Christmas came early in Wolverhampton when one of America's finest bands fronted by a clean shaven Caleb Followill, with his 3 "Kings of Leon", graced the stage of the Civic. Support band The Features, also came bearing gifts... a can of pop, a choccy bar, and an interview with yours truly!

Caroline Murphy interviews The Features.

For more information, check out the official The Features site.

Where does the name "The Features" come from?

Roger : Um, well, we were searching for a name, and um, the members at that time, we all went out and wrote a list of names; got a sheet of paper and one of them happened to be "The Features". We had taken it from a doghnut shop sign that said "Today's features" and so we just took "The Features".

In your biography you talk about The Beatles and Zeppelin - which other bands have influenced your music?

Matt : Uh, it's a pretty broad and eclectic group of influences, 'cos all of us sort of have different influences when it comes to that. We need to re-write our bio! I've heard, like, three things in the past two days which have been just complete crazy...

Is that crap then?

Matt : Well, it's not that it's crap, but obviously everyone's influenced by The Beatles, ya know, and sure a few of us grew up listening to a lot of Led Zeppelin but I wouldn't say those are our influences.

You need to rewrite that then...

Matt : I think so...

You've been together for some years - how has your music changed over this time?

Matt : Uh, I would say we've been growing as a band, um, getting better on our instruments, i mean, i don't know, there's just the natural evolution that takes place when a band plays together for so long. I wouldn't say that it's gone lightyears beyond what it was when we started playing together, but it's definitely progressed.

Matt, where do you get your ideas for the lyrics to your songs and do you aim to get a particular message across?

Matt : No not particularly, it just comes from whatever, everyday things..

What's going on in your mind..?

Matt : Yeah, I mean there's lyrics about my kids, or really bad radio, being obsessed with listening to music, it's just whatever. I'm not trying to get anything...any big message across.

Do you ever regret not going through college?

Matt : Um, maybe a little, I mean i would've liked to finish college. If i'd have done that I might not be here now. I can't say that it's been a bad thing.

If you weren't innvolved in the music industry, what would you being now?

Matt : Rollum wants to answer this...
Rollum (Haas) : You can't just throw the difficult questions..

Can i just say how much you look like Tom DeLong (Blink 182)...

Rollum : You know, that's the second time i've heard that...
Roger : Who?
Rollum : Some guy from Blink 182... who I supposedly look a lot like...
Matt : Is that a compliment?

Of course...haha !!

All : HAHA !!

So.....*coughs* what do you think you'd be doing now?

Matt : Uh, I duno..

So you're happy with the music then?

Matt : I wouldn't really want to do anything else, so, once again it goes back to the college thing. I'm doing what I want to do so it doesn't really matter, ya know.

What do you enjoy most/least about going on tour?

Rollum : A lot of it's just routine monotony, it gets pretty old and then being couped up around the same people all the time really sucks because their ideosincrecies pop out and, i duno, I don't... I just don't like any of these guys at all...
Roger : You learn more than you wana know about each other...
All: hahaha !

Which bands have you enjoyed touring with/why?

Rollum : Um, Kings of Leon...
Roger : They're definitely the best band we've toured with so far. They're the nicest too, they're really nice guys.

What are your hopes for the band in the future?

Matt : To release another album. That's pretty much it right now, I mean, we've got plans to go back home right now and do some touring in the States, and probably come back over here around March, once we've recorded the album, I mean, ideally we just want to get back to the studio.

What do you like most/least about England?

Rollum : It's kind of... I mean honestly, it's not too different from anywhere else. I think everyone's know to see different things everywhere you go...
Matt : My pants keep falling down 'cos i've got so much change.. I don't like change. We need more notes!

Do the audiences respond differently over here?

Rollum : I DO! It seems like there's more... English people seem to dance more than Americans do. I've noticed that just in the clubs, people actually dance to rock music which you dno't really see in America at all.

Finally, What do you think of Caleb's (Kings of Leon) new clean-shaven look?

Rollum : I think he's pretty hot.

Do you think he looks better without the moustache?

Rollum : I don't know...
Matt : He looks younger I think, it looks good, it's very coming.

Roger?

Roger : I think the moustache is cool, but ya know, if he had to go clean then, like, he looks pretty good.