We headed to Rios in Leeds to catch up with Dear Superstar and talk about their brand new album, thier tours and much more.

Hello and thank you for taking time out to do this interview
(Micky) That's okay
(Amadeus) No problem

First of all can you give us a brief history of the band for the people who have never heard of you?
(Micky) We got together in 2004, we got out there and toured our asses off until we got a name for ourself. After a little while it turned out we have lot of attitude out there but nothing to back it up, so we chucked ourselves into a studio and recorded an album called Confessions of a twisted mind. Off the back of that we got a record deal, then got the album released in September 06. Since then we have been touring the ass off that album until we got enough money together to record our new album Heartless. We have recently picked up a new record deal with Demolition Records

What are your influences and whom would you say contributed to your current musical style?
(Amadeus) There are really oblivious ones, loads of 80s bands like Motley Crew, Whitesnake, Kiss, Def Leppard and Skid Row. There is a small amount of metal influence in a lot of what we do. I sort of grew up listening to thrash metal, 80s glam metal and that sort of thing.

(Micky) But we've got balls. We are not stuck in the past, we listen to Bullet for my valentine, Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold anyone modern we are not stuck in our ways we like to listen to new music. A lot of these bands are now our piers and a lot of our influences drawn from them, like when we tour with Bullet for my valentine we came back and started sounding a little bit like them. Its weird because every time we go away and come back off tour with a new band, we walk away with something. I'm sure being on tour with Firewind now we will walk away with something again. We just cant help it, you write a song from your life experiences, we don't do it on purpose, we don't set out to rip off Bullet for my valentine or Motley Crew its just in our blood and that is what we do.

How did you come up with the name Dear Superstar?
(Micky) There are two stories to this really, there is the pretentious story then the true story. The true story is I just thought it sounded really good and the pretentious story is that the Dear part is about writing your own destiny and we are all meant to be superstars.

When did you start playing music and what made you pick up your first instrument?
(Gunns) I started playing music when I was about six with double bass for some obscure reason because it looked cool. I started playing the drums when I was bout twelve and then moved onto guitar when I met these guys

(Micky) Gunns used to be a roadie for an old band we used to be in and we loved Gunns so much that when we decide to start Dear Superstar we had to get him out on the game.

(Gunns) I think I was a pity vote.

You have a new record coming out next month called Heartless, what was the recording process like and what can we expect from the record?
(Micky) Basically we just literally begged stole and borrowed and toured until we got the money together. We recorded an album previously which was just a jumble of being on tour and recording when we could do it. It was not a great album, it was just very underground and a very heart felt album Where as for the new album, we saved up some money and decide on a producer we wanted to use which was Romesh Dodangoda (Bullet For My Valentine, Funeral For a friend, Lostprophets, The Blackout, Kids In Glass Houses) so we knew that we had got the right producer and we had got the money to record the album. We knew we had to go in there and have the album written and it had to be right.

(Gunns) We had to up our game to work with a producer like that.

(Micky) Yeah that was it really, before we had record an album which was not great but it was our album. This time we are recording with a producer who has had a lot of credibility about him, we had to up our game we had to make ourselves the best we can be. So when we went into it, it was a whole new game for us. It was kind of lucky that Bullet For My Valentine were there at the time rehearsing they gave us tips and even did the guest vocals. The recording process was a real eye opener to prove that this was what we were born to do. It was a hard five weeks because we were away from home we were living in a shit hole, a one bedroom hotel for five weeks for five lads.

(Amadeus) In the middle of Cardiff there is one Eastern Block hostel and that is were we stayed.

(Micky) Yeah across the road from two whore houses and it was horrible and it stunk, but it was all we could afford because we did not have a lot of money but we had enough money to pay for the album. Yeah so the recording process was interesting to say the least

(Gunns) I think as far as things to expect form the album, the best thing is I think we have said it a million times but we have put our live show onto a CD

(Micky) One thing we Decide to do, everyone knows Dear Superstar for our stupid live shows, we throw ourselves around if we don't come of stage bloody and bruised them we are not happy with what we did. We wanted to put that onto a CD, we did not want someone to see our live show which is a complete sceptical and then put our album on and think its over produced, its heartless its whatever else.

You have toured with many bands, who have you enjoyed touring with the most and why?
(Amadeus) Obviously Bullet for my valentine tour was amazing, because they are cool guys and good fun and we got to play our live show then watch them. Drugdealer cheerleader we always have a wicked time with

(Micky) Yeah Drugdealer Cheerleader that was a really fun tour. There is a band from Finland called Parasite City we have toured the UK with them and Finland twice with them, they are like brothers to us.

