Dan Smith of Bastille: We don’t care about haters

MANILA, Philippines – There was a time when the mention of the word Bastille conjured images of a fortress in Paris whose siege by citizens was a turning point of the French Revolution.

Today, however, the word is far more often used in pop culture to refer to the British indie rock band best known for the unmistakably catchy single “Pompeii.” 

Founded and fronted by Dan Smith, Bastille won Best British Breakthrough at this year’s Brit Awards. Americans have also embraced the band’s music; “Pompeii” peaked at number five in the US Billboard Hot 100 and they have two nominations in next year’s Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist.  

Bastille is currently on tour and Manila is one of the stops. Rappler spoke with lead singer Dan about the band’s beginnings, how they handle haters, and whether he’d ever give journalism a go. Excerpts: 

Rappler: Where are you now and what can you see outside your window?

Dan Smith: We just arrived in LA to play a gig tomorrow night. The view out my window is of the sun setting over Santa Monica  beach. I’m feeling very lucky to have this view right now.  

Congratulations on all the success. Has it sunk in that you’re a very popular band with a top selling album and sold-out shows wherever you go? Or would you say that you’re kind of used to all the attention by now?

DS: Thank you! We still feel like a tiny, new band. I hope it always feels that way. I still feel incredibly fortunate whenever we play sold out shows or meet people who are into our music.

The band started out as a solo project of Dan. At what point did you realize that it would work better as a four-man group rather than a solo, singer-songwriter-type act?

DS: I didn’t really like being a solo artist because I’ve never been that comfortable with attention. I love being in a band because you get to hang out and play music with your friends and share all the weirdness that comes along with it. 

Which band or artist would you say has been the biggest influence on the music of Bastille?

DS: Definitely Dr Dre. 2001 is the only album that all 4 of us agree is truly brilliant.   

 

 

Bad Blood has obviously been a success both critically and commercially. Do you guys feel the pressure of duplicating or even surpassing that success with the next album? Any news on when we can expect it to come out?

DS: We’re trying to be relaxed about the next album because we don’t want to get bogged down in thinking about pressure or expectation. If it is filled with good songs then hopefully people will like it, even if we have developed our sound a bit. We are hoping to release it later next year. 

“Pompeii” has become a very popular song here in the Philippines, and I imagine, in many places around the world. Would you say that it’s a song that is representative of the Bastille sound? If not that, what song would you play to a first-time Bastille listener?

DS: I would probably play people the song “Bad Blood” first. I think it represents a lot of the different sounds that we use across the album. I think “Pompeii” is the only song of its type on the record. I’m so glad people seem to like it in so many different countries. I made it in my bedroom and never imagined that it would travel so far and wide. 

Obviously you guys have a tremendous following all over the world. But you also have critics and, for a lack of a better word, “haters.” How do you handle criticism, especially of the passionately hateful and dismissive kind? 

DS: Of course some people aren’t going to like our music, nobody likes everything. It’s not nice to read negative things, but generally we don’t really care. What’s the point? Music always makes people very passionate and opinionated – that’s what is brilliant about it. We are lucky to have an amazing fan base of people who support us so there is no reason for us to dwell on people who say shitty things. 

There’s this whole issue between Taylor Swift and Spotify concerning how music is distributed these days. What’s your take on this whole brouhaha? How do you feel about music streaming services and do you think it’s more advantageous for artists or listeners?

DS: I’m conflicted. I think Taylor Swift is making a really good point about the value of music, but equally I think Spotify is genuinely trying to create a way to monetise music for a generation who expects music for free. I never had any expectations of making money out of music, so there’s a part of me who doesn’t feel that entitled at all.

I know that Spotify is amazing for its users. I love it. But I also buy a lot of music on iTunes and on vinyl as well. Maybe we just have to accept that the modern music consumer will access music across loads of different platforms? I don’t know. 

 

 

You’ve done quite a bit of touring the past couple of years. How do you keep each show fresh and exciting?

DS: We change the setlist from tour to tour, and try and imagine what the audience will enjoy. We’ve also started adding in new songs which always seems to make the set seem fresh. As the tours have gotten larger and larger we’ve been able to add bigger production – using projections and visuals. That has massively helped.  

You’re a journalism major. Did you ever seriously consider pursuing a career in journalism?

DS: Yeah definitely. In 2010 I basically had to choose between journalism and pursuing music. I’m so glad I gave music a go. Who knows, one day soon when I’m unemployed and homeless I might be able to have another go at being a journalist. 

Which current artists are you particularly into these days? Who’s on heavy rotation in your phone/iPod/Spotify playlist?

DS: At the moment I listen to a lot of: Jungle, FKA Twigs, Frank Ocean, Rag’N’Bone Man, To Kill a King, Alt-J, Banks, Haim, James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, SBTRKT, Lana Del Rey, Years & Years. I’m obsessed with new music so I’m always trying to find new stuff to check out. – Rappler.com

Bastille Live in Manila happens January 5, 2015 at the World Trade Center, 8PM. For tickets visit smtickets.com or call 470-222.