I was lucky enough to get an interview with Jamie from the Lostprophets during their recent tour, with support from The Bronx and Avenged Sevenfold. Read on to discover Jamie's feelings towards penguins, the new album "start something", crazy fans and how he was once attacked by a dead sheep!

Jamie- (looking at my Dictaphone) oooh, its so small, you gonna fit all these words into such a small thing?! (laughs)

If you could say your name and what you do in the band.

Jamie- I'm Jamie and I do…stuff! All the stuff no one else wants to do!

How's the tour going, first off?

Jamie- good.

Having fun?

Jamie- yes.

OK. What's in your CD player at the moment?

Jamie- (laughs) I'm just being awkward! The tour's going wicked, the shows are great, ya know, the venues are sold out. We're mixing the set every night so we can play different songs. (Sees me moving the mic closer) are my levels loud enough? (laughs) yeah, we move around all the songs instead of just doing a set. So, it's going pretty good. And the response has been good, and when Ian's on form it's even better! What's in my CD player at the moment? Well my CD player is non-existent cos I traded it in for an iPod. So what's on my iPod? Well everything! Well what am I listening to? Well I wanna be listening to a band called Damage Plan. That's Vinnie from Pantera, and the band sounds exactly like 96' Pantera, and it's awesome. But I cant get it cos it's on Ian's computer. So at the moment I'm listening to, a band called Copeland, and, um, some really gay shit. Sister sledge! (laughs)

How did you get Avenged Sevenfold and The Bronx on your tour?

Jamie- we phoned up and asked, and they said yes.

Any reason you chose them?

Jamie- because they're awesome! They were a bunch of bands we wanted. If we had our own way we'd be playing big 20 band festivals everyday, because there are so many bands we wanna take with us, put out in front of UK audiences. So like, we wanted 18 visions to come over, but it wasn't to be this time, because of (pauses) political reasons! I just got the Avenged album and The Bronx and they are amazing live, so.

What do you do in your spare time when not touring?

Jamie- um…I…paint. I paint and go fishing and stuff. I do really stupid mundane stuff. I don't really go out, well I go to gigs now and again but I spend every night in a gig, ya know what I mean? I just prefer to…

Relax!

Jamie- yeah, fishing's always really good in Wales. I drive up and spend the day up to my waist in a reservoir, with the rain pouring down on my head! What's always nice is when you close your eyes and pretend the wind's blowing in your hair…(laughs) I love my fishing!

Which of your songs are you most proud of?

Jamie- I'm proud of every song on the new album. I know that sounds conceited but I really am! We worked our damned hardest. We had like 30, 35 songs and we whittled it down to what's on the record, ya know? And we made sure we got 'em exactly how we wanted em. It was a laborious process, you know like. At the time it seemed really laborious, we tried different parts for every part of the songs, different sounds, different instruments. You go round in circles and circles and eventually end up going back to the same thing again. But that way makes you super confident that everything on the record is the best. I wouldn't do anything different. So it gives you that sense of security, the knowledge that you did try everything. Where as the first record we were like "should we have done this or that?" Whereas on this record we did do that and everything on there is the best thing for it. So, it's not a false sense of confidence. If there's one song on there that was a real surprise it's a song called "sway". And it was because, that was one of the tracks that was like…well it was just an instrumental at one point because we didn't do lyrics. So we put it on the back burner 'cos we had other songs that were similar. But when we got back to it later we thought "that's actually quite good", and we worked on it. It's one of those songs where everybody does their own thing, but, only now and again you are able to do everything without everything falling all over each other. If everybody did their own thing the melodies would go off at tangents, and shit would start clashing and stuff like that. But that particular song, you can really hear the piano, you can really hear the bass line, you can really hear the guitar, and the drums. Everything is really interesting and creative. And as soon as Ian put vocals on it, which is way different to what we've done in the past, it just came together like magic. It just goes to prove that when you are super creative, and super trusting in everyone's ability to do it then it pays off. As opposed to when you're really contrived and you plan everything neatly, you know? So that's probably my favourite song on the record, is "sway". It's a beautiful track, there's no other way to describe it. And it's terribly moving! It's hard to not get a lump in your throat when you play it! (laughs)

Do you like meeting fans after gigs?