What do you think of the current music scene?
(Micky) I think its getting better. Ten years ago there was no rock and roll UK, well there was rock and roll in the UK but it was bad rock and roll. Certain bands have emerged that maybe don't have as much credibility these days as they used to. They have brought rock and roll back, bands like the Darkness even

(Amadeus) All the older bands like Motley Crew are going back on tour.

(Gunns) Its making people want it again, its making them want to go to rock shows again.

(Micky) Yeah like I said, ten years ago there was not a scene like there is now. Its good to see it back, we are all in our mid twenties so we have seen a healthy rock scene then it disappear and now its come back we can enjoy it again. People bang on about “oh I hate emo, I hate indie or I hate this” its does not matter its all rock music and everyone can enjoy it, its good. If people listen to rock music its good with me.

Out of all the shows you have ever played, which one would you say was unforgettable?
(Micky) Actually to be honest, before we came out on this tour which started three days ago, the day before we came out on tour I was looking at our last tour The Never Surrender tour and all the dates on a tour poster. I looked at every single date and was like haha, every date made me laugh. I can remember something from every date. For some reason we have an infinity for getting ourselves in complete stupid situations, that are always memorable. I would say the most memorable would but, I'm not to sure?

(Amadeus) I would say the last tour, The Never Surrender tour. On a whole it was amazing as for regards for being disgusting and good on stage.

(Micky) We upped our game for being good and partying. We actually did not think we had it in us to party hard for that long and still play shows. We once played this sold out show in a venue on a beach. I would say that was a really memorable show, I would not say it was the most memorable show. Memorable for the fact I could hardly remember anything because I was that blind drunk. Everyone was, as we had to load in at 9am and the first thing we said was “where is our rider?” and then it turned up along with racks and racks of beer at 10am. We were on at 9pm so literally we drank all day, then when the beer ran out we got bottles of Vodka and Sambuca so we just drank all day. I can not actually remember being on stage

(Amadeus) They didn't want us to be good, did they?

(Micky) The only reason I can actually remember that we played is because some people put videos of us up on Youtube. We actually sounded really good

How would you describe your live show?
(Gunns) Rock show isn't it?

(Micky) Yeah a complete sceptical of everything a rock show should be. Bands like Motley Crew who do a two hour set, we pack every ounce of energy in our set of twenty-five minutes or whatever we have. If we are not battered and bruised by the time we get off stage then we did not do our job properly.

(Gunns) Then we go backstage and I get beaten up.

(Micky) Yeah

(Amadeus) There is not dry seat in the house.
Amadeus comment sparks off fits of laughter around the room, he follows that up with a comment “we are going to be so shit tonight now”

What is your favourite song to play live and why?
(Micky) Brothers In Blood, because the song is about every single one of us. Its also the end of the set, so we know we can go backstage and get pissed and party properly.

Do you have any rock n roll stories from your time on the road?
(All) No, what goes on tour stays on tour.

It has recently been announced that you will be supporting Wednesday 13 in November for a one off gig, how did this come about and are you looking forward to it?
(Micky) Well we are signed to the same label now as Wednesday 13, so that helps. They are a band that we have always liked, when the chance came up we snapped their hands off.

You are currently supporting Firewind, how have the shows been going so far?
(Amadeus) Good, this is only our third show tonight. The first two shows have been loads of fun, good audiences, packed house every night so far.

Where do you hope to see Dear Superstar in five years time?
(Micky) In a grave. Although if we carry on like we are we will be in a grave, I would like to see a lot of platinum discs on the wall when I wake up in the morning.

(Amadeus) I quite fancy that Strictly come dancing show

(Micky) Basically we all want to be semi famous enough to be celebrity reality whores.

(Amadeus) We just want to keep being able to do what we do now. Which is travelling around playing shows.

Okay, one final random question; if you had a choice, what animal would you be out of a zebra or a giraffe?
(Micky) A zebra because it like having sex with your cousin, you can shag horses and zebras and its not wrong.

(Gunns) I'd be a giraffe just so I was not the short fat one for once.

Thanks for your time, is there a message you would like to give to your fans reading this?
(Micky) The last tour we did was purely built on the fact that fans came to our shows. The new album that is coming out is a homage to our fans, its out on the 20th of October and I implore you to buy it, listen to it and then come to our shows and sing it with us.

Interview By Ellie