For more information or to contact the show, visit riverbendmediagroup.com.