Jamie- I like meeting fans whenever. I mean, its sometimes difficult when you've gotta be somewhere or do something, and you're on a time limit. Like you've gotta be in soundcheck. But it's also really hard to say no. I used to stand at the back end of gigs waiting for the bands to come out, and I remember how proud and happy I was when I got signatures, and id do anything to get signatures of my idols and stuff, and it meant the world to me. So I gotta remember that it's the same way, I cant understand it though, 'cos I'm like "I'm just a regular guy, what you want my fucking autograph for?!" (laughs). It can get trying at times because I'm getting shouted at, and I'm getting pulled and I gotta do interviews on the phone and stuff like that. But I can't say no, so it can be difficult at times. Like yesterday I had a cold, and I was standing in the cold after the gig and it was pissing it down and I got drenched. And I had to stand out there for an hour in the rain, and it was so detrimental to my health! But ya know. If they are respectful. But sometimes its "Jamie! Come here, can I have your phone, can I have your belt, can I have this and that!" And I know they want a piece of something but the reason I bought these things is 'cos I like them and I wanna keep them, thank you very much! If you want it go buy your own! (laughs) so, yeah, I love meeting fans, I love getting feedback from our shows and stuff like that. And the cool kids, they know who they are, they know how to be polite and stuff like that. But you always get a couple, that take the piss a bit! Like "Can you speak to my mate on the phone?!" What am I gunna say to your mate?! I've never met him before! (mimes putting the phone to his ear) "Hello" and they're like "hello" and you're just like "um…are you as embarrassed as I am to be in this situation?" and they're like "yeah". (laughs)

Yeah, I wouldn't know what to say to you on the phone at all!

Jamie- yeah, it's kinda stupid and it's the new thing. But next time someone gives me their phone I'm just gunna…(mimes putting it in his pocket)

And run off! Describe each band member in one word.

Jamie- you say the name and I'll say the one word.

Ian.

Jamie- um…quality.

Mike C

Jamie- um..beautiful.

Mike L

Jamie- stylin'!

Lee

Jamie- genius

Stuart

Jamie- Stu…(not sure what he said here)

OK.

Jamie- (mocks sadness) what about me?

Oh, what about you, in one word.

Jamie- Twat! (laughs) cheeky!

What made you chose burn burn and last train home as your singles?

Jamie- um, burn burn was kind of a new song for us, we'd never done anything quite as simple as that before. It was like one riff through the whole song. We always try to make big songs out of everything, and we were like "why don't we just keep this simple?" It's a good riff, lets just do the riff all the way through. It's like a proper, full on, like old school song. The riff is the same all the way through, the bas line is the same, its like (beats table) ba ba ba ba ba! And it was just short and to the point, the lyrics are very "fuck you, you're calling me this, calling me that, you think we're twats and that we haven't got any integrity. But we know who we are, so stick it up your arse!!" It was just short and sweet and stabby, and it was a little bit of a dig at the UK media, because they're fucking…all tabloid, that only exists in the UK. So it was a little bit of a stab at them. So it was an appropriate single for the UK; it wasn't a single anywhere else. Last train? I dunno, it wasn't gunna be one of out singles, I mean we really liked the song, but I don't think it would be a single, or our main single initially, but as the album progressed it seemed like it was one of the tracks then encompassed most elements of what we were about and all that. It's a good song to say, this is us, across the board. Its not too heavy, it's not too dark, it's kind if uplifting, you know, cheeky, fast, punky bits, and the chorus is catchy. So we thought this was a good song to set us up, especially off the back of burn burn, cos everyone was like (about burn burn) "aww Lostprophets have let us down, they don't sound the same", and there was another "I didn't expect this from Lostprophets", and well, you wanted us to be predictable? You wanted us to come out with fucking fake sound number 2? We didn't wanna bring out last train first, so burn burn was a good set up single. Which went top 10 I'll have you know!! (gets closer to the mic) TOP TEN! (laughs)

What's the most embarrassing CD in your collection?

