Photo by Laura Lewis 

Ahead of the release of their new best of record, ‘When I’m With You’, Gigslutz sat down with The Subways Billy Lunn to find out more.

Gigslutz: Where are you joining us from?

B: This is my studio, this is where I come everyday. I’ve got my books and my DVD’s, I’ve got the recording equipment here. So whenever we rehearse we come in here and jam out so it;s a nice little hub to have but it’s taken a while to get it together aha.

GS: You guys have got your best of releasing today, marking 20 years as a band, how does it feel to reach that milestone?

B: So 20 years is a weird one, it’s quite uncanny because it doesn’t feel like 20 years but at the same time…it really feels like 20 years!! We’ve got 5 albums under our belt, we’re writing our sixth, and 20 years is a huge milestone. There are so many of our contemporaries who sadly haven’t made it this far.

When I first started mentioning it a few years ago, it was kind of in passing. But people would come up to me and go, ‘20 years is a really big deal! Are you going to do something for it…but also can you please stop mentioning it because it’s making me feel old!

We thought let’s look back over what we’ve done, how did we start out and how’s our progress manifested itself over the years and we thought the best of collection frames itself as if it were a set list.

We find tracklisting really difficult anyway, so we thought let’s think of it the way we do a setlist where we throw ideas around and we outvote it each other. So it was a nice, democratic, compassionate process.

It was interesting because there’s songs on the record that I never thought would be on our best of. My dad messaged me and said, ‘Just like jude’ is definitely going to be on the album isn’t it? And that’s 8 or 9 tracks on our fourth album, but it just happens to be one of his favorite tracks and he loved it when we played it live. He was our tour manager for about 15 years and he said some of his favorite moments were during that song!

GS: It’s got the parents seal of approval?

B: Exactly, whenever I write a new song the first person I show it to is my mum because she’s a great sounding board and she’s a rocker as well! We’ll release a record and her favorite song is always the heaviest on the album!

GS: And Mums tend to be the most honest critics?

B: Absolutely! I know if something is not working because of my mum…and she’s probably right!

But compiling the tracks for the album, because we’ve been playing songs like, ‘With You’ for such a long time, and it just becomes a part of your daily routine.

But you look at those songs and think: It has to be on there, it was a single. But personally what does it mean to me? And I looked back at when I first wrote it and I remembered that moment where I was in the bedroom and I finished writing it. And I went to show this to mum.

So I went downstairs and she’s watching Corrie, and I said I’ve got this new song and I played With You and she said, ‘That’s really special!’. I’m so glad we’ve made this compilation because it catalyzes these moments that I’d forgotten about.

GS: I bet so much comes up when looking at the track list, especially once you get it physically.

B: There’s something so special about holding a record of yours. I’m a big vinyl fan, I have a big collection and I get overwhelmed with these feelings of pride, so there’s something so special about holding it and thinking, “We created this” with an ensemble of people. It feels like a community.

GS: And you mention your contemporaries of that time, a lot of them are doing 20th anniversaries, what is it about that time that’s held it in the public consciousness for so long?

B: 20’s a funny number. It feels like the first meaningful anniversary. I think by the way the pop industry functions, because if you’re still around after 20 years that’s an achievement. If you have stood that test of time it’s a big deal and it’s worth celebrating.

It’s big for the fans as well, because it’s not just about us lasting 20 years and still making music. It’s about the fans still following us, usually they’ve had kids and introduced them to the music. We have fans who bring their kids to the shows now.Or there’s kids of those fans who are now bigger fans! You start who hear those stories emerging and it means a lot.

GS: With the new generation, does it bring a different element to playing live? Seeing those two generations mix

B: One of the great things about being in this band is we’ve always had diversity in the fan base. All different people from all different cultures. So we don’t just tour the UK, we tour Europe and America and Australia and Japan, so seeing that cross section of an international fanbase is really heartening.

We personally find it wonderful that the simplicity of our music means when we play in Japan or the Czech Republic or Ukraine, we sing the lyrics to Rock N Roll Queen in that language. It’s so malleable in that way.

So when we see a new generation coming in it does feel like part of the parcel of being in this band, but at the same time there are moments where you think, “this is so wonderful.”

GS: And are there any cities or countries you play where you just think Wow.

B: Glasgow! Every time! Which is why we’re really looking forward to going back. They’re just the most wonderful, sweet and at the same time funny stories that always come about thanks to Glasgow.

I think it was the ABC we played, and it was during my period where if I saw a speaker stack or balcony I’d have to climb it and jumpoff! 

So they had a huge one in there and I climbed it during rock and roll queen. I dove off it and it was so high that they all caught me but because of the impact I still nearly hit the floor.

So as I’m looking around and asking if everyone’s okay there’s this kid and his nose is just streaming with blood, and I ask if he’s okay and he just screams, “I’M FUCKING GREAT!” and I just thought I love this city!

Hamburg’s always great. There’s something about the diverse, inclusive, punk rock culture that they have there. It’s one of the most beautiful cities because you’ll be walking through a red light district,then through a row of guitar shops, then a residential area, then another red light district! It is just chaos and we love it!

GS: And can we expect more chaos on this tour.

B: Absolutely, if there’s a speaker stack I’ll jump off it. I’ve been thinking of new ways to create chaos so I’ll be turning the gears for a couple days! Lots of screaming, sweating and crowd surfing. 

‘When I’m With You’ is out today. Tickets for the upcoming tour are available here.