After an extended absence, the Beta Band are back with a brand new album and a full UK tour scheduled for May. We were lucky enough to interview member and multi-instrumentalist John Maclean about their forthcoming releases, recording techniques and their Hollywood success story... 'Secret Wars'.

The album 'Heroes To Zeros' is released on April 29th through Regal and preceeded by new single, 'Assessment' on April 12th.

Hi, how are things?

Great.

You've been away for 3 years now making this new album...how come it took so long to make?

We spent over a year touring 'Hot Shots' so it only feels like 2 years. We took our time. I think other bands tend to get stuck on an album a year treadmill, we took our time to write and demo the songs 'til we were completely happy with them, the process we have developed takes time.

So tell us about 'Heroes To Zeroes', would you say it's a great departure from your previous material?

No great departure, we treat each song differently. Our method for this album was for all of us to take a guitar and vocal demo of each song onto our home Pro Tools setup and make a 'version'. Then we went into a rehearsal space with 4 versions of each song and chose the best bits and the bits that fitted together and made another version. Then we learned to play the song live, then we went into a studio and recorded the versions. The results were more of a live sound when appropriate and more of a prepared and relaxed atmosphere in the final studio. We produced the album ourselves with a great engineer (Nick Brine) so it was even more 'pure us'.

Was there a lot of pressure whilst recording the album to live up to previous success? Many have suggested in the past this album is "make or break" time for the band...

I think the pressure is off us as far as press and fashion, we feel we have made the best album we possibly could have, and thats the main thing.

'Assessment' seems to be one of your most accessible tracks to date... was it a conscious decision to try and break into the mainstream?

No. I think the whole album is accessible, but I've always thought our stuff was.

Was there any music you were listening to during the making of 'Heroes' that may have influenced your sound?

Buddy Holly, Outkast, Queens of the Stone Age, Brian Eno, Prince Buster, 50 Cent, Serge Gainsbourg, Sean Paul... I listened to all these records but they were as much of an influence as the books, films and real life was. We don't tend to directly reference anything, just let it all seep in and try and make a Beta Band sound.

Your live shows in the past have been pretty unique, what does this latest tour have in store? And do you prefer playing live to working in a studio?

When you've been on tour for a year, you're dying to get back to the studio and home life. Then after a while you itch to play live again so it works out nicely. We have plans for the tour. We have a support band for the first time (In the UK only). They are a great Edinburgh band called The Magnificents.

Do you get fed up when the press compares any band with an acoustic guitar and a set of bongos to the Beta's? Or does it flatter you that you seem to have made such an impact on contemporary groups?

Only a few of our songs have that accoustic guitar bongos thing. We don't want to be pigeon-holed in any way.

Can you fill us in about the forthcoming DVD?

We have decided to take 3 songs each and make a low budget movie for each song. I've finished the first one, a Scottish Samurai film, its quite good...

When will your action film "Secret Wars" finally be released? It's Oscar material for sure...

Ha. Be careful what you wish for... you might just get it.

'Dry The Rain' was used in 'High Fidelity', but if you could create the soundtrack to any movie of your choice, what film would it be and why?

'Electra Glide in Blue' is my favourite film but it already has a great soundtrack. I would have to make my own film...

Steve's obviously got his 'King Biscuit Time'project and more recently, Robin's 'Roman Nose' project...but do the other member's intend to produce solo material?

Rich has a solo project planned. I am more interested in film at the moment but would love to do some hip-hop backing tracks...

If the band could collaborate with anyone (dead or alive) who would you like it to be?

Hip-hop backing tracks for Ghost Face Killah (personally). The band... I dont know about the others... Digits Mcfee

You're all very artistic people, do any of you have anymore exhibitions lined up for the future?

It would be nice to have a Beta Band show. An installation of all out props, album covers, vids etc. Perhaps soon.

Will there be a new 'Flower Press' to accompany 'Heroes'? It's been AGES since the last...

Collecting stuff now. I think it will be a comedy issue, out sometime this year.

Thanks for your time, good luck with the forthcoming tour and new album!

Cheers, John