Jamie- it's not embarrassing for me, but it is to the rest of the boys, it's a band called Nadasurf, and I love 'em, and I've always loved 'em. Um, I dunno, I've got Enya! And Counting Crows, I think they're my most embarrassing ones.

If you could hit any celebrity, who would it be? And if you could do it any celebrity, who would it be?

Jamie- I don't like hitting celebrities; I'm a nice guy! (laughs) I don't think there is any out there I would. Trevor McDonald maybe, just cos I know he'd give me a real fucking arse whooping! Um, who really bugs me? Can I get away with this then? Or do I have to get into a fight?

You can get away with it.

Jamie- Eminem. No, 50 Cent! Not cos I don't like him, but because I can get away with it! If you swear I can get away with it, ill fucking give him a clouting! Who would I wanna sleep with? You mean sleep or have sex with? (Laughs)

Have sex with!

Jamie- Johnny Depp!

I didn't see that coming!

Jamie- well I've got a girlfriend so if I say a girl I'll get in big trouble. Rather, who would I spend the night with? Probably, Liv Tyler. Phwoar, the elf thing! (laughs) I watched Dark Crystal when I was a kid, and I was hooked on Gelflings! I was like "Mum, I'm gunna marry a Gelfling!" and she was like "no you cant, she's a puppet!" And I didn't know what she meant. And for the rest of my life every girl I've ever dated has looked like a fucking Gelfling!

That's not a good thing!

Jamie- kinda weird innit?! Who else could I spend the night with? Um, what's her name? From The Mummy!

Rachel Weiss?

Jamie- yes! I think she's amazing. I read an interview with her a while back and she just came across as incredible. I was just like (rubs hands together) phwoar, I'll have a bit of that!

What's your favourite part of being in Lostprophets?

Jamie- being on tour with my best friends in the world, spending time with them. Touring and going to some amazing places, with my best friends.

Extremely random, totally pointless final question now- would you rather be poked in the eye by a penguin or kicked in the shin by a sheep?!!!

Jamie- um, what eye?!

What?!

Jamie- which eye? (laughs) you see, men, we have 3 eyes! (I point to the eyes on my head!) Oh right! Well if I ever found myself in a situation with a penguin where, for instance, I was with a penguin and the other eye was exposed, just to be in that situation (starts making pain noises. At this point Amy and I are in hysterics), chill out! Fucking delicate little pipe I got down there penguin! (laughs)

So you'd rather be kicked by a sheep then?!

Jamie- no, id like to find myself in an awkward situation with a penguin!

I don't think you should tell people that!

Jamie- no, come on, it would be a story! (pretends to be on the phone), oh boys boys! Last night right, I was in the back with this penguin, and she was getting naked like, offered me a bit of a shag. I went in for it, she wasn't happy, she was giving me a blow-job, and next thing I know BOP beak got caught in the eye!! (hysteric laughter from all) Game over! I ran like a bitch!

That is a good story though!

Jamie- I actually did get kicked by a sheep once!

Seriously?! (laughs)

Jamie- yeah, there was a dead sheep in the river, and we were throwing stones at it, as you do. And it was full of air, and we didn't know this, and my mate picked up this big rock. And I was round the back of this thing and I was pulling at its tail, and he picked up this huge rock, and he hit his sheep in the midriff, and this dead sheep went "UUUUUUHHHHHHH" (by now my and Amy are laughing so loud that Ian looks over from doing his interview to see what's going on!). Like honestly! You know, cos it was full of air! Like, FUCK, I have never run so fast in my life! I mean I was about 8 or sommit like that, and I went belting down this hill and into the house going "mum, the dead sheep's come to life!!"