The Downbeat - Ali Dean - Architects

Episode Date: February 25, 2021

My guest this week is glorious perfect human being Ali Dean, bassist of Architects. Ahead of the release of their new album For Those That Wish To Exist, we talked about nearly everything except that. Life living on his own in lockdown, his marathon training, old tours, PROJECT: REYNOLDS, as well as Tom and Dan's many affectionate nicknames for him. I can't even remember anything other than I laughed a lot and we both might have got a little tipsy. He's genuinely one of my favourite people in the entire world. Peace!

Hello there. You've just joined me. That sounds like it was an advert. You just joined me after I finished editing this episode of the podcast. It was very funny. I've done much laughing to myself. I really hope you enjoy it. But before you enjoy it, let's talk about just the things that I could possibly sell to you because I had a nightmare last night where I was going on tour and I forgot my symbols. So it was. very stressful. Luckily I woke up and realised there's still a global pandemic and actually I'm an unemployed man. So what you could do to help me is you could go down to the Patreon www.com forward slash the downbeat and you could give me one pound. It's literally just a fucking pound. What do you get? Well, you might have heard this episode early or you may even be listening to this episode early. Sometimes you might get a bit of discount on them. I mean not discount. I'm never going to give you fucking discount. But because I already make them cheap, not because I'm on a cheap skate.

But you might get early access to the downbeat clothing line, which is www. The downb-e.8. And there's good clothes there. Maybe if there's any, you could get some. But if there isn't, the Patreon's fine. And if not, then yeah, I guess you are just fucking getting this content for free. And you are, you deserve it for free. Of course, if you can't afford it.

Or you just don't want to. I don't really care. I just doing a funny. bit guys. My, I'm fucking on one today. I just re-listen to this podcast. It made me laugh so much. I'm in a good mood and I was prior to this in a bad mood.

My guess this week is Ali Dean. Alex Dean is his real name. We go into that a little bit from Architects. He plays bass and I guess the synth now in Architects is one of my best friends in the whole world. Just, I feel like bassists are often underrated, even more so than drummers, in the public eye he's usually quite a private personal

private person private person there you go well done professional podcaster he's usually quite a private person so it's quite nice for everyone to hear how funny and lovely he is it's got very kind eyes like a cow is our alley

what do we talk about we tried to talk about the album but I'll be honest if you want to if you their album is called for those that wish to exist and it's out on February the 26th with Martin, which might actually be today, I don't know.

But, yeah, that if you want to hear about that, listen to the Sam episode. We talked a little bit about that. But we mainly just caught up because we haven't spoken in a while. It was really just a good chat between friends. I hope it comes across as good as it was for me. In fact, I don't actually give a shit.

I don't care, guys. You want to fucking listen to it? Listen to it. It's Alex Dean on the Downbeat Podcast. How are you? I'm okay. I'm... I've been looking forward to this all day. Yeah, I've been looking forward to this since you slid into my DMs about, what, 10 days ago? I mean, we've been talking about doing it for a little while and the time has finally come.

The problem with your band is you're so big now that everything. needs to be planned. Like, we could have done this ages ago, but really, I need, I need the clout of you having an album coming out. And then that's also a way that we can sort of justify it. Yeah, it's got, it's got a mixed, um, mixed incentive here, isn't it?

We've got some promotion. We've got some friendship. I mean, for me, it's a hundred percent friendship and catching up. And then at some point I'll talk about the album. I mean, you've got literally, the worst member of the band to talk about the album. Well, here's the thing.

I've already really talked about the album. You've done the press. I don't give a fuck. Yeah, I've done my press with your album. You've done the press with famous singing man. Yeah, and he was so professional on this one. He's really stepped his press game up. He does it a lot.

When I was like going off on tangents, he'd be like, ha, ha, yeah, and bring it straight back. Back to the album, baby. straight back to the album. Yeah, I mean, when we were in the studio, it was like, whoa. Color me impressed. Yeah, I mean, him and Dan, I'm in a group sort of, I'm a bit of a charity case in that group because it's sort of our day-to-day manager group.

And it's like, okay, Dan and Sam, you've got this interview this time. And then Sam, you've got this one at this time. And then, Dan, can you do this one? And they're doing a lot. But I'm, you know, I'm not. I'm the fucking bass player, so I don't give a shit. I mean, excuse me for a second. What you got there?

I'm glad you asked, Ali. I've got a lovely can of faith by Northern Monk. It's a 5.4% hazy paleout, and it's really great. Well, I have... Oh, I was wondering if you were some dry February loser. I did 12 days of dry January, and then that Tottenham Marine game happened and it was too big an occasion for me to not crack a fucking cold one for.

Do you don't know how many days I did? I know you did one day. Which was January the first. Yeah. Because I was hungover. You said you didn't want a raw dog this January and I... I don't want to... I get that.

I don't want a raw dog this year until that vaccine's rolled out, baby. Yeah. In fact, no, I did two days because I did January the first. due to raging hangover and then actually about halfway through January I did just a check like can I go a day

and I could and I could so it was fine so yeah I'm not raw dog in that I'm not talking about the fucking hour I want to talk number one the first thing I want to talk about is that lovely moustache yeah the morning I shaved it in

I got a FaceTime from Dan and I forgot I had it. And we were both very alarmed. But I shaved it in because I was, I just got sick of looking at the same face every day. Just, what, in lockdown, just bored. Yeah, because I, I live by myself. So I. Do you? Yeah.

I only see my, uh, my bubble. Who's in your bubble? So my bubble is, uh, Lloyd and Murray. Um, that's a nice bubble. For the people that don't. know them. Lloyd is a very dear friend of the band and he is a very talented artist. He's an illustrator. Lloyd Stratton. At Lloyd Stratton. Conner McGregor's fucking whiskey. He did Conner McGregor's whiskey. He did Conner McGregor's whiskey. Not notable illustrations to his name. That is the jewel in the crown

of the Straton Empire, that illustration, I think. Does he get free free whiskey? No. No. I don't know. Big Conner not giving him any sort of perk. I think there's basically zero lines of communication between Stratton and McGregor. He's not getting Connor McGregor at Gmail.com. He's not. He's not got. I was about to do an Irish voice.

And I thought, one, unacceptable, two, might beat me up. So, just, and it was going to be a really high-pitched one as well. So let's just fucking, well, skirt around that one. Anyway, and then Murray. Oh, no, go on, going on, keep. Yeah, no free whiskey for Lloyd, unfortunately. No free, no free whiskey. No, and then Murray is Murray from a popular rock and roll band, The Exerts.

The Exerts, popular Scottish man. Yeah, he's 100% a popular Scottish man. He's got such a, is he from Edinburgh? He's not from Glasgow, is he? Aberdeen. Aberdeen, yeah, so he's got one of those, like, newsreader, a man was killed today, voices. Do you know what I mean?

He's not got like a Glasgow. He's got like posh Scottish. He's got a wee man. I can do this one guys because my parents are Scottish and I live in Scotland. A wee man must kill to D in the clade. Oh, that's fucking horrible. We'll let him review that. Jesus Christ.

Oh, it's going well. That's my bubble. It's Lloyd and Murray. And I see them probably once or twice a week. I had them over for the Jimmy World Futures live stream the other night. Where Murray finished his dry January. Are you allowed to... I don't think we're allowed bubbles up here.

I think bubbles stopped. What, even for the loners? Oh, it's a loner thing, isn't it? Yeah. They give you one little life line. so you can hope you get on with them okay

everyone pick so those two live together they live together so you get two for the price of one in your bubble there yeah I

I don't know how Sam really feels about it because he's my other local nearest and dearest and him and Abby could have been my bubble

but I I elected the party boys I mean you've got I was gonna get away I was going to get way more, you know, party time out of them too, I think. Sam was a fucking dry January. Sam was a crap bubble. Sam was so into dry January.

I'm very impressed. It actually made me feel bad, though, for myself. Because I'd see all these people like, yeah, dry January. And then I'm like posting a beer every day. Like, that's what I had to do the check. I was like, can I do this? Eh, I can do this. Double checked.

Everything fine. Yep. Okay, good. Yeah. Back to seeing out the pandemic. If you manage dry January, then fair play, because that was like expert level difficulty dry January. I got 12 days and fell apart.

That's real like, you've got to have some sands to get through a 2020 dry January. It was a long January. It was long. Eternal. Nothing is good. Bad news every day. More people dying today Oh, another record

Okay, yeah, good I'll just sit with that, sober, okay Completely fucking stone cold No, no thanks Not tonight babe I want to watch the news Completely sober I want to see how many people are dead

I mean I do that like basically all day I do the like The audio version of doom scrolling Like I wake up in the morning Get the kettle on LBC What have you got for me And it's just fucking...

Straight in on pain. I go straight in on news and then I usually follow that up with some Always Sunny. Nice. That is a real nice sort of... I've never... I've only just started watching that show. It's completely insane. When did you get into it?

I tried watching it like a year ago or something. And the first series sucks. Yeah, it's a grind. And I just wasn't doing it at the time. but I'm now, you know, multiple episodes a day. It's the fucking funniest show in the world. Have you done it? Have you finished it yet?

