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Muse

After the headline shows at Reading and Leeds, DIY spoke to Dominic Howard about how the follow up to 'Origin Of Symmetry' was going.

Posted 28th February 2006, 9:37pm in Interviews, by Wil Tonks
Muse After the phenomenal success of their second album, 'Origin of Symmetry', headline slots at Reading and Leeds, and a sharp increase in the band's fanbase, Muse are currently in the process of recording their third studio album, after having taken some time out. We spoke to drummer, Dominic Howard, to see how it was all going.

We haven't heard from Muse in a little while now, what have you been up to?
After closing the festival season in Reading and Leeds we took our first break in a long time and went on some holidays and generally chilled out for a month or so. Then it was back in the rehearsal room to write the songs for the next album.

How is the recording of the new album going?
It's going really well. We've so far been in Air Studios (London), Sawmills Studios, Grouse Lodge in Ireland and are off to L.A to finish vocals, pianos and to mix it.. but the actual recordings have gone really smoothly and sound great.

What sort of songs can we expect to hear on the album? Any of the ones you played live last year?
There's a few that might make the album from some of the live songs we played over the summer, but obviously a lot of new material has been written in the last few months since then.

Is this album mostly Matt or have you and Chris been helping with the writing as well?
The band has always been communally focussed on anything we make and this album is no exception. We've spent a bit longer this time really getting the bass and drum sounds and performances really tight for this album and it's been a real team effort on it all.

Do you think that a long break has enabled you to make a better album?
The break that we took was really needed as it seemed we hadn't stopped touring and recording since the band first got signed. Though whenever you take time away from it all you just want to get back into the studio and on tour again as that's what we love doing. But I think that making a better album comes from more experiences and a better understanding of music not lying in the sun or snowbarding down a mountain.

You're not worried about over producing the album?
Not at all it sounds great.

Is working with Rich Costey different from working with John Leckie?
Every producer has their own style and ways of working and Leckie and Rich are no exception. Being from different sides of the Atlantic is gonna mean have different ideas on sound and structure of tracks but both are amazing producers in their own right.

What sort of music are you listening to at the moment?
Evil Superstars, Audioslave, Pixies, Mars Volta, The Police, My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails

Have you heard any of the big albums that have recently been leaked onto the net? (The White Stripes, Radiohead)
None of the above... obviously Audioslave leaked in a big way which must have been pretty tough on everyone concerned.

If a Muse album leaked onto the internet before it was released would you mind if someone downloaded it as long as they bought the album when it came out?
I think its generally seen that if the album is leaked before the release date then some of people aren't gonna buy the album if they already have a copy. Obviously there are the fans of the band that will still buy the album, and we're hoping to add some extra bonus element to the album that won't be available online be it a DVD or something.

What is your view on file sharing as a whole?
You should ask that question to my iPod.
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