NEW ADVENTURES IN Sound

“We like sounds that are slightly askew and wrong!” says Biffy Clyro’s guitarist/vocalist Simon Neil. With the band’s powerful and experimental new album, A Celebration Of Endings, released this month, he discusses his love of the Strat and his “life-changer” new pedal, his go-to gear and tones, the influence of Soundgarden and Rush, and the art of writing a rock anthem...

- Amit Sharma

When Total Guitar tells Simon Neil that his lyrics for latest single Instant History –specifically the line ‘This is the sound that we make, I love the sound when it breaks’ – feel like a reference to his stadium-conquering crunch tones, the Biffy Clyro singer/guitarist grins with excitement.

“That’s absolutely what I mean!” he explains. “I managed to get a Sunn O))) Drone pedal, that’s what you’re hearing through the chorus and it’s honestly one of the best bits of kit I’ve ever bought – just really twisted and an absolute life-changer. It was a limited edition one, which cost a small fortune, but I think they make another version now. I cannot recommend it enough. Which is why I liked sticking it in such a pop song. So I totally agree... And it’s a little ironic that I’m singing that when it’s a song that doesn’t probably sound too much like what we’re doing. But that key line represents where Biffy sits in the world of things. We like the sounds that are slightly askew and wrong!”

That flair for all things unexpected and off-kilter stretches back to the experimental math-rock the Scottish trio started out playing, though – now in their 25th year as a band – it’s the latter half of their career that has seen them evolve into one of the most admired rock acts of the modern age. Talking to us ahead of the release of ninth opus A Celebration Of Endings, in an interview that runs well past its allocation, the Biffy Clyro frontman is as gracious and forthcoming as it gets, with no shortage of revelations and tips to share...