No. Season 5 now. So I've got a lot of... Have you got to the... Season 5, the Dennis system? You haven't even got to the Dennis system? No. Oh my God.

Have you got to the gang buys a boat? No. The last like notable episode that has sort of struck me was the glory hole episode. and when Dennis discovers the glory hall was literally dying. It's so funny. Dennis gets so unbelievably, I'll say worse, but like it's funnier. It's crazy. I think season five has some of, from season five onwards when he just, you know,

he's starting to get real weird now. In the later series, he is just unhinged. It's fantastic. Yeah, I've got so much to watch. if I have a son their middle name is going to be Dennis Nice It'd be nice

Wouldn't it Even if I have a daughter Philippa Dennis Reynolds I don't know Mary Delippa came from Philippa A little baby Philippa Why is that the first

female name I'm coming up with Well you got a role with that now I can't even see Pippa Pippa Reynolds Little Pippa Reynolds Little Pippa Reynolds That's more of like a

That sounds like I've got like a chipmunk for a child Little Pipper. Anyway, so after you've doomskrolled and you've watched All With Sunny, what's next on Ali Dean's agenda? There'll usually be some sort of architects-related thing to weigh in on or something to do. Go on, give me an example.

Give the fact... I want to know about Sam. I want to know more about Sam. Why did you cut your head? Why did you cut your hair, Sam, in 2010? I mean, the good thing about that kind of thing is I am pretty quiet on the internet, so I don't really see this, like, backlash of... I mean, the hair ones.

Why aren't you doing it? The hair one is a niche example. It's very odd. For a while ago. It's a vintage Sam complaint, but the general backlash, why are you releasing this song that you guys obviously like? I suppose you wouldn't have put it out? Why is it not?

exactly what I want to hear. Why is this song not like Hollow Crown? Press Press F1 if you're waiting for the Blair. All that shit. Just fucking look. Anyway, yeah, I don't really see much of that stuff. See, now you're professional press because you stop me saying something bad. I like it.

Lay into our entitled fan base. Entitled members of our fan base. He saved it. He saved it. I did save that. No one's listening anyway. No. They are.

Go on. Right. So what, like, give me an example. Is there, like, I mean,

we got... What should we do? This t-shirt color, or is it... It's a lot of... At the top? A lot of merchandise-related questions and answers come...

That's all any of us can do right now. That is, that is what our, you know, our entire band is relying on right now. And all of us. and everyone. What about this T-shirt?

Yeah. I don't like it. Okay, cool. Someone might. Good practice, guys. Yeah, so there's that, I mean, that's, I mean, it's, that's a lot of it.

And then what? So that's taking you up to what? Two o'clock? That's like, that's a couple, inside the mind. That's a couple of little questions here and there throughout the day. Right.

Then, what time did you get up to Doomstrol? Doomscroll. My new, you wake up time is seven. I was a half eight, but I've started thinking that I need to start getting up earlier. For what? More doom scrolling?

I'm not getting the bad news early enough. I don't want to miss out on some bad news that might be turned into good news by 9 in the morning. You want to catch you so you get the peaks in the troughs. The early bird gets the fucking miserable. piece of shit worm. That's fucking great. No, I'm, I'm trying to become a morning runner and it's honestly, hell. Where we, what, what time were you running at before?

Usually in the afternoon, because I've sort of fallen into the habit of like, putting it off until, like, as late as possible in the day. Nice. And then I end up just running in the dark on a very windy, rainy, bright and sea front. if you get up in the morning it's hell but it looks nice it does look nice

we're going to get to running because it's obviously it's a big part of Ali Dean 2021 but right so you've woken up you've run we'll talk about that so you've doomscrolled

sunny I set this little program for myself earlier in last year of five things that I wanted to do every day to stop myself sort of completely

falling apart in the head Nice. And that was some German, which is what you hit me up about the other day. My German lessons. Yes. Trying to meditate every day. That's a fucking slog.

In it? I feel so good for it every time. But can't be asked to start it. To start it. Oh my fucking God. What are you doing? Just like a full mindfulness. I do like, I do like, I.

I'll work through a couple of headspace courses. You know, you'll do a gratitude one and you'll feel like a fucking legend for it. But then you finish that and the next thing, oh my God, there's more. Do I have to do this again? I'm going to put it off. I'm going to put it off.

Even though it's the best thing in the world at the end, I feel like that every day. Guess what? I haven't done it for two days. And guess what? Tomorrow I'll have a breakdown a little bit and then I'll do it and then I'll feel better. Yeah, the longest streak I've had of it is like a month.

And it was fucking great. then you like any good thing in life you take a few days off it and it's it's rough i feel like i feel like i like take a day off it and i go oh i don't need it i'm cured and then like there's two days off three days off and then the rumination of the brain starts again i'm like oh fuck it's because i haven't been doing that i genuinely the fucking most impactful thing on my life ever but i still can't be asked to do it it's crap it's a it's a most It's amazing. It's genuine, like, life-changing, but it's crap. And if you're weird.

If you're happy to do that every day, I'm so stoked for you. Because it's like people assume it's, oh, you just think of nothing. But it's actually, it's mentally so taxing to start it and to begin thinking of nothing and to empty your head and all that shit. Yeah. But when you're doing it even, it's amazing. And how good you feel after it. but that's like of anything that like going to the gym.

Like when you're into it, you'll go six days a week, no problem. And then you take three days off for whatever reason. And getting back to the gym is the hardest thing in the world. Exactly the same. All right. So right, that's two of your five things, German. So you go, hello. Is that offensive?

Guess what? I'm leaving it in. Hello. What part of Germany is that accent? problem. I think it's like a, like a Bavaria kind of. I thought it's Bavarian. It's very authentic. Thank you.

Thank you. You got it. Hello. I've been meditating. And then you get, it's getting borderline offensive. And you get Andy from headspace in your ear being like, you know what? If you were fucking slagging me off the whole time before you started this meditation,

that's fine. It's completely fine. It's natural. Right. So then you've done that. That's two. Two of five. another one is reading for half an hour a day

and I find that I want to try and read something that I that is challenging and I have to really sit there and try and really comprehend it but when I'm reading a book like that again fuck picking that thing up I might as well just read Harry Potter or something just to get it done what I go so what are you trying to read

I've been reading I've been reading the book on like where humans sort of divert I mean it's obviously not going in my head very well because I can barely fucking explain it's this book by this guy I think his name's Robert Stringer and it's about where people believe ethics in human beings came from so like that's cool kin altruism is one I can't remember the other ones right now because What's that like being nice to your family? Being nice to your family because you're actually being a bit selfish because you just want to carry on the Philippa Dennis Reynolds gene pool.

Oh, interesting. So like how genetically it came to be a part of us? Yeah, and like studies of animals and how they've behaved and why they might do it. Like the whole thing of like, I'm explaining this like a complete fucking idiot. but like monkeys grooming each other it's like if you scratch my back that kind of shit quite literally yeah and like when I'm reading that book and it's not going in you get to start evidently it's not going in I can barely explain it and I've been

reading that for a very long time I would hesitate to guess how long was I mean I don't want a backseat read but half an hour is not a lot of reading no it's not, but I hate reading. You're a fast reader. Why didn't you start with something like, because I haven't read in ages, and then I was like, I did the same thing. I was like, okay, 2021, I can feel in 2020,

I got so much dumber. Maybe I need some new words. Maybe I need like, just the pitter-patter of grey matter. Just so I, but then I thought about reading like a really interesting intellectual, I hope someone else sees me reading this, book. And then I bought Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the creator of

Nike. How's that? And it is it's actually really good. I think the key is, if you want to develop a read and have it, you've got to at least slightly enjoy it. Yeah, it's very like, it's obviously been written by someone else as well, but it's like a, he's not an author. So the

words aren't that big. He's one of us. He's the shoe guy. The words aren't that big. Not some fucking evolutionary scientist explaining theories. on altruism. I did go in a bit hot. For someone that is,

I mean, last year, the brain capacity is tanking. Honestly, it's crazy, isn't it? Sometimes I'll be saying a sentence and then I'll just,

I forget what I was talking about, halfway through. Yeah, and this is all, like, the Allie Dean five-step program is, has been a way to try and combat the,

the, brain fog. The degradation of it. the brain in your early 30s because it's a real thing. I don't think I think lower back pain and your brain just fucking melting out your head. But I think I think both of those are lockdown. I honestly think it is because I remember when lockdown eased for a bit. I honestly felt like my brain started working better.

Yeah. When I was going out and like interacting with people. Yeah. Yeah. I've had a real alarming moment in a shop the other day because I was just buying whatever for dinner. handed over a pepper and the woman say, Jesus, that's a big pepper. And I just fucking, I had no idea what to say.

I had nothing for her. The poor woman. What did you say? I was, I think, what did you do? I genuinely think, I was like, ah, yeah. And I lost all human interaction. Yeah, I was like, I was like, through isolation.

I think I just said, yeah, and just fucking shook my head. and all she probably saw was a man with sad eyes looking even sadder and a face mask. Oh my God, she probably thought, well, that was a psychopath. That man's on his way to murder people.

He is going to kill someone on the way home. I must phone the police. Probably with the giant pepper. Yeah. But she was right to point out as well. It was enormous. She was just trying to have a little bit of banter. She picked the wrong guy.

