Cosmiclava where the lava flows

I always liked FIREBIRD, but I immediately fell in love with their new album 'Double Diamond'. At the risk of being boring I think this is their best record so far - or, more accurately, it's my favourite record in FIREBIRD's history. The combination of Bill Steer's excellent guitar work, his charismatic voice as well as the impressive songwriting skills is irresistible and more than tasteful. Some of the other retro rock bands should take a leaf out of FIREBIRD's book. So this was the opportunity for Cosmic Lava to do the first interview with Bill Steer. Among other things, Gentlemans Pistols was another topic, because he has joined the band before they went into the studio to record their new album 'At Her Majesty's Pleasure'. In case you wonder why Carcass doesn't appear here: I decided to leave it out because it meant that there was a risk that our interview would go on forever. Anyway, there was enough material for the interview, and I am sure that it was the right decision to focus on present times. By the way, thanks to Moritz for making this happen!

Let us start with the new FIREBIRD album 'Double Diamond'. It had taken a long time before the album has been released in Europe, but the wait has been well worth it. I think that 'Double Diamond' represents a move away from the heavy blues rock of the early releases. FIREBIRD has come closer to bands such as mid-70s UFO or Diamond Head just to name a few. What are your thoughts on the new release, and what led to it?

Thanks for your comments. Overall I'd agree with what you're saying. It was inevitable that we'd start to drift in that direction, really. When I was eleven or twelve years old, bands like Diamond Head, Tank, Fist and so on were starting to emerge and to me they were just as exciting as Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin. I guess I'm at the stage now where I don't make such strict distinctions between different eras of music, or different categories. With Firebird, the band has always been riff-based, but when we started work on this album the music stepped up a gear and became more or less riff-dominated. I can't really analyse our approach any more than that as I'm too involved! As usual, we just went with the vibe we were feeling. Obviously the music you're listening to at the time is likely to be reflected in the music you're making.

Apart from the great songs, 'Double Diamond' has won me over with its dry, crispy production. You've recorded it at Graveland Studios in the Netherlands. What was the reason for this decision?

Ludwig already some experience of recording with Arno at Graveland, and he spoke very highly about it all. So we went over there to record a few songs as a demo. We were all impressed with how he works, so naturally enough that became the location for the album recording. You're right, the production is somewhat dry, particularly compared to our previous albums. That was the intention. We wanted to approach this recording slightly differently and in some ways you could say we actually adopted some "production values". Nothing drastic, we just felt that the "rehearsal tape" vibe of some of our other records had maybe gone far enough for the time being.

The lyrics of 'A Wing & A Prayer' contain autobiographical elements. You are talking about being in a band and the associated joy and sorrow. Do you agree and did you ever get sick of playing in a band?

'A Wing & A Prayer' was a snapshot of a typical Firebird gig in the UK. I might have exaggerated certain elements, but the idea was to do a road song minus the glamour and fakery. It's not entirely serious, let's put it that way. Do I ever get sick of playing in a band? Tricky question. I don't get sick of playing, but some other aspects of the music world can certainly become tiresome...

How important are lyrics to you?

If you'd asked me that question a few years ago, I would have said "Not at all". Now I'd say it's quite nice if you have a decent lyric that actually means something and matches the music. But I don't think I'll ever be one of those people who insist that lyrics have to be on a par with poetry or whatever.

All songs have been written by you and drummer Ludwig Witt. How can one imagine this process? Who does what?

This was the first time we'd collaborated to such a degree. In the past I'd often tended to bring complete songs into the rehearsal room, but this time I just came in with riffs, the odd verse or chorus maybe. If I had the main part of a song ready, Ludwig would suggest ideas for a mid-section, intro or whatever. He doesn't play guitar but has a good feel for the kind of direction a song should take.