By Jason Waters

Cool Manchester - The new material sounds fresh and optimistic, would it be fair to say that thats how the band are feeling right now ?
Vin Cassidy - Yes we feel fresh right now and very optimistic about the future. I am a natural optimist anyway. You would have to be an optimist to still be involved in music for as long as I have been.

Cool Manchester - There seems to be a buzz about the band at the moment, do you think this new brighter sound will gain you a new, perhaps younger audience that missed you first time around?
Vin Cassidy - I love the idea of younger kids getting into the band through our new material and then maybe discovering our back catalogue. Material recorded before they were even born! I think kids now are far more broad minded, I would have never dreamed of checking out or listening to a band that had an old back catalogue like ours when I was 19/20. I think the way people access music now by downloading etc., it’s kind of swept away those old prejudices. Most people just listen to stuff they like the sound of and mix up music from all decades and genres.

Cool Manchester - Bands like Delphic, The Whip and countless other young bands owe you a huge musical debt, are you pleased to see that your earlier material has had such a positive impact on newer bands ?
Vin Cassidy - Yes, and I am proud of that. Any band who says they are not influenced by what’s gone before are bloody liars. We all influence each other or else what’s the point, the important thing is to be influenced by good shit.

Cool Manchester - Are we going to see a full length album coming soon?
Vin Cassidy - Yes the next studio album will be out June 2012. We have started recording at the moment, but it takes time, especially now. At one time we would arrive at a studio and record basically 24/7 for 2 weeks and not stop until it was done, same for the mixing, well fuck that. I don’t need to do that anymore. I like to pause and think between sessions now. We do a day a week and I get to actually listen to stuff in between with a fresh head.

Cool Manchester - Parts of the lyrics in ‘Colour Movement, Sex & Violence’ seem to be almost an ode to Bethany’s father Larry, with lines like “in your dreams i see your face", and at other moments it seems to be talking about the media, was there a theme for that track at all ?
Vin Cassidy - Two themes in fact. The original lyric was a love song basically but I liked it because it worked well in the way that you say with sentiments about Larry. I like the idea of someone singing about missing their Dad….. Its honest, makes a change from all the ‘whooa yeah baby’ shite we are subjected to. The other theme is about the media, maybe at one time the media imitated life, but now the reverse is often the case……. And I really don’t think that’s good. I like the idea of two themes in one song B.O.G.O.F!

Cool Manchester - How do you think life long Section 25 fans will react to the new material, with Bethany’s sweet sounding vocals taking the forefront; do you think any fans might see this as a watered down version of Section 25?
Vin Cassidy - The way we sound now is the only way we could possibly sound. Larry was a one-off, what the old git (term of endearment) did was totally unique to him and trying to recreate that would really be dishonest in a way but also basically a waste of time. After Larry died I asked myself two questions …….1/ Do you want to carry on playing ……yes. 2/ Do you want to carry on as S25…….fucking right I do. But it had to be a new era and a different way of going forward…… so that what we are doing now, is right for Beth and I. Because this isn’t just about music…..we are family too. No I don’t want older fans to think this is a watered down version etc……but I suppose it’s up to them what they think in the end. I don’t have much choice, I have to play and make music in this way or else my head may explode.

Cool Manchester - We at Cool Manchester have read quotes by such bands as the Nine Inch Nails, Petshop Boys and even Depeche Mode that laud the band, with praise like that is there any chance we’ll see Section 25 playing any festivals next year?
Vin Cassidy - We’re looking into it.

Cool Manchester - You’ve been releasing records with LTM, why have you decided to return to your roots and work with Peter Hooks label?
Vin Cassidy - James Nice at LTM has always been a massive supporter of the band; we have worked with him for some time and will continue to do so. The thing is, James only does albums so when we really wanted to get an EP out this year, Hookies label was perfect. Hooky has always been supportive of the band and I trust him. The first time I met him was in 1978 so we go back a fair way. It was important for the band to get something new out this year because it was our way of saying ‘we are still alive and definitely kicking’ and Hacienda Records is the best channel for us. I want to say thanks as well to the label manager at Hacienda- James Masters, he has been amazingly enthusiastic.

Cool Manchester - Section 25 have always been an ultra-cool low key band, will you be doing many interviews to promote the Invicta EP, and can we expect to see you grace our stages more in the way of touring?
Vin Cassidy - In a way Section 25’s policy has always been ‘attraction rather than promotion’.A lot of our fans like the notion that they kind of discovered us, and also the idea that we are a bit of a ‘dark secret’. I don’t mind doing interviews with anybody so long as they are not knob heads. As far as live work…… I don’t go up and down motorways in the back of a transit anymore; I would rather sit at the bottom of my garden and hit my head with a rock. So I need to do interesting gigs in interesting places.

Cool Manchester - If you were ask to sum up a reason why people should buy your new material, what would you tell them.
Vin Cassidy - Bloody hell you ask some tricky questions. Buy it because it’s fucking good.

Thanks to Section 25 for the interview, we recommend you go to see them on the 8th October @ The Factory In Manchester,
For more details please visit the bands website at
www.section25.com
Jason Waters - Cool Manchester -