She's probably had a lot. Long day, people being just a bit shitty and a bit cold. Maybe a bit older. So she thought, oh, this guy's a bit younger. No, she was the young woman. She was, she was the young woman. She was probably just, like, bored out of her fucking mind because everyone's hiding away.

I'll try some chat with this guy. What a fucking loser. And she's probably telling everyone at the shop, like, go look out of the front. This guy's fucking weird, man. The guy that picked the biggest pepper in the shop is an absolute lunatic. He's going to murder.

So that's what we got. Are we still on step two? That's step three. Step three was the reading, I think. Step four. Step four is a run or if it's a day off running. You've been doing that anyway. You've been running for a minute now.

No, but then, like, I need, like, I basically stopped running for, like, like, close to two months or something, like towards the end of last summer. due to COVID sadness. Just fucking couldn't be asked anymore. Had some races booked, they got cancelled. I thought, what's the fucking point? The dissent. Just got boozy, you know.

It was a wild time. Wild August. Did you make it out, though? I mean, obviously you did. You seemed quite... Yeah. On your own as well? No, not at that point,

but it all like I've only really found my stride of running again like the last month like it's been shite for for running the back end of 2020 did you find that the the cancelling of the runs triggered all of the mental downfall

almost definitely yeah yeah because you've been training for it and whatever and then it's just like oh this can't happen yeah I have to have yeah some sort of target with training. Otherwise, I need the motivation, you know.

I'm saying with drums. Like, I don't have any album to do. I mean, there's a stray album, but I don't know when I'm recording it. So I've got all these demos. Should I learn them? Probably. Will I? Not until someone gives me a date.

Give me that deadline. I'll learn the bits that are currently physically impossible to play. And then I'll brighten it. up when uh fix it in the mix fix it in the mix here just edit that that'd be fine um so running's going good with your program yeah that's that's good five-step program so that's number four and if it's a day off running it's like some stretching or some trying to uh put an ounce of muscle on this little tiny willow like frame and then number five is uh studying like learning like learning something musical, which is mainly the piano,

because I'm fucking shit at it. Have you got a piano in there? I have a, like, a MIDI keyboard. Is it a weighted one? Is it nice? I can see it. It's semi-weighted. It's not, it's not like a lovely gorg.

I love them so much. I should just get like a proper fucking piano because it'd be lovely to have one. But. I really, I've always wanted a piano and I've actually twice. in my life I've been offered pianos from either rich drum students' parents who just say I would get rid of the piano

do you want it you're a musician and I've never had the space now I've got space bit like having a drum kit around the house yeah but piano's like that you can play it and the neighbours not as not as annoying for the neighbours unless you really bad

we will rock you piano's fucking piano's fucking sick though isn't it piano's great What are you learning on the piano then? What's going on it? I'm starting as like a total beginner. So like basically three blind mice.

Stuff to that effect. Big pepper. That was a big pepper moment. I saw your face. No, that was that that wasn't a burp. I was looking down at the keyboard like, has that come up? Maybe. No, I thought it was a big pepper moment.

I thought, yeah. A big pepper? A big pepper? pepper moment. Oh, no, no, no,

sorry, it was a moment three blind mice and then you just stared in despair. Yeah? No,

I was, I was wondering if that actually, like, genuinely stuff like that. It's, yeah,

and like learning, like just changing chords and stuff because I'll do like half an hour of changing chords and it feels like I need like

rehab on my arms. Oh, mate, it's fucking horrible, isn't it? I really want one though. Now I've got like this nice desk everyone knows about my desk

get one like um just get one chuck it out one of those things that pulls out from the bottom of the desk little slidey bit yeah I don't know the song that came into my head there when I was about to mime it was da na na na na da da da da da da that's like the Brazilian

like Brazilian superstar football a YouTube compilation song I don't know why that came Imagine that on like just a solitary piano. That would be lovely. Quite tricky, I think. Quite dark as well in that sort of, not the brass section that is obviously normally on the song.

More of a somber. Quite a somber piece when you strip it back. Oh, I wish I could just do podcasts with architects members all the time. They're always the most fun ones. You should definitely the final piece of the architect's podcast puzzle He's the strangest person That's why you need to get him on

I love him to death He is for sure an alien I think one of the times I text you before You then got in touch about my German lessons On Instagram Me and him had a night at mine Back when you could hang out with people

back in the glory days of rule of six and all that stuff. Yeah, the heady days. Yeah. When the government really were just fucking murdering people. Crazy autumn that we had. Yam was over. Yam is Adam, if anyone doesn't know. Jam fries.

We'll get into that. We'll get into Yamfries because that needs to be addressed. I don't think that's ever been addressed. And me and him just got fucking ripped and had like, you know, back in the day when you just watch like CKY and get stoned yeah we basically did that but with YouTube and like YouTube is obviously your

you can go wherever but we started with OPEF and that's when it's actually being like is OPEF and Red Wine season Oh yeah honestly is OPEF I believe it's the first rain of September is when I when I start

No date on it when that rain hits When that first rain... The first reign of... The first reign of September. Gling. Gling. Gling.

Gling. Gling. Gling. Gling. Oh, he's got it. He's got it from those clues. It's the pop hit single, mate. It's OPEF's Spheres of Madness.

Now we're getting into it. Do you know what? I was talking about spheres of madness on stream. But two hours ago. How is that whole decapitated on Spotify situation Not been sorted yet Because it's been years I had a conversation on the podcast yesterday

With Johannes from Colt of Luna I was trying to get the juice on that Wow that Oh wow Yeah and I was like Basically with that I wanted their album early And I thought

I wonder if I could just ask him If he wants to come on the podcast So I did How was it? It was I mean people people listening to this, it will be out before this. So it was hard, whenever it's someone that's not a mate,

I've got 50 episodes in with about 45 of them being mates. So whenever it's someone that's not a mate, they're always like super professional at the start. Yeah. And then I sort of let them know that I... You wear them down. I'm a very unprofessional person. And then eventually they stoop to my level.

But he was really... I wanted to know about if they had any trouble with earache because that's what I'll gather the decapitated thing is. And he basically said, because I'd always heard it was like, oh, earache, fuck people over or whatever. But then he basically said it was like, well, we were kids when we signed

and we probably should have got someone to check out the contract. Have a look at it. And as a result, we had to stay there for five albums. it's like, it's not their fault. They gave you the deal. You had a choice to fucking read it or whatever. But I don't know what the deal with Decapitated is. They're not on Spotify and it's very annoying.

It's hard when you younger, isn't it? Because you really don't give a shit at all about... Yeah. It's going on a CD. What? Wait. Yeah, but like not a CDR. Like a CD.

With like some plastic around it and stuff. In the shops. Okay. All my. How do I sign? Yeah. How many do I have to make? Oh, 11 albums.

Okay, good. That should be fine. I love, I love this. We've already written a new song. But yeah, that's the Decapazate thing. Yeah. I don't know the answers. But I'm not putting a CD out.

I'm not fucking getting a CD out. I think I sold all my CDs. Well, I only had, like, I asked, unreleased stuff, like demos and stuff, and tall, and decapitated on my phone. And then I got a new phone. And then I thought, you know what? I'm not fucking plugging a phone into a laptop and putting decapitated on my phone again. I'm just...

And I miss it. I mean, now I'm thinking about it. Yeah, I think I might do it. Yeah, could happen. Organic hallucinosis. Oh, that's just unbelievable. It's a fucking unbelievable. I tried...

In fact, you've just reminded me that I bought that. that on vinyl from a big cartel well here's the thing Allie when I last had this I don't have any decapitated I'll tell you what I'll do

I'll buy it on vinyl because I've got a lovely new son-os system where I can play vinyl in the front room but then listen to it on my portable speaker lovely

which is fucking unbelievable so I'll just get it on vinyl because then it's cool or whatever typed it into Google organic hallucinosis or whatever decapitated vinyl first hit some big cartel

there was loads of cool stuff on there I've got all the decapitated albums all the death albums paid for them on PayPal and then I realised that it'd been inactive since 2014 about £200 worth of vinyl

2014 immediately sent them an email no reply PayPal says I can't follow it up for three months so brilliant it was fucking burnt £200 pounds Yeah I had to look for it on vinyl one ago and I think a guy

wanted like 80 quid for it so I don't want it that much we don't buy it from crazy cool vinyl dot bigcarsel dot com or whatever it was because you want black I'll blacklist them please do um

but you're trying to get it on back on I'm not letting you get it back on subject uh I try to buy one on the subject is yam prize there's a good subject yeah we're getting back to it okay I tried to buy a different one on

on eBay Nahility, I think it was. And someone wanted fucking 100 quid. That's too much, isn't it? It's far too much. Because you want... If you're...

If you're spending that much money on vinyl, you're in the, you know, you're in the buying and selling game if you catch my drift. Yeah, I just actually want to listen to it. You're not going to be shifting old decapitated records for, you know, turning a profit.

If anyone was listening, has all the decapitated records on vinyl, can you just sell them to me? Maybe someone, maybe someone at earache sat on a stash and you're not allowed to sell them because of whatever legal reasons. Please. Hot property, good money, I could probably trade you.

