INTERVIEW: Michael ‘Padge’ Paget – Bullet For My Valentine

Even with their latest album Gravity proving to be somewhat divisive, that hasn’t stopped BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE from being one of the biggest metal bands in the UK. Ahead of their headline show at Alexandra Palace, we caught up with guitarist Michael ‘Padge’ Paget to discuss the band’s change in direction and how things have been going for them as a result of it.

So to start, how have things been since the release of Gravity?

Padge: Pretty good, we did a big festival run which was awesome. Hit some prime spots on it which was really good. And then we finish up this big tour tomorrow, Europe has been really good so it’s been quite impressive.

So this album was somewhat of a departure for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, what was it that made the band want to try something new?

Padge: I think we just didn’t want to go and write another Venom. We wanted to slow things down and just try a different way of writing and wanted to incorporate new sounds. Things we haven’t done before, the logic in it was just don’t write the same album twice. I think Venom was pretty heavy and fast with lots of guitar solos. We just wanted to do something new. We can always go back to that sound if we want.

I imagine for you in particular it was quite hard to adjust, there’s a lot less of the solos and riffing you’d usually do

Padge: It was very awkward for me, I just wanted to play like I usually do. The guys were like just chill a bit for this one, take a break. I get it though, I totally understand and I think it worked out well anyway.

So do you think that style of playing just wouldn’t have fit on this album?

Padge: Yeah I mean we did it loads on Venom, I guess in a way that’s my show off album. It was just a little hard to tame me for this one, but I got it in the end.

So I think it’s fair to say when a band does try something different with an album it can be quite divisive, do you feel like this was the case with Gravity?

Padge: Yeah I mean initially when we wrote Letting You Go that was really heavy on electronics, I was very scared at that point. But once we started playing it with our instruments instead of just software it made a lot more sense, But yeah it was scary at first.

So with the heavier use of electronics, was this something you all decided on at the very start?

Padge: Yeah we did, it was really Matt‘s idea, this was his vision. Matt Schwartz is the guy he went into the studio with and slammed this track together with. That’s why it was so electronic heavy because that’s what this guy did. But again once we all came together and started playing it on our instruments it just felt less scary to me.

Do you think it’s necessary for bands to try something that is seen as a departure even if it’s something their fans might not like right away?

Padge: I think so, you gotta keep testing yourself and finding new ways to write albums and songs. You’ve always gotta be inspired. And like I said even if you step away from something you can always go back to it later. Our next record might closer to The Poison or maybe and extension of Scream Aim Fire. Or more like Venom, who knows. But I think it’s always important to test yourself and not just do the same album twice.

So the future could hold something very different to Gravity?

Padge: Yeah I mean we could do a death metal record next, who knows. We’ll come back with corpse paint.

So do you think its a tough time for metal bands in terms of gaining mass appeal? Obviously there are plenty of bands doing well but it still feels quite rare to see one really break into the mainstream.

Padge: I think its certainly harder for newer bands. I mean SLAYER are on tour right now and they’re doing arenas. Metal is still massive and doing its thing, but I think for younger upcoming bands its really hard. Everything is so digital these days and there’s no money in it. Record labels won’t pump money into bands.

You’ve got some fairly new bands supporting you on this tour, so do you feel like you’re giving these bands a good opportunity for more exposure?

Padge: Yeah of course. It’s always good to take new bands out. I like SHVPES anyway and they just dropped a new album that’s really awesome. It’s lucky for them to be able to jump on a tour like this and play for lots of people.

Do you think bands are struggling to find ways to stand out then? Matt mentioned earlier this year about metal feeling stale to him so do you find this is a problem with the genre as well?

Padge: I think so yeah. I mean with Matt‘s comment it was massively twisted, it was ridiculous. Everyone knew what he meant but the internet went crazy. He really just meant that it’s gone stale for him and not in general.

So was Matt really the driving force when it came to the sound of Gravity?

Padge: Yeah he had a vision and just spoke to us about it. There was a lot of banging heads together but it worked out in the end.

Was it a tough recording process then?

Padge: Yeah very tough and long too. We wrote and recorded Venom in six or seven weeks and then recorded it in eight weeks whereas Gravity took a year. We were in lots of studios, worked with lots of different producers. Lots of songs and riffs got thrown away but we got there in the end.

So was the end result what you wanted it to be?

Padge: I mean everyone wants their new album to be better. But this album has done its thing.

How have crowds been reacting to the new material live then. The people complaining online doesn’t always reflect how people actually feel in a live environment?

Padge: Well the songs fit in really well in the set with the older stuff. There really hasn’t been any sort of problems there. But I think it has taken a bit longer to click. People have had time to digest these songs and adjust to them and I think its going down really well now.

Have songs allowed you to really mix things up in your set then. Being able to shift between the classic heavier material and this newer stuff?

Padge: Yeah definitely. Especially with this new lighting rig and show we’ve got, it really brings these songs to life.

So has this headline tour been going well for you?

Padge: Yeah, best numbers we’ve ever done in Europe so that’s been amazing. And then we’ve got Alexandra Palace tonight and Cardiff tomorrow, then its two weeks off.

So you mentioned earlier about how you could easily go back to your classic sound for your next album. But do you think there’s any chance you would try to develop and improve what you have started doing on Gravity?

Padge: Erm I dunno really, we just gotta keep it fresh and come up with new ways of making music. The band is 15 years old now so we’ve done a lot. The Poison was great for us, Scream Aim Fire was full of thrashier stuff so who knows what the future holds. We could go fast and heavy because I think that’s what we do best.

So as long as it’s not stale for you as a band, that’s the most important thing right?

Padge: Yeah it’s gotta be exciting for us, that really is the main thing.

So to wrap up, do you think 2018 has been a good year for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE?

Padge: Yeah especially with how much we’ve done in America this year. And with the numbers in Europe and the festival run its been really good. The shows have just been great.

I guess Gravity has a sound that is really suited to US radio. You’ve been doing big numbers here in the UK for so long so was this album intended to really boost you in America?

Padge: Yeah we’ve always wanted to have a good crack at America. Radio is such a big thing over there and that’s what drives all the festivals, so appealing to that audience has helped us do bigger numbers.

So finally what else does the near future hold for you?

Padge: We’ve got a few more tours booked in but I don’t think it’s gonna be as flat out next year. I think once the touring is done we’ll either take a short break or just smash out another album. We do have another album on Spinefarm, it was a two album deal so we wanna get that out.

Great, well thanks very much for your time.

Padge: Thank you.

Gravity is out now via Search & Destroy/Spinefarm Records. 

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