McFly: Digital Spy Interview

McFly

Friday, July 4 2008, 06:46 BST

By Nick Levine, Music Editor

The McFly boys aren't just chart-topping popstars these days - they're entrepreneurs running their own record label too. In fact, they've just brokered a rather audacious deal with the Mail on Sunday, which will distribute copies of their new album, radio:ACTIVE, six weeks before it hits the shops. But have they kept their sense of fun as they've grown up? We called drummer Harry Judd - the one who knows a certain Miss Lohan pretty well - to find out.

What made you decide to set up your own label?
"Well, we had an opportunity to leave our label, Island, and we took it. We decided to set up our own label and invest our own money into it so we could have complete creative control. People are really sceptical about it and don't believe that we parted with Island on good terms, but we genuinely did. We just wanted the opportunity to do things differently."

How are things different now?
"I think this album has much better songs and the production is a huge step up for us. This is the album we always wanted to make and this is the way we always wanted to sound. It's not stripped down at all. In the past, because there were so many people making decisions at our label, the album would often get filtered and wouldn't sound how we wanted it to sound. We're still the same guys and we're not going to start releasing death metal or anything, but everything just sounds better now."

What's the single, 'One For The Radio', about? It has quite a pointed chorus: "Don't pretend you hate us when you sing along..."
"It's a positive lyric. It's saying we really love what we're doing and we've got lots of really loyal fans, so we don't really care if you don't like us."

Do you feel some music fans have dismissed you unfairly in the past?
"People are entitled to their own opinion, but I think often their opinion of us was based on things we didn't necessarily want to do. If people don't like us now, that's fine, because this is who we really are."

Is there one thing from the past that you really didn't want to do?
"Yeah, doing the Greatest Hits album. I really didn't want to do it and I was really p***ed off about it. At the same time, you can understand why the label decided to do it. Even if we hadn't supported it and we'd chosen not to promote it, they still would have released it because they own the masters to all our songs. It's great being on our own label now, because we'll own all our masters from now on."

Why were you so against it?
"Because we weren't breaking up and we had so many new songs that we wanted people to hear. We'd churned out three albums in three years and people had already heard all of those songs. It just didn't feel right because we were desperate for people to hear our new stuff. There's a bit of a stigma attached to Greatest Hits albums too, and we certainly didn't want people to think, 'Ooh, they reckon they've got loads of great hits'."

What persuaded you to sign the deal with the Mail on Sunday?
"It was an opportunity that came up and it just seemed like a no-brainer really - it means that within one day millions of people will get to hear the album. I believe there are loads of people out there who would love our stuff but they've never given us a chance because they pigeonhole us as a boyband or something."

How have fans reacted to the deal?
"It's been mainly positive, but I think some of them found it hard to understand, at least initially. A few fans are worried that the songs might not be as good because they're being given away for free, but that's not the case at all. Actually we want more people to hear these songs because we're so proud of them. Some people want the full album package with a booklet and all that, but that's coming out in September so they won't miss out."

Do you read the Mail on Sunday?
"Well, my mum gets the Mail on Sunday so I have read it a bit over the last few years. She'll definitely be picking up her free copy of the album on July 20."

Now that you're growing up and have your own record label, will you still show your cheeky sides? Will you still get naked at G-A-Y?
"Yes, definitely! We don't want people to get the wrong impression and think we're trying to be all cool and serious now. We're really good mates and we like having a good time and titting around, so we'll still be doing things like that."

Will Dougie still set fire to his pubes onstage?
"Haha I'm sure he will! He's a very odd boy. I can see him now actually, he's eating a salad out of a plastic bowl on his own. He doesn't talk when he's hungry, so that's why he's not doing an interview at the moment. He needs to refuel."