You know, we'll put some earache artists on here. Go on. Come on. Anyway, Yam. See, I can't do this with someone I've never met. Yeah. I can't just fucking... To fucking riffing.

Can't just use my platform to illegally buy bands vinyl from their old label. You can't get into the death metal. black market with strangers. Jam fries. You and him got ripped, watching videos. It was lovely, but what I would say is if you did have Yam on,

you ever listen to that London Real podcast? Yeah. Until he started having, he's got some debatable people. I mean, I suppose I listen to debatable people. I think Brian Rose in his own right is a debatable person. He is, but the quality of those podcasts is very good, isn't it? What the production values?

Honestly, that's what I'm going for. So are you going to get like two chairs and like a big palm plant? I was, I had delusions of grande. I was like, I'm going to do it in this practice room. So I put a six month lease on, a practice room at $650 a month.

I was going to do the podcast and video out here. Lockdown's going to end. It's going to be fine. And then day one, I moved everything in there. And a band started playing next door. And I was like, I can't do this.

there's no way I'm going to bring some fucking big artist from Glasgow Barrowlands down yeah we're just coming here and then someone's playing don't mind them next door they're getting better they're trying the best I'll fix it in the mix

it was fucked from day one so now that's where I play drums and in here it's going to be the video suite either in here or the front room is where like I've front room looks pretty bougie so it's got a London

real vibe anyway without the debatable guests. Yeah, but if you had Yam in your boozy new video set up next time we play Glasgow, if that ever happens, he will chew your ear off about, I mean, he was hot on all this stock shit before, I don't know what this time is called. Well, the game stops shit. Yeah. He's been an eye here about stocks for two. I did my bi-annual

WhatsApp message to Adam Christensen which was which was a you win on this game stock shit He's no he's way too cowardly He's hot on Bitcoin now though He's a big crypto guy isn't he Yeah he So

Dan and I went in In 2017 We got we got on Bitcoin Nice We didn't go hard. We just, you know, got our toes wet. What was the price of Bitcoin when you did it? I think I bought in when it was around like 11 grand per coin.

Oh, something like that. I can't remember. But he was like, oh my God, like. Your Adam Christensen voice is crazy. If I carry on with that, it will just go higher and higher until it becomes imperceivable by human. He, he, he slacked it off because he said, oh, it's not a physical asset. This is, you know, you're getting fucking stitched up.

And when he was on his, because we had that, we had that WhatsApp group. Yeah. And he was like, about his gold. And now, he talks about Bitcoin being like a philosophical thing. And he like, he's like, it's kind of like mycelium. You what, mate? It's like, what is this network? Mushroom.

Yeah. Because he talks of, oh, my. God. Maybe you don't, is that what's happening it? No, I don't.

I mean, he's actually prime podcast material, isn't he? All the podcasts right now are like about how mushrooms can fucking, I don't know, solve old hunger. Become a crypto currency. I mean,

they definitely could. Terrible example. Yeah, I mean. Primarily a food, so. Yeah, it's primary purposes to feed people. So it's a starting place. Now you're at the point where you think.

Assume mushrooms are just for fucking other shit. Yeah, it's just... You know, you can eat mushrooms. He would try to just cooking one and eating one. I thought they were just for reducing prolactin. But yeah, you should get him on because it would be a good exploration of the mind. I mean, I'm obviously going to have him on,

but I don't think people are ready for him. But people don't know. They just see the handsome rhythm guitarist from architects. See his bike on. on the internet and think. Chiseled. Occasionally dresses like he's in the Matrix to go cycling. Yeah, and he looks fucking great then too.

But, I mean, that's from a marathon runner. Yeah. They're not the coolest looking. It's a bad look. But I just remember one time when I was doing that podcast with Sam, he walked in, ready to go on a cycle, and you can hear me on the podcast. I just went, wow.

Was that when we were in Manchester? Yeah. And he was talking... That's every day on tour for us. You'll hear him like clip-clopping down the hallway in his cycling cleats. I'm heading out, guys. The irony is that I have a pair of cycling cleats, never use them.

But he was like, it was so morbidly serial killer accuracy. I was like... He was like, yeah, I'm going out. I just need to find my ID. And I was like, what are you doing? Like buying booze? He was like, no, in case I get hit by car. I was like, oh my God, it makes perfect sense,

but you are a psychobar. When that man has got enough money, he will acquire a bunker. Definitely. Philip of gold. Philip, Philip, why is he called yam fries? Can you explain why he's called yam fries, please? Yeah.

We're doing a 20 minute bit on a different member of the band. Diffing in Tiam. Well, he wouldn't tell you this. He might do. So we were in China on the almost world tour and we're out for dinner with the promoter and sat down around the table and the promoter was like, what do you guys want to eat? And we're like, just whatever, to be honest. Like, we know that there's cat here on the menu and like actually dog on the menu.

So just like tofu, vegetables, rice would be great. Like, we don't mind kind of thing. And he starts ordering with the waiter and they have like a screaming match about the order that's going down. And then eventually the promoter looks like, okay, you've got tofu and vegetables, rice coming and some beers and water. Does anyone want anything else? And then Adam turns to the waiter who doesn't speak a fucking word of English and says... Not even to the promoter. Not to the waiter.

That might be the funniest part of the story. In a remote part of China where it's already been very hard to get tofu and rice. And he looks at the waiter and says, do you have any yam fries? And we as English people don't really know what yam fries are. As is sweet potato fry? Yeah. And he's been known as... And this is back in 2012 when sweet potato fries hadn't had their boom over here either.

So, yeah, no. No. So he's been known as yam fries or yams or white fries. ever since. It's like 10 years ago. Yeah. But he'd be a great guest. Can you vividly remember him saying yam fries?

Yeah. I don't think I would... There's no way anyone like who said that in that situation would not be called yam fries for the rest of their life. No, he deserves that nickname. It should be on his tombstone. Very fucking good.

Speaking of nicknames, You got any favourites for you? Can we run down some of yours? Try Nation's Cup. Try Nation's Cup. Is that a new one? No, that's a vintage one. Is it?

Try Nations Cup. I don't remember that. Well... Is that a Tom Searle? Honestly, with the sort of dual onslaught of Tom and Dan over the years, it's hard to know the origin of... Just... Brighnardier.

Brigadier. Piglittle. That... And now that was the one that I distinctly remember Tom calling you all the time. And obelix. Oblix. Oncar. Oncar judge.

Dan still will occasionally... Oncar. Oncar is from Oncar Judge, the guy that did that X Factor audition. He did the, as he put it, the Michael Jackson's. I just vividly remember, like, Tom would just say all these. fucking names at you. I have a plaque for something. What is it?

It is... It's a plaque celebrating tickets sold on the UK tour. It's a plaque celebrating tickets on a UK tour, and it's presented to Alex Edwin Dean. It's not my name. That was pulled from a MySpace band members list that Dan wrote. That Dan wrote. I mean, yeah, every now and then, that whole thing has been dialed back a hell of a lot over the past couple of years.

It's just Alan now, isn't it? It's Alan or Dan will still drop Frog. Frog, nice. That comes from Frog Stanley. Don't know. Of course. Obviously. I didn't really need to mention that, did I?

But it's mainly Alan now. There are some people that think my name's Alan, which is completely understandable, because people just call you Alan or the same. Most of our crew call me Alan or Al. But it's Alex. It's Alex. It's not even Alistair.

So Ali in itself and then Ali Dino, none of that's anything. Yeah, it's taken a lot of forms over the years. but now it seems to have really settled on Alan and I've got no beef for that I mean I just I mean I obviously know and worked with and whatever with a lot of bands but the interband dynamic of architects

and crew is one of the funniest places on earth and I would say actually the second funniest or up there is fucking stray so when you put the two of us together it's just insane Yeah, I mean you

joining Stray at that time it was like the perfect storm It's unbelievable Like, Tom sometimes turn to me and be like Were you like this But like before you met us

And I'm like no A hundred percent was Like There's weird similarities Like I used to fucking Just introduce myself As like

It was always be like Greg somebody to whoever. Like, if, like, I had to buy, if we're talking about microphones, it'd be like, yeah, you know, my buddy fucking Greg microphone or whatever. And then it ends up Tom does exactly the same thing. With the same name. His go-to is Grawler, isn't it?

Just Glenn Grotter, adding an GL to anything. Yeah. So the other day on Twitter, we had a big showdown where I was just talking about how America needs to calm down with their name. because you just say whatever fucking see I immediately want to just go to grotters and stuff like that but Xander

just mad shit mad shit and then we were just googling just surely this is not a name and it was like galallix and then it would be like baby popular baby names 2020 galalix glorden glordom was one that's yeah too far. But yeah,

you joining Australia was like, it worked on so many levels. It was perfect. Now there's no gigs and I'm sad. It's crap, isn't it? Do you want to talk about your album then? I don't want to and guess what? I don't think anyone else wants us to, but we're going to have to.

I have to seamlessly well, what I would like to talk about and many people pointed out that I got the name of the album wrong when I did Sam mentioned that when I went to pick up this microphone that I'm borrowing from him today Oh, still fucking... He's still cut up about it.

Is he? Because he acted like... He acted like the cat's pyjamas. Like, oh, it's cool, man. Oh, easily done. Yeah. And he's still gobbing off about it to you. He's fucking livid about it.

