Rob caught up with Joby J. Ford from The Bronx to talk about being back on a headline tour in the UK, the release of their most recent album The bronx (IV) And plans for the rest of 2013.

You have just released your first studio album in over 5 years, how did you find the whole writing and recording procedure this time around?
Joby J Ford,( Guitar) I think I was focused more on what I wanted to do, kind of trimming the fat, it’s like grade school ,that guy who can grow a moustache but that doesn't mean that he should, with the third record I think there were people who were growing moustaches that probably shouldn't have, with this one I just wanted to make a simple record, looking at what the song needed more that what I wanted, I think with that direction in mind it was a lot easier to make.

How would you say doing Mariachi El Bronx for the last few years influenced you with The Bronx (IV)
I think it’s been really healthy for the band, it allows us get out that urge to be really technical, that's the band where the band is so technical it takes that desire away to be really technical on an electrical instrument, so it’s fun to be able to plug in again.

How has your new album The Bronx (IV) gone down with your fans and the press so far?
Good I think, I don't really follow it as much as I used to in the early days where I would read as many reviews as I could, these days it’s more important to make a record that I want to listen to, it seems like all reviews these days are positive, there are no more great negative reviews, I wish those would come back, maybe they are still about but it seems there was a lot more of it 10-15 years ago than now, but I highly doubt everyone is making great music now (laughs)

What would you say your favourite tracks from the album are and why?
My two favourites are ‘Youth Waste’ and ‘Pilot Light’, they are simple, easy and have a pleasing melody to my ears.

The artwork for The Bronx (IV) is pretty cool, who came up with the ideas and final design?
I do all the art work, t-shirts, albums all throughout the years, I think it’s great to have an artist in the band, but then it turns into 'Joby we need three new shirts for this tour' (laughs).

You are currently back in the UK on a long running headline tour, how does it feel to be back over here and how have the shows been so far?
Everything has been going good, I enjoy playing gigs, I don't take as much for granted these days. There's something about existing for a decade as a musician, being able to play for an audience I appreciate it more now than I did back in the day, I enjoy myself a lot more, I feel lucky. It’s not that being in band for 10 years is huge thing, but there's so many of our peers when we started, they don't play music any more, some by choice, some still wish they could and miss it, I sound like an old man don't I? (laughs), I'm very appreciative to be here.

You have Axis of and Single Mothers on tour with you, how are you guys getting along?
Great, I'm sure there's a great joke in there somewhere, What happens when you put an Irish band a Canadian Band and an American band on a British tour? I haven't figured out what the punch line is yet, maybe someone can come up with it. They’re all good kids, some of them are so excited, bouncing off the walls. Single mothers it’s their first time in Britain, so excited to be over here, trying new foods, meeting new people, reminds me of being on tour over here in the early days. Axis of are a super hard working band, they are really cool, they play some interesting music, I haven't figured it out yet, they play Irish sing along stuff wit out it being sing along, it’s interesting stuff.

With another album to your name how have you found picking your set list for this tour?
It’s a bit of both being easy and hard at the same time, we have 6 full releases over two bands, 4 EPS and probably 25 singles, it’s over 100 songs, there's no way we could play all of them, I think we pick the set in a way for what does the set need, we change it a little every night, every tour we try something different, I'm not saying we have the same people at every show, but if I was a fan and saw a band a few times and they played the same set every time, I'd be bummed, we try to make people happy.

You are well known for playing two shows a night as The Bronx and Mariachi El Bronx how hard do you find this?
It was super easy and fun for me, I enjoy playing twice a night but it was probably most taxing on Matt (vocals) having to sing twice a night.

When you play those back to back gigs as The Bronx and Mariachi El Bronx how do you find the change in music from screamo to more mellow and vice versa?
You'd think it was difficult but it’s not really, I'd say The Bronx was a more physical band, but it doesn't seem that different for me, there's more guys in the Mariachi band, but it feels the same.

What do you have planned once your current tour comes to an end?
We go on a US tour with the Mariachi band, with a few Bronx shows in there, then an Australian tour, then a US tour that should take us into festival season in Europe.

Where do you hope to see The Bronx in a year’s time?
I'm not really a planning guy, I just take it from day to day and do what feels right, as lame as that sounds. Any time we try to plan something it normally fails, that being said the next thing we’re going to do is a Mariachi album, we have some songs written so were going to get that down, but I don't know when that's going to be released.

One last random question that we ask every band, if you could be an animal out of a zebra or Giraffe which one would you be and why?
I think I'm going to have to go with a Giraffe, a zebra looks cool but it’s just a Horse with stripes that eats grass, with a Giraffe you have a long neck and you're able to reach stuff that you couldn't before. I don't think a Zebra has any redeeming qualities.

Thanks for your time is there a message for your fans reading this?
Thanks for the years and buying records and coming to shows, we will still do it for as long as they keep doing it.

Interview by Robert Lawrence