Following yesterday's first part, here's the concluding half of our interview with Tom.
What's the latest on the tracks you chaps have made with [the rapper] K'naan?
Everything's finished and we're all really excited about it. They sound great - really fresh and different, and I've really been enjoying listening to them at home. I think it really shows us in a different light, working with someone who I don't think anyone would've expected us to work with. It's great to have some new songs to feel excited about. I've been really enjoying listening to them at home, cranking up the speakers and annoying my neighbours!
Do you think any of the tracks could be a single?
Yeah, I think so. There's definitely one particular track that stands out. So we'll just have to wait and see when it's all going to see the light of day.
Tim's Glastonbury blog said that you were at the festival too. How was that?
I had a thoroughly brilliant time, as I'd expected to. Which is nice, because I think sometimes you can build something up in your mind and really look forward to it, but then it doesn't quite cut the mustard. But it was great. Seeing Ray Davies play was particularly amazing. He did all the Kinks songs, mixed up with new songs. When you go and see a hero like that, you do really want to hear the songs that made them who they are.
Something Bruce Springsteen didn't seem quite so aware of.
Yeah, I was pretty upset about his set. We'd had the chance to go and see him in DC in America, but I thought I'd save the moment for Glastonbury. So I was building it up in my head, but then I got to the Pyramid field and, I dunno, unless you get really get right up the front you can lose a lot of energy from the stage. Where we were, it just didn't feel that atmospheric. I think his show would've looked a lot better in a smaller place.
But Blur managed to pull the whole Glastonbury crowd together.
Yeah, it's odd. Maybe Glastonbury means a lot more to British bands. I think I lasted about six or seven songs for Springsteen and then we just decided to go elsewhere. I thought I might regret it, but I think the general consensus was that he wasn't quite as great as he could've been. But I do still love his albums and I'm sure I'll see him again.
Is it nice to go to something like Glastonbury as a punter rather than a performer?
Yeah, absolutely. I actually bumped into a couple of the km.com boardies, which was very nice. I was on a mad dash from one of Glastonbury's many lavatories on my way to meet up with Nat. But apart from that I just felt very anonymous. I think everyone's too busy at Glastonbury doing great things to notice anyone. I love how it's like a small town which is put up for this one great weekend that's different every year. I just completely lose myself in it and love every minute. And it hardly rained at all, which was amazing.
So, after the Far East shows and V, you're off to Russia.
Yes, another new experience for us. We seem to be doing a lot of things for the first time at the moment, which is crazy considering how much time we've spent on the road. And then it's back out to North America.
Yes, for the Canadian tour. It's nice for them to get you to themselves for a while.
Yeah, I think we owe it to Canada too. They've always been really good to us and we seem to have a very dedicated following there. So it will be very cool to explore the central part of Canada. We've only ever really done Montreal, Toronto and then Vancouver on the other side. The road trips across the middle of the country are one of the great things about going to America, so it'll be good to do that in Canada.
It sounds like you're enjoying life in Keane right now.
Very much so. We've been on the road quite a long time now with this record and it still feels exciting to play the songs. I think we've really come into our own since we've had more songs to play live and had more variation. It's certainly made a huge difference to the touring process. It doesn't feel so repetitive.
Obviously one of the main problems you guys said you had around Hopes and Fears was that you toured for too long. This time you're touring for a long time again, but you seem to still be enjoying it.
Yeah. I think we're all aware of not doing too much, but then it's very hard to say no to stuff like going to Russia or South Korea for the first time, or even going back to places and playing to more people, where you created a buzz by going there the first time. It'd seem a shame not to try and do as much as possible.
And being busy is a good problem for a band to have.
Yeah, it definitely is. We are wary of keeping the balance between Keane and having a life outside of the band. But we love what we get to do and as long as people are turning out in their droves to watch us, then we're very, very happy to get out and do it.
Finally, the football team you support, Ipswich Town, is now managed by Roy Keane.
Yes, it's a great synchronicity isn't it? I think he'll be good for us.
Have you ever been invited to go down and pick the raffle winner at half-time?
Actually, I think I have been invited to go along as a guest, but I haven't done it yet. I intend to, though. And I'm hoping that having Keane as our manager could mean that this is our year. Fingers crossed, anyway.