What did he say? What did he say exactly? He said, oh, good luck trying to get a fucking serious word out of that man's mouth. He doesn't fucking know a thing he's talking about. He could read a fucking tweet before interviewing someone. Is that what he said? I can't remember how he said it. He was furious, though.

Was he actually? No. No, what did he actually say, though, if he did mention that? He said, because I said, we'll probably talk about the album for three minutes, if we're lucky. And he said, well, yeah, do, do mention the name of it because he got it wrong on the last one. And I think... Oh, fucking. snitch.

He must have cleared it up, though. No, he didn't. Wow. Who's the real idiot? Sam, I love you. Yeah, I got it wrong. But, you know, let's not delve into the grammatical element of the name. Would you care to get it right so I don't get it wrong again?

I think what you called it was for all those that wish to exist. And it still makes sense. No. No. I called it. for those who wish to exist that's not that bad

that's not a bad that I could see how that would fly under my radar to be honest ain't it two T2 THs together for those that

those fat that's difficult for me as a man who's potentially had a drug-induced stroke in my life that's hard for me to say What you should do is go on the band's social media and say that. Say that you think that the album title is bad because you struggle to remember it. And it will get lost in hundreds of other tweets of people saying stuff like that.

And then argue with some people that you don't know about it. And then I think I've got something else wrong. No. And everyone sent me messages, ah, you got it wrong. You got it wrong. And I was like, well, if you also listen to it, When I talk about the Simon from Biffy song I call it the Simon from Biffy song

And when I talk about the Winston song I call it the Winston song I don't know the fucking names Do I don't like about it? I listen to music You're not trying to be the best at remembering stuff It's not a competition No

No Anyway good is it for those that wish to exist It is good That's the right one That's what I said That is the right one It is good. That's the clip.

Yeah, it's fine. For those that wish to exist, it is good. It is good, if you're wondering. It is, isn't it? Are you still rocking a little synth? Yeah, I'm rocking a little synth. I mean, Dan writes to simps. Does he track them, or are they...

It depends on what it is, because if you... There's a little guy down there, a little mogue guy, a little analog guy. He said it right. Hibster alert. Well, yeah. called me out on that. Oh, of course he fucking did. It's actually Moog.

It's like, oh, they got this really cool looking Moog in here. He's like, oh, it's actually Moog. I'm like, fuck off, Jan. Well, maybe if I did a podcast with Yam, he would call me out for saying the fucking wrong name of the fucking thing. He's got some fucking balls on him. In fact, no, I'd rather what Sam did. What Sam did is much more socially acceptable.

Yam's fucking... Actually, it's called this. Okay, way to bring the... fucking interview down. Just trying to have a bit of fun. Trying to promote your album. Yeah, isn't it?

Oh, I got it wrong. Sorry. But anyway, tracked some stuff with that little guy. Pulling it back. Nice. Thank you.

Tracked some stuff with that little guy in the now very renowned hove studio, which is the office in my flat. Did you give it a name? On all credits, did you give it a name? No. You know what? It actually wasn't even acknowledged

that we used this space to record some of the album. That's annoying. I only just clocked the other day. I think I was the first person to clock that Bring Me's last two albums have had Alan Partridge quotes as their studios

on Wikipedia. Ammo was recorded at The Cinnamon's, which is when he's talking about naming his house. and he's like, I'm just, I'm undecided between Yee House, Lord House. Is it Excalibur Cottage? Excalibur Cottage and the cinemones. And the ammo is at, I think it's, Ammo is at Lord House. No, the new one was recorded at Lord House, and Ammo was at the Cinemans.

Fair play. And one of them's got a juxtaposition records in there from the office as well. Unreal. I thought maybe you'd slam some of that in there. We don't really put fun stuff in... Oh, because it's... Sad. It's got all this...

It's all sad, isn't it? It fucking is. That's a good point, actually. I'm like, why have you put any jokes in it? No, I was just wondering, because I know what you're like. But you're a bit... Architects is like Shrey, where the music is so serious. It's all serious, and political on that.

And then the people aren't. So even me, talking to you, I could be, I can forget. Actually, the music's very serious. Yeah. You're not being a fucking joke about where it was recorded. Yeah, it's recorded in a dark place, okay? Yeah, but the, I mean, yeah, the Hove Studio is not going to get any business based on

this album, which is a real shame, because I'm sure people will be flooding here. Even just for the, just to hang out with you. It's a great creative space. I wish, do you know what I was thinking? For some reason I had a weird, you know when you're like asleep, back to not talking about the album. Well, that's done.

Consider that promoted. We'll come back to the album in a minute. The thing is, I know this now. This is what people fucking want. I started a fucking Twitch to do drums. How many people watch me do drums? 40. I talk shit and watch YouTube, 150.

Like, and then they buy the shit. This is the thing. Not talk about your album. And a million people will buy your fucking album. You know what? I want to hear that album. Because I didn't hear anything about it. I want to fucking hear it.

There's so much that I don't know about it from that promotional podcast. So I must listen to it. They left so much to the imagination. I must buy it. It's all about retaining the mystique of the album. I mean, yeah, that's what I'm doing. I want to put it out on the table. I'm glad you've picked up on what my modus operandi.

is. Anyway, I was having one of those, you know when you're like half asleep and you have like a half asleep sort of,

you are thinking, but you're asleep so it's weird thoughts. Yeah. Nothing, nothing sexual, but, I mean,

at that time of the morning often is, but I was like, having a weird thought that for some reason me not touring with Stray was not to do with like

a global pandemic in the other bands were touring, but I was still going to have a year off and I was like, I think I'm just going to try and see if architects can just like get a job for me because maybe like drum tacking again or something

because it would just be really fun to see them for all this year while I'm not on tour. And then I like actually fully woke up and I was like, oh no, the entire world has stopped. It's not just that. But I was having fond memories. It was like, oh, that would cheer me up actually. I had a thought the other day about Project Reynolds. The failed Project Reynolds. I think it only failed because you sort of saw yourself more of a drummer than a beginner

It was a grand idea, wasn't it? I know, but you have to dream big sometimes. If anyone doesn't know, which you don't know. If anyone listening isn't the five... We didn't publish this project. If anyone that's listening isn't the five members of architects and or their crew from 2012, when Tim wasn't in the band anymore. No, no, Tim. Tim was in.

Tim was in? This was, this was, this was, this was, um, was this not you playing bass? Yeah, but because Tim was out and you were going to take Tim's place and I was going to play bass. Sorry, no, you're absolutely right. Yeah, so Tim was out and it was like, who are we going to get? because Josh fucking said no, because of psilosis. And then I was like, no, I think it was your idea. It was like, well, I'll just learn guitar.

And Reynolds can learn the bass. And I got like two lessons. Because Josh was there, because at that time Josh was playing. And I got like two lessons from Josh at how to like go up the front. Because remember Josh filled in when Tim left. I remember sitting there at some point with Tim. learning like the guitar for Devil's Island or something. Because that was, that was going to be like,

I think we were on tour with maybe Rolo to Massey, in Aberdeen or something. I mean, I could be remembering this completely wrong. Tim definitely wasn't there when I did it, because Tom and Josh were teaching me how to do that string skipping exercise. so I could learn the bass so you could play guitar because Josh wouldn't leave psilosis

to join architects and it failed badly and we tried one sound check do you know what I remember this we tried one sound check somewhere I think it was in Ireland actually in Ireland um

like I want to say Belfast or something and I tried to play fucking early grave der-dick a dare to down there and it went fucking terribly. Yeah. Yeah, you were nearly in.

Nearly. I mean, it was a, it was all there for the taking, mate. Well, you still had to learn guitar as well because I remember

you struggling in the guitar parts. Oh, it was fucking miles off. What a different world it would be, though. In a parallel universe, that's happening. And you're... I'm playing bass for architects.

You're doing a podcast with... Who knows if that could be? And I've got a little... synth. I could be the synth guy. Yeah, the the synth guy stuff sort of tying all that in I basically

like started playing a bit of live simps and was completely like dog shit at it but the idea was like oh we should really like play more stuff that we're fucking cool. It is cool. I'd love it. It's such good fun. But at the, when I'm I first played it was um might have been like a I think the first time I played it was in

Melbourne maybe at like a warm up show and I played like gone with the wind keys and when I came off stage Martin our guitar tech was like I could see your hands like shaking from the other side of the fucking stage but it's because it's exactly the samples from the record yeah so it's like the plug-ins used on the record it's really fucking. cool to see it. And I really didn't fancy blowing that bit because it was like a really... It's a big song. A very, very emotional song.

It's a big sad song and it's just me and Sam. Fucking hell. And I've definitely fucked up before and it... Have you? Have you? Do you feel good? How does Sam feel when you fuck it up? He has it quite quiet and is in his, so...

It's fine. He doesn't even know. He doesn't fuck him up too much. But it's great. It's so cool to fucking. see because I remember seeing it would bring me as well like Jordan

playing some of the pad stuff and it's you know from the fucking whatever that big song is from Sempaternal and he's actually playing it I was like that's fucking sick I love it when you see a band with so many bands in

I mean I bring me he's not even in metal metal core anymore but so many bands in metal core a million layers on tracks vocals and shit but you guys are you guys are doing it live

we do what we can there's some stuff where it becomes just not affordable not practical because you need to get like a fucking you need to take an orchestra on tour we can't do that

seamlessly tie this into some professionalism orchestra on the album oh yeah plenty where was that recorded at middle Was it recorded? What piece?

