Getting high on Feeder

FEEDER frontman Grant Nicholas is all fingers and thumbs at the moment.

Unbeknown to many he's just become a dad for the first time and trying to juggle nappies at the same time as strumming a guitar is a feat he has yet to master.

Give him a few weeks though and What's On reckons he'll be a master.

"She's called Hanna Sky Nicholas and she's five weeks old," beams Grant with a huge smile.

"She does like music, but then she's been hearing it for a while!" he jokingly adds.

"We'll have to wait and see if she likes our stuff.

"It's great being a dad, but makes it even more difficult to go away. Tako (bass player) has two kids though and Mark (drummer) one from a previous relationship so I guess it's part of the requirement in the business now!

"It's going to be interesting to see how it effects my songs. I think they're going to be more rocky and upbeat. I definitely want to try something new," he reveals excitedly.

Hanna, spelt the Japanese way, is still a little young to be joining her dad on tour. And as much as he admits he's going to miss her Grant says he's chuffed to bits the band is playing at today's festival.

"We wanted to do the last Isle of Wight Festival last year, but we were recording the last record (Pushing the Senses) and it just wasn't the right time. I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be an experience. My friends have been and said it's a really good atmosphere.

"It's always a gamble with the weather because it does play a part. We're OK because we're under cover, but all you can do is feel sorry for the fans. It's fine if you get a little wet, but if it pours down it can be miserable for the audience. In saying that it rained at Glastonbury when we played and everyone had a great time."

Feeder are what you might describe as one of the elder statesmen of British rock music nowadays having released their first EP Two Colours way back in 1995.

Since then they have released six albums, but only really broke into the chart mainstream with the anthemic Buck Rogers, which rocketed to number in January 2001. Hitch a ride back to 2005 and Feeder are one of the most consistent bands in British music having released three equally brilliant albums laced with majestic melodies and triumphant live stormers.

Grant admits the release and success of Buck Rogers was a pivotal moment in the band's career. Yet despite its weight in gold he says the song did grow into something of a millstone around his neck.

"I'm not ashamed of Buck Rogers, but I want to move f orward. I feel we have done great stuff since. It's hard not to play it and people can be disappointed when you don't. It's a bit like Song 2 with Blur. We toured with R.E.M. and I know Michael Stipe hated playing Shinny Happy People. I think every band has the same problem."

"With Buck Rogers we wanted to make a song in the same style as The Pixies on a very comic book level. I wrote it for another band, but our producer Gil Norton smelt a hit. I tried to make it a bit more serious, but it just didn't work so we kept it the same.

"I think that song brought us into the main stream. We were this cult band up until then. It was definitely a pivotal moment and very important in getting us to where we are today. I think now the hard core fans get it. It's almost come full circle."

In January 2002 the band was rocked by the suicide of drummer Jon Lee. Over three years on and the rawness of the emotions has lessened, but the memories will never die.

"Time is a healer," says Grant. "Things will never be the same because you spend so much time together in a band. You still get your down periods. We're just lucky to have found a way to have carried on.

"We never wanted to give up. Feeder really is a people's band. We have longevity. We always had great believe and we had that with Jon too. I don't feel guilty we carried, but do miss him.

"I think he would have liked the new stuff we've done. We were trying to do a different style of album with him. He would have been proud."