I met Motion City Soundtrack a couple of weeks ago before the second of their sold out two night stint in Manchester.
Before the show I got the chance to ask their keyboard/synth man a couple of questions.

* How’s the UK?

It’s good so far – really looking forward to this leg of the tour, we’ve not been over here in so long! I’m also really looking forward to seeing Dublin and Ireland we haven’t been there before.


* What about tonight’s reception?
Tonight will hopefully be even better – this night sold out first, yesterday was added afterwards.


* How long has MCS been going?

Justin and Josh have been playing together for ten years, our current line up came together about 5 years ago. Now, we feel more used to writing together, and far more comfortable about experimenting with our music – we added elements such as strings on to the latest record.


* Do you enjoy working with other artists?

Definitely! We worked with Rachel from Zolof and the Rock and Roll Destroyers on the latest album, they’re touring with us tonight. We do really appreciate it that people we like, know and get on well with have had time to come into the studio with us and work on some tracks.


* How do you feel about P2P sharing?

The album before ‘even if it kills me’ was leaked about three months before it was released, and that really really affected the sales. Commit this to memory was also streamed – and then copied – but only three days before release. Hopefully this won’t affect things too much.


* You’ve got a huge US tour coming up?

Yea, we’re really looking forward to playing bigger venues than ever before, such as Roseland in New York. It almost feels like we’re starting all over again, but on a bigger scale! I know we will all miss girlfriends and wives more than anything else though.


* Who has been the best to tour with?

All-american rejects were fantastic, as were Blink-182. we have been very lucky to tour with good, nice people and bands.


* Best bit of the new album?

I love playing Antonia and Where I Belong, they both go down really well. Future Freaks Me Out is our biggest crowd pleaser by far though.


* You are known for quirky videos. Do you have much input?

Every single except for the last two have been directed by someone we know well, or co-directed by Justin and Josh. Even now, we have a lot of input on what we do and how the video looks.


* Finally, where would you like to visit in the future?

I love Japan, we’ve been there, and I guess the place I would most like to go is South Africa.


I went into the venue after the interview and watched a stunning set by Motion City Soundtrack. Their opening song was fantastic, the crowd went wild. They played of the enthusiasm of the audience and whipped things into a real frenzy. ‘Capital H’ was brilliant, very well performed and their front man performed with a real style and flair – and incredible stage presence. They were a real pleasure to watch. I would recommend this band to anybody who loves a good, happy night out.
At 11pm when curfew set in, there was a thousand happy faces. A night can be declared a success when everyone leaves like that!

By Sophie Wilkinson