How many pieces? How many piece? What you got? Are you rocking? I don't expect you to know this. I have no idea. There's a bunch of strings and that, but they're real. If anyone's listening, they're real. It's on any of the songs, on whatever the fucking album is called.

Whenever it's out. Whenever it's out. I got that wrong as well. I knew Sam was actually annoyed. When he came off, it was cool. It's cucumber. Like, oh, you got this wrong, but it's cool, man. And then he's slagging me off.

He was straight on... It was out wrong as well. He was straight on WhatsApp to me. I knew he were a fucking little snitch. Craig should have tried dry January for a bit longer. He's lost his fucking head. I mean, yeah, I am fucking terrible at this. What beer have you got there?

You mixed it up? Funny you should ask. Sam literally gave me... Oh my God! That's what I just went and picked up. Now it's going to sound like we're making this up. But we're both drinking a lovely pistonhead flat tire. It's a dry hot lager.

It's 5.4% and it's really great. I've just followed one of the amber lagers. The amber one, it's a 6% of the amber one. I actually had two of them before. I had one before we started. I had a shot of tequila before we started. died and a 6.4% northern month. I didn't know we were shot in.

Are we shot in? Are we showing? Where might be? Let's see where it goes. Nice. Now we're fucking talking. Now this is a Zoom pie. Yeah. Should you download house party? Should we, uh, I fucking, should we do a quiz? No. Fuck that shit. Did you do any of that during lockdown?

Um, yes, but not of my own. I want to say the word... Yeah. Someone's birthday. Oh, we're doing it. I was a plus one for quiz. Yeah. We're doing a quiz for him.

Oh, good. Yeah, I had... I've actually managed to avoid Zoom calls quite a lot. Done the odd one. A couple of merch-related ones. A couple of friend ones, but they're fucking crap, aren't they? Nothing really reminds you that we're in a global pandemic. quite like staring at a little box.

I don't know, just the word Zoom is just now forever tainted with me. Zoom means quarantine for me. The best thing I did on Zoom was a speed awareness course. Did you have to do one on Zoom? Yeah, it was very odd. By the way, I had to do a speed awareness course for like doing 76 or something. It was a fucking stitch job. What? I thought it was supposed to be.

I thought we could do 77. Well, Craig, what you should bear in mind is it's a limit, not a target. Oh, no. Really? What a, what bastard got you for that? West Sussex County Council, they fucking have my pants down, mate. What, it was this big camera? It wasn't a copper. It was a camera. But it was, it was great because I've, I'm, you know, I'm a better driver for it. I know. I honestly learned a lot from my.

speed awareness course. Stopping distances. All that shit. Oie, the shit when they tell you, because at first I was like, this is a fucking joke. I was like, I was turning up like shades on fucking.

Breakfast club. Look, Stella. Breakfast club, so I'll kick your feet up. Fucking detention. What we're doing today? What we study in? Speed.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I heard about that. Oh, yeah, I heard this one time. No, but I learned the shit about like, if you're, five minutes late, what speed you have to do to get that five minutes back,

you, like, it is, you can't do it, even if you did 40 miles an hour over the speed limit or something, you only get like two minutes back. Yeah. And the best thing about it was the guy that was hosting it, or the instructor or whatever,

so like Stuart Lee, it was perfect. Really? What, actually funny? Like, genuinely funny, like super dry. Oh, when he was, He would like ask everyone in the group like, so what, you know, what is it that you think? What are your reasons in the morning for making you speed?

And he would say it exactly like Stuart Lee. And then this woman was like, well, you know, I've got the kids that are running behind getting ready for school. And I drop them off and I have to speed to get to work on time. So it's really the kid's fault. He's like, all right. So it's the kid's fault, is it? It's not your fault for not getting them organized quicker. Okay.

super like fucking shitty and sarcastic. I had more of a... Did you ever watch Spaced? No. Oh, it's not really... Doesn't matter then, moving on. Forgive to it. What I've just remembered is Sam,

when I voice noted Sam about this, he was like, make sure he's talking about the album loads. So I think maybe that was... Maybe he's annoyed with me. What, he wanted you and I to talk about. the album loads. Yeah, I think he did say that. I mean, it's difficult, though, because...

Because it's two of the worst people to talk about a fucking album. I mean, like, the reason that I don't really do press for our records is because, like, I don't write all our songs, and I'm the fucking bass player. So it's like, singing man and lead songwriter to all the promo. Do you know what it is, though? Do you know what it is? Like, there's no favourites with me for architects Because everyone's fucking legends

But I don't think Other than like old YouTube videos of you and Tom And stuff like that The bullying There's no real Juicy Allie Dean out there And you're a very funny guy Like yeah

Well you've fucked it now Because everyone's gonna be like But this is a big podcast Regardless of how unprofessional it is 40,000 monthly listeners that are going to be like, fuck me, the bassist's funny as well. He's fucking dumb as shit, but... Getting the follows.

Oh, do more funny shit, bassist man. I despise putting myself out there. Like, I mean, that might just be a bit of a killjoy thing. Yeah, I think it is. Yeah, it might be. I mean, it's fine. I don't think, this is going to sound insane. True. I've got the neediest dog at my lap.

Strike away, man. I mean, that wasn't the thing that I was going to say. I think I need it. I think I need the internet. But you, you're a very, like, when you walk into a room, like, I mean this in the nicest way

because you're very entertaining. People know you're there. And it's a good thing. You're like a good vibe to have around. Walking into the room. Freeze, motherfucker! Say it. I got fucking ADHD.

Just say it. No, but like, like Sam is someone else that is like that feeds off like, what's the, what's the word? I'm fucking slow. Attention, attention whore, I think is the word. I mean, I'll take it. Putting it in a horrible way. Yeah.

I mean, I don't know if that is a horrible way. But I'm not, I'm not like that at all. I sort of despise being in the spotlight for even a second. I guess the internet is just like a big. spotlight, isn't it? Yeah. But the night... I love it.

I think maybe it's like a... I don't know. Maybe it's a fucking... I've got like... I've got a singer complex, which I don't think you have. Do you say a singer or a sinner? A singer.

I'm a fucking biblical. Yeah. Like, no one gives a fuck about the drummers. I think they do. Not on the grand scheme of things And I need everyone to pay me Every ounce of attention Even more than the singer at all times

Sure Now I'm half tongue in cheek about that And sort of The other 50% If you know maths quite well The other 50% I'm quite I don't know

I got like a chip on my shoulder about Oh is he the singer Oh is he the This is boys and girls the way, but like, I feel like drummers have always got a bad wreck and I'm like, you know what, fucking give me some fucking attention.

Tell me how fucking good I am. I have worked for fucking ages at this. Honestly, this is the hardest instrument on stage, everyone. Yeah, no, fair, yeah. If anyone's fucking listening, oh, I don't get this bit. It is a

bit, I'm doing a joke. Oh, I didn't get it. Okay, turn it off. cancel what you've already listened to in fact never listened to this podcast again get out get out if you're not going to go what's your favourite song of the album

but I was gonna add earlier on I I'm you know spending 24 7 by myself I've done a lot of soul searching lately I thought we're going to say that

I raised my lip when I said that because I realised how fucking done that sounded. It's not on video though, is it? I've had, it's been a thing since I was a very, very young man. I used to bunk off school to not do like school assembly. Like, if my class were putting on an assembly, I'll bunk off because I just didn't want to be on stage. It's all very weird.

There's something... So you joined your band. but I play bass True They still have it So it might as well be on stage The closest You can be to being off stage

And then they thrust the synth there That's where the synth shakes came from then I guess Yeah maybe And the fact that I was completely underqualified at the time to perform that piece No I don't get you, I don't get that from you. That's interesting.

I think it's like a, I don't know, there's like a, I know, I should really go to a therapist about this, not broadcast it on the internet. I should go to a therapist about a lot of things, but there's a pandemic going on. So I just, all I do is I restart fleabagg from the start. This is the same, it's the same thing, isn't it? Mine's peep show.

Oh When it gets When things get really And back again When it gets really Fucking bleak Peep show goes on And then I get to about

Season 5 I'm like You've watched this Literally like Fucking 15 times Just stop it Do anything else It's good though

Although I did I did see like a TikTok Or something the other day Where it was like Do you know Why people rewatch the same series

Over and over again It's because it's a trait Of like Extreme anxiety Because it's because they know what's going to happen. It's comfort. In their chaotic world, it's comforting.

And I was like, oh my God, this isn't too real. You're so right. It's a visual, like, weighted blanket. I hate weighted blankets. I bought one for my anxiety. And I ended up just having more nightmares about being crushed. That sounds horrible. Leave that on the, if you got that from Amazon,

which I assume you did, because everything comes from Amazon now. Put that on the review. Do not buy. Great. great until, great and comfy until I fell asleep and I had a dream

about being trapped in a sand castle. Yeah, it's, peep shows my, like, I know times are getting a bit bleak

when peep shows on again. Try something else, any other show. No, I've got loads. Alan Partridge is the same. If I, I tell you what,

Alan Partridge, mid-morning matters is when I'm like super mega depressed. Have you dipped into this time lately? I love it. That's up there as well. Unbelievable.

