Following the rapturous response to their much-loved 2022 LP 'Play For Today', Watford-based outfit The Spitfires now make their eagerly-awaited return to deliver their anthemic new single 'Better The Devil You Know'.
Bringing back more of that bold and euphoric "nu-mod" aesthetic they have honed since they first emerged, 'Better The Devil You Know' sees them returning to the fold with one of their more impactful efforts to date. With its broad and immersive textures, soaring atmosphere, and stellar hooks layered throughout, they are certainly looking to get our feet moving with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with the band's Billy Sullivan to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Definitely a guitar. I vividly remember watching old videos when I was very young (I’d say about three or four) of Paul Weller, Oasis and Ocean Colour Scene. All the stuff my dad had taped off the TV. Immediately I was smitten by the way people played, their stance, even the shape and colours of the guitars. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to play guitar.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Well, the bands I mentioned above are what I first remember. This would have been the tail end of the 90s and it was just stuff my dad played indoors. It seems weird to talk about someone so young being really into that sort of music, but it just grabbed me and took all my attention, to point where I couldn’t even contemplate ever doing anything other than being in a band.
What was the first album you remember owning?
The first I remember was the ‘1’ Beatles Compilation. That came out in 2000 so I would have been around 6. I may have owned albums beforehand but I actually remember getting the CD in a shop called ‘Past and Present ‘in Watford.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Oh, there’s loads. Lyrics are my thing, that’s what I gravitate towards most. I wish I was articulate enough to match ‘Setting Sons’ era Weller or Paul Heaton, Billy Bragg, Strummer/Jones and Elvis Costello! The list goes on. I don’t think I can narrow it down to one song.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I normally withdraw! My mind goes to another place when I’m in the thick of writing, it’s all I can think about. But no rituals or anything like that. I just go inside myself a bit.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Relaunching The Spitfires has made me go back to a few bands and albums that I neglected for the past few years. The band was always compared to the obvious, due to our haircuts and the way we looked, so it may be pushed against it. However, this time round I’m embracing it somewhat. It’s lovely to rediscover The Jam, The Clash and The Specials and the effect they had on me as a teenager. Costello is heavy on rotation and The Beat at the moment. Yes, I know it’s all old stuff but it’s what brings me inspiration every day!
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
You’d be a fool to not say Oasis at the moment, wouldn’t you? To be honest we’d open for anyone that’s going to expose us to a new audience. I get my kicks off that a bit, a whole room of people who have never heard of you or seen the band live before.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Seeing those little ideas I had on my phone notes or scraps of paper, suddenly taking form and hearing it all back in the body of an album is the most rewarding for me. Albums are when I create my own little universe, where all the characters and scenarios I write about come together with a soundscape.
And what is the most frustrating part?
That it’s so bloody hard to do sometimes! Financially it’s getting harder and harder all the time to fund music and function as a band. The UK seems dead in the water for any type of thriving or compelling scene to do well. But I’m sure it’s like that with any industry.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Just to keep improving, keep striving to be better and better whatever you’ve done before. You can never stop learning.
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The Spitfires' new single 'Better The Devil You Know' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.