V1, a band that grew out of Iron Maiden and the Rock scene in Britain in the late 1970s, they took their time and now they’re back better, louder, and smoother than ever before. I spoke with lead singer Denis on Wednesday about the band and the new record:
- Why did you choose the name V1? What are your influences?
“After leaving Maiden, I drew on my advertising roots and when I formed a new band, I wanted the band to have a short name that would be easy to say and do logos for. Hence the creation of V1. It also originated I suppose from my interest in World War 1 and World War 2, though we don’t write military songs. As for my influences, well they’ve remained the same throughout really. I write songs based on things that happen in the real world.”
- Has your approach to song writing changed over the years?
“Don’t think it’s really changed that much over the years. For example, there’s a song on the new record called Don’t Cause a Scene, which started with a riff from our guitarist, and as it played I came up with a title and then moved toward thinking about something I’d seen when doing property refurbishment, which was that in the care homes there are a lot of people there suffering from mental health problems, and when they act up, they’re told not to cause a scene. So, things like that are an example of the writing process. Someone comes up with a riff, or a rhythm, then we write it out and I come up with the lyrics based on how I relate what I’m hearing to real world experiences.”
- What was the process behind recording the new album?
“In 1978, when we got together, I wanted to move on from Maiden, didn’t want to copy them, didn’t want to play their songs, though we could’ve done. So, VI was formed. We started writing new material, then for various reasons we split, and I left the music industry in 1982. Didn’t want to come back, until in 2014 when a friend mentioned that there was a song of mine online with Maiden pictures, but it was with a band I’d formed called Gibraltar. Then I got told there were people interested in the music V1 had done, and I got in touch with Terry, our guitarist, and he’d been getting interest in the music as well. So we got the band together with new members, re-recorded everything and added some new songs such as Armageddon and then out it went.”
- What songs are you looking forward to playing live?
“We’ve played four gigs already, and the material has gone over well, we’ve played eight or nine songs from the album. We’ve got a new drummer so will be running over the set again, and when we’re next out, hopefully be able to play the whole thing. As songs such as Armageddon have a lot of parts to them so it’s a case of making it work.”
- Future plans?
“Well we’re currently looking to get out on tour, and play more shows. We’re going to be opening up for Airrace and Lionheart at the Underworld in London in November. And we’re also working some things out for a new album, which seems as though it will be a rock band playing with the same sort of momentum as an EDM or dance band. I’m quite into EDM and dance music, and some of the other guys have other eclectic tastes so we’re mixing that together and seeing what comes out.”