I don't really go back to the old stuff anymore because I get annoyed with canned laughter. It annoys me. Yeah. It dates the show, doesn't it? Fucking heading, yeah. So this time and mid-morning matter's come back. Should we talk about your album again?

Is there anything else we can fucking talk about? I'm getting trouble now. I think, if you want someone to like sell the hour, album you've had him he's brilliant he's brilliant at it that is his uh you know he's brilliant that and at this point like you guys think you have to try you don't have to try i don't want to like you know you bring out a turgid stinker of an album and people are still going to enjoy it it's it's the biggest and heaviest album we've ever made go pick it up it's It's got elements of the new sound, but also elements of the old sound.

It's both the most heavy and melodic album we've made. I just struggle to really, like, you know, I can talk to you about, like, how it's, how it was made to a point where I, you know, I know some stuff about that, but then I forget, like, quite significant details, like, where the fucking strings were recorded. But, you know, if you, if you want to talk about, like, the lyrical content of, you. the record and stuff like i'm not going to talk to you about that because i didn't write them and it'd be fucking dumb as fuck for me to do that and i don't know like i don't want to like try and uh put some sales if this was supposed to be if this was pressed then i was i was supposed to have questions and i don't i have any questions i wanted to have a face time with you and happen to record it yeah i maybe it's time for part two with dan sell because you could have some

genuinely very, very interesting conversations with him about the record because or have Josh again. Has Josh been on twice now? Yeah, Josh had been on twice. You've had too much, Josh. I need to have Dan on.

You need to get Dan back on. But I couldn't have a double down on Dan and Sam without you. I think people deserve to know who Ali Dean. Who is Ali Dean? We're finding out. Digging him.

yeah yeah um anyway running yeah they call you the white mo farrah i mean they don't no one calls you that i've just called you that but i'll take that you clocked up some miles i've i've got some miles on my legs you got a five minute mile four minute mile i'd fucking love a five minute mile it's really hard is that the best that there is The sort of elite standard for a mile is four. I mean, people dip lower than four now, but frequently. Really? A three and a bit minute mile?

Is that what the term is? I can't remember what the record is off the top of my head, but it's less than four minutes. But it's insane. And that's like in a marathon. That's not just doing a mile really fast. No, that's just doing just doing a mile. Oh, I mean, that's still really. fucking fast.

Oh, it's absurd. It's like three straight from the path songs. That's a fucking quarter of a straight from the path album. But you take it really fucking seriously. You do it on tour.

I remember when I came to a few shows and you'd just be gone. You've gone for so long. I just did fucking however many miles. How many miles do you do on a tour run? It depends on from training for something. like there's been

there was an American there was that North American tour where I was training for That's when right Yeah that was hell You were I never saw you

Just constantly running There was we played Toronto And we all got fucking blasted And it was two days before I ran The Brighton marathon It was a last day at tour Wasn't it? It was

And I went out and ran like I ran like four miles in Toronto the day after that show and I was definitely still drunk and then flew home and picked up my race pack and then ran it the next day. It's fucking horrible. How long's a marathon? I don't know anything about running other than I don't want to do it.

26 miles. How often do you do that? Usually I run one a year. Brighton. Oh, okay. And then what's the training for it? It depends what you're trying to do Because if you're if you're trying to hit like

If you're just trying to finish it You might need to go for like Four runs a week Three runs Maybe not three Well you want to do like a few A week which are like Three miles, six miles

Four miles And then on Sunday you want to do 10 miles and then the following week You want to kind of ramp up your mileage And then you keep building it up But like Ten miles But like

Like some of the runs on that tour were like, we'd have a day off in the middle of fucking nowhere and we'd have to go and do like an 18 mile run like down a freeway. And it was... Like, I've been out on training runs in America and come across like snakes and been like, well, I'm going to die out here.

Jesus Christ. And like, when did you start running? I started running when we were recording all our gods and it was just fucking... This is what I was getting at. Fucking dark. This is what I was getting at. Like, this all sounds like fucking... Oh, it's like...

Forest Gump. Like, oh, everything sucks. I'm just going to keep fucking running. There's a direct correlation between me running lots and... being stressed out about something. And it was when we were doing all our gods that I signed up for my first marathon. Was it like a self-punishment thing?

It was like, like things were super intense in the studio. Through nobody's fault, it was just a very difficult situation. And I just like went for a few runs as like, I'm just going to get out for the night kind of thing and go out for like half an hour or whatever. And then thought...

Just never previously ran. Just was just like... I'd ran a little bit. I need to be away from this situation. Yeah. And like... Well, yeah, basically that. Like, just get out of the studio.

Because it's just intense. Um... And then just kind of carried it on ever since then. With brief moments of dipping in and out of it. Because just lose motivation or I don't know. Whatever. What do you think about on a fucking How long is a 10-mile?

About hour and 15 minutes. Sometimes I run with music, other times I don't, and then... An hour and 15 minutes? Yeah. 10 miles, that doesn't seem like long. Eh. It's not too long. In my head, a 10, my...

Me running 10 miles is going to take you fucking, take me fucking 10 hours. I'll tell you that, I'm afraid. That's a slot. I have like a real slog booked for the end of May So what are you got I have a hundred kilometres Because I had I had that Is that in miles?

It's about 60 I think In one go Yeah So I signed up to it last year And it got roned off Yeah Oh then this year is going to be different is it It might be

That's the one thing that I meant to say this one we're talking about lockdown and like getting clinically fed up or you know very very sad clinically fed up in my case um or like very sad is the carrot on the stick element of the whole fucking thing not even not by anyone's fault obviously they need to keep people indoors but it's like we'll tell you in three weeks what's happening and you wait and it gets to three weeks and like yeah another three weeks you guys you guys have been soul crushing. You've been doing really well.

We're going to need you to do it again for some more time, and we don't know how long that's going to be yet. It is torture. Yeah. Sometimes I think, have I just fucking, obviously, I've got it better than quite a lot of people, but sometimes I'm like, did I just die? And this is like a semi-hell.

Like a purgatory, where it's just like, we'll let you know in three weeks. I'm not even that's what hell's actually like. You seem to have adjusted very well to it. On the outside. I mean, now, actually, now I'm fucking flying. In 2021, I'll be honest, I'm very happy, very happy human being.

That's great to hear. Thanks, mate. 2020, quite the opposite. It's been probably a few times in 2020. I could just pack this in. Like, how much of your... sort of private life of the past couple years of you broadcast? Oh, it's all on there.

It's all there. You've been for a really fucking difficult time. Like, Rona or no Rona? Yeah, that's, my dad keeps saying that to me. My dad keeps saying, it's amazing, like, you come out the other side or whatever. Like, I haven't really gone into the whole fucking divorcey shit on here. Like, I did Daniel P. Carter's podcast the other day. And I unleashed.

because it's like not you know this is supposed to be about music but Daniel P. Carter's one I'm the guest ask me but uh yeah it's uh

I'm good in this in this 2021 I'm fine but the carrot on the stick thing still gets me like clockwork every three weeks I'll have a little dip uh yeah I'm afraid it's not going to be today

it's like the government is a shit dad have you not going to the the ball game today, guys. Sorry. We'll be there next time. Have you, in your head, like, written off this year for music? Live music.

I hadn't. At the end of last year, like clockwork when they told us about the vaccine, I was like, oh, pretty cool. And now I see how it's being rolled out and how things are happening. and I'm like, potentially might not be happening this year. I'd like to think November. That'd be nice for that.

I mean, and the thing is, as, like, realism, us that know the music industry and know the conversations that are going on behind the scenes, us going, November would be nice. For people to hear that, they're probably crushed.

What do you mean November? No, November? But, fuck on. I heard April. I've got tickets for April. No, I think, um, Glastonbury fucking. That was a big, honestly.

Didn't it? I was immediately like, oh, oh, no. Oh, Glastonbury. But now I've just, I've personally written this year off like last year. Yeah. In my head, I'm, I'm quietly confident for like,

maybe the odd festival. although Glastonbury was a fucking kicker but maybe maybe the end of the year I feel like some parts of Europe can have their shit together by then my here's what I weirdly here's what I hope happened

and I know this is the wrong thing to hope I have to think about this very carefully I hope everyone dies no that's not I'm going to say do I mean this yes everyone needs the die. No.

I think the problem is that the vaccine companies ultimately care about money so none of them are sharing the fucking recipe for a vaccine.

So that's why there's like 11 different, new one developed. Oh, why was it developed? Oh, because the other one wouldn't share with us life-saving secrets because it was the Colonel's

secret fucking recipe. The fucking spice blend. This is the good one. You cunts aren't having it. Sorry, you're not going to pay. No, no, no, no. So that's what's fucking slowing it down. So I feel like for music to happen,

and I hope this happens, and I know it's the worst thing ever because I really hope it didn't have to happen. But like, so prime example, like when you go to South America or Southeast Asia with architects, do you get your vaccine on the NHS, no.

