Kaiser Chiefs don’t know if music is a “viable career for five guys with guitars” in 2011.
The ‘Ruby’ rockers say the music industry has changed “totally” since they went on official hiatus at the end of 2008, and they don’t know if today’s guitar bands can get the exposure necessary to become a big hit across the country.
Speaking at the BT Digital Music awards, Singer Ricky Wilson told BANG Showbiz: “Necessity is the mother of invention and there will always be music. Whether it will be a viable career for five guys with guitars I’m not sure at the moment but you know, they’ll be there in a garage somewhere.”
Bassist Simon Rix added: “What you need when you’re a band, what it took for us was for a record company to give us a little money to get us on tour in a van, to get people to see us, to like our band, to get us on the radio and the telly.
“That’s what record companies do, and how bands get somewhere, but now they don’t do that because they never make it back.”
Simon did, however, point out that the music business is changing all the time, and he can’t predict where things will turn next.
He said: “When he started [2008 album] ‘Off With Their Heads’ things like twitter didn’t exist, things have moved on, when we did that, singles were sort of dying, then, now, singles are massive again and albums are on their way out.
“We just want people to hear the music, so it’s about making it accessible to everyone. Change is good.” The BT Digital Music Awards 2011 took place at The Roundhouse, London last Thursday (29.09.11). For more information please visit www.btdma.com or watch the show on ITV2 tonight at 10pm and Friday October 7 at 7pm.