Bicep: 'It was hard to make a dance record without a crowd'

There's definitely an irony in releasing a full-on dance album right in the middle of lockdown - when no-one can go out and actually dance.

One listen of Bicep's new album Isles and you'll instantly want to be in a club with lasers overhead and bass vibrating through the floor.

Pulsating tracks like Apricots and Atlas are guaranteed to be crowd favourites when restrictions are lifted.

But - obviously - the ongoing pandemic means that won't be happening anytime soon.

So the Northern Irish duo, mates Andy Ferguson and Matt McBriar, crafted their second full length record with "home listening" in mind.

"We decided early on we weren't going to make a full scale techno album," says Andy, from the pair's studio in London.

"We wanted to make something you could listen to at home, dance around your house to or have us in your headphones when you're jogging."

The pair are on course for a number one album and are currently locked in a chart battle for the top with Bring Me the Horizon.

"It's very surreal," says Matt. "We never even expected this record to chart so it's been overwhelming."

Originally from Belfast, Bicep have been gigging and playing live for more than a decade, building up a dedicated fanbase, touring the world and gaining huge respect in the dance community.

But like most artists and musicians, the pandemic forced them to change their approach to work overnight.

The March 2020 lockdown meant a tour was cancelled and their late night appearances in clubs became (inevitable) live-streams. The adrenaline that fuelled their weekends was gone.

"It was quite a novelty to have our weekends back," jokes Andy. "But it was hard to start making music again without that crowd in front of us."

The pair have always tested their tracks in clubs before release, and it usually shapes how they develop and modify the songs into their final versions.

This time it was different.

Of the 10 songs on Isles, only the opening track, Atlas, has ever been played in a club with people present after they debuted it at the Warehouse Project in Manchester.

During the making of Isles, Bicep hired an empty nightclub in London so they could turn the volume up loud and hear how they sounded in a club environment.

It just wasn't the same: "You need the crowd in there and their reaction to see how it works.

"Different tracks work differently in different venues, It massively informs the writing process."

Instead, the pair worked on something more "introspective" but when clubs eventually do open, they say the new songs will get a lot "tougher", "heavier" and be much more "techno-focussed".

At this point, there's no timeframe of when the Government is planning to reopen venues but when it does happen Matt's hoping for a "golden period of joy".

Both agree things will move very slowly and the UK public is far enough into the pandemic to know that things won't simply return to normal overnight.

"Maybe we'll start with 300-capacity venues and then progress to 1000-capacity ones," hopes Matt. "Or maybe clubs will stay shut until everything can be fully opened."

Public safety is at the forefront of their minds and both say no corners can be cut when it comes to reopening.

"The only way these shows can go ahead is if everyone's safe with no-one at risk. And the hardest thing is realising that's a long way off."

The government has told the BBC it wants to "do everything" to get live music venues up and running again, and has highlighted a £1.5bn fund to help the cultural sector survive.

For now - to enjoy Isles as the boys intended - you'll just have to get running.

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