You ask the NHS and they go, like for yellow fever or whatever, and they go, no, it's going to take 12 weeks. So you go somewhere private and it's fucking 100 quid or whatever and then you can go on tour. If they're not going to fucking share with each other, then one of you, cunts, just make it private

so I can get on with the fucking thing. Or so people, like, do you know what I mean? fundamentally I absolutely disagree with the concept but if they're fucking if they really cared about human life they would be sharing it with each other they're doing it to profit but they're doing it like

secretly to profit guys we come up with a new life-saving vaccine for everyone yeah yeah there's only this many you ever thought about giving you'll just give the recipe to the other dish out the recipe and we can have loads of it just pop it open source

Linux Linux pop it on fucking YouTube we'll all make vaccine no no no no so they're like they're shadily making money why not just do that out in the open they'll still make a pretty penny isn't it

yeah they're like it's disguised as like we must get the most vulnerable but also at the same time we must be paid you must be paid for the most vulnerable why don't you just fucking share it give everyone the fucking shit

and then there'd be be abundant. The only thing that's stopping it would be time and then just maybe let some people pay for the time. It's fucking horrible. As I say out of... I'm disagreeing with myself. Actually, that shouldn't fucking happen at all. But it's what happens with every other vaccine. I'm not in the wrong here.

I talk myself into a corner and now I disagree with myself. Do you like... a lovely pam um as a man that often quite frequently speaks out your opinions on things do you do you feel a little bit like i don't know about talking about covid um no because in my head the the the the fuck up of all the governments except for a Australia and New Zealand. I mean, Australia has its fuck-ups, but the fuck-up on government response

has been so great that... Boris Johnson the other day is saying, we've done everything we could. It was literally like, you're fucking what, mate? Like, I think 99.99% of people know that that is... It's been mismanaged a little bit. It's been mismanaged. So, like, you know,

Obviously, it's horrible, but if I said something that was borderline, you shouldn't really be saying that. Well, the government, the people that are supposed to fix things, shouldn't really be fucking everything up. You know what I mean? I ain't going to make a fucking... See, I ain't going to make a joke about anyone. It's a really difficult subject to talk about publicly, I think.

Because I feel like the minute you... I mean, it's basically the same of most things these days. the minute you propose a conflicting view to the World Wide Web, you just get fucking big to friends. You're going to drop some anti-mask on me. Are you going to end it on that? Like, it's like these idiots. I'm wearing masks.

But like I've spoken with anti-maskers. Have you? Have you got someone we know an anti-maskers? Do you? In fact, no, I know some as well, but I'm slowly weeding them out of my friend's list because I'm like... This is the thing. Like, I know some anti-maskers and in principle, the anti-maskers are things like just fucking put one on. Like, it's not that big an inconvenience.

Like... It's really not. Right. But then when it comes to like people that are generally anti-lockdown, there's some discussions in there which I think have carry a lot of weight. And then there's some parts of that that don't carry a lot of weight. Let me, let me, let me add to this.

The anti-lockdown thing, so I'm actually, obviously, I know lockdown has to happen, right? I know it's to save lives. But when I see people vehemently annoyed, at people breaking lockdown. And I've never seen that person be previously annoyed

with the government flaunting lockdown rules, creating rules, and then driving to a fucking castle while you have the COVID virus. And then I see that person kicking off at someone who is just at their fucking, you know, wits end with everything. And it's like leading by example.

It's like if a fucking, if you had a kid, if you had a kid and it like, and it goes, oh, you know, the, why do we only cross when the green man goes? And the, the mum's just like, just doesn't say anything. It's just whatever. And then the kid's out without its mum. It's never been told about the green man rule. And then there's no green man. See someone else crossing the road. Crosses the road.

gets fucking killed. It's, it was, it's the government's duty to explain why the laws are there and then lead by that example and they didn't fucking do it.

Yeah, that was done shit. When people get, like, really annoyed at people having a party or something, I'm not having parties and I don't know anyone

that's having parties, but I see people online like kicking off about parties. And I've never seen that person kick off about the government. I'm like, you've got the right energy but you're pointing it

at the wrong fucking people it feels like an easy easy stance to take yeah because they're in the wrong having a party is wrong for sure you shouldn't be fucking doing it

but you can't blame some people for being fucking for honestly you can't you can't blame some people for for not believing it because

of stuff like that because in any other walk of life for the record I fucking believe it and I think you know we should be staying indoors and wearing masks and everything like that but for in any other walk of life if you have someone in a position of power that says do this and then they do the fucking opposite

no one underneath them is trusting that person yeah so for people you can't you can't really blame you can be annoyed but you can't be like I hope you die annoyed because

the people that are just making the rule yeah yeah it's a terrible fucking example we're all kids with a shit fucking dad yeah that's that

the analogy that's come round again the government's a shit dad um change a subject because the album maybe anything but the album

I've had a few WhatsApp groups where COVID chat's been outlawed because it would just fucking you know WhatsApp groups are there to share memes and have a laugh not fucking be like

have you seen this fucking shit what Australia up to at the moment like how what does what does what what's the past couple of months that like for stray how much do you guys like stay in touch

are you writing do you not want to talk about it Yeah, we got about five demos done And then I don't know what we're going to do with them But I talked to Tom A couple times a week I caught to Drew a couple times a week

I tend to really only talk to Dragon Neck on Instagram For some reason Maybe it's a basis thing Maybe it's a fucking basis thing I don't know It all seems busy I've got some friends that I'd consider great friends

that it's only Instagram DMs. And they're meaningful because you see something online and you think, you know what, that person would really like that. Yeah. So I talked to Tom about like business stray shit.

And then I talked to Drew about like his solo stuff. I talked to him and like because he's, Drew's in Europe time now because he lives in Europe. Drew is a French man now. French Drew. So I like talked. to him

about French shit and just because he's up at the same time as me and then talk to Dragon Neck on Instagram that's about it just the same as you I mean you've got an album coming out

but just respect for bringing one out because you went touring it we ain't touring that motherfucker what are you going to do we'll have to see how the rest of the plays out and kind of read the room so to speak

because if it's going to be you know this shit for another few months then that kind of writes off the festival season I think festivals are really written off aren't they I don't know who am I to say I mean the the glass and be one was a big one but it is the first festival of the season it is not you know

We could have some late... We could have a Redding. I reckon we could possibly have a Redding. Love a Redding. It'd be nice for that. Reading's not beyond the realms of possibility. It's so far away. Yeah.

It's just... It's just speculation at the moment, though, isn't it? Like, you can... Speculation, and me and you can talk about this till we're blue in the face, and all we'll do is reduce ticket sales for struggling fucking festivals. So we probably should. just say, I reckon that going to happen.

Yeah, I remember last year just like, oh, we're looking at doing this and this month. And it's like, that month rolls around. I was like, yeah, we're looking at doing this in a few months. A few months rolls around. It was this time last year where it was just like, oh, man, have you seen this COVID shit? Looks like we're going to have to move the Amity tour to July.

And I was like, oh, man, that's so. Guess what? We're a year later and there's still no dates. feel more confused than ever insane on that note I'm running out of fucking battery we haven't talked about the album

I don't care I can only apologise to my band and the band won't give a fuck the label won't give a fuck because I would only do it a disservice to promote the album

I think we've had a lovely time I think if anything people have gone fuck Ali's funny and if they haven't they're idiots I feel like there's been a lot of fat but keto. I don't give a fucking shit. I've had a lovely time. I've had lovely time.

Well, that's all anyone can ask for in these strange times. The new normal. The new normal. I've had a lovely time in the new normal. Yeah, me too. Yeah. It's been brightened up my Wednesday night. Isn't it?

I'm going to fucking, I'll probably put this on the internet near the What we'll do? The professional part of it will be that I will put this out about maybe a week before the album comes out. Yeah, I think your original plan was to put it out on release date, but it would, I think it would do sales a disservice. Yeah, I mean, by the nature of sales. So I will do them the week before.

Yeah, a little boost. And if you've listened to this and you've thought, that was fun. In fact, if you giggled more than once, then you should buy for the, Those that wish to exist by architects. Out. Out.

February. Yeah. Four? Ah, so close. Is it fifth? Is it fifth? Sixth. Sixth.

I'm sure I said that. We'll see what the jury says. The jury being Sam. You know, if anyone, if anyone was hoping to listen to this and like get some real insight into the. in a machinery of architects. You're a fucking idiot. Yeah. Why did you think that for a start?

And I'm sorry, because it's probably provided you more questions and answers, if anything. Ali is, honestly, top five favorite episodes from a, from a,

from a, performing your squad. That's a real, like a performing point of you, I've had just the best evening. I feel I've got frown lines from last, thing.

The opposite. I've got laughter lines. I'm frowning so much. I'm also. Also, I reckon I might actually be a little bit of pissed as well. Yeah,

I'm three deep. I shouldn't have had a shot before I did this. It's been, it become like a thing where I just have like a loosen up shot. A bit of Dutch courage.

Lovely. Mm. Yeah. It's nice. All right. Well, thank you for having you, Craig. Love you too.

I'm glad we did it. Can you please send me a file and I'll sort the shit out. Absolutely. love you love you mate I'll speak to you soon

goodbye to you're uh