BIFF BYFORD On SAXON's Continued Relevance: 'You Have To Keep Trying To Write Great Songs'

In a new interview with Stefan Nilsson of Roppongi Rocks, SAXON frontman Biff Byford was asked about a possible follow-up to the band's 24th studio album, "Hell, Fire And Damnation", which came out in January 2024 via Silver Lining Music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're actually doing some work on [the next SAXON LP] today. Mostly the ideas come from Brian [Tatler, guitar], Doug [Scarratt, guitar] and Nibbs [Tim Carter, bass], musical ideas. And my job is just basically to arrange everything, to write lyrics and come up with the melodies. Just those three things, really. But, yeah, so I leave it up to the boys to come up with the guitar riffs. And it's really down to me whether I like them or not. It's just how it is. It's worked really well for lots of years, so if it's not broke, then don't fix it, is what we say. So I think we'll probably start recording the next album in November, if everything's ready to go, and possibly finish it in January. So [it will] be out next year sometime."

Regarding how SAXON has managed to stay relevant for nearly five decades, Biff said: "I think you have to keep trying to write great songs and not fool yourself into thinking that something's great when it's not. It's quite easy to do that when you've been around a long time. So, yeah, I think keeping the quality high — not quantity— quality is always great. So, yeah, always trying to write songs that you like yourself and keep your fingers crossed that people like it as well. So I think the last 10 years we've had a good roll, had some great albums, and our fanbase has changed slightly. A younger fanbase now, as well as the older fans as well, so we're very lucky to have that, really, to be relevant still. But I think our music's a lot to do with that, and our attitude, 'cause we don't give a fuck, basically."

On the topic of how DIAMOND HEAD guitarist Tatler — who joined SAXON in early 2023 as the replacement for Paul Quinn — is working out, Byford said: "He's doing great. He wrote a few songs on the last album; [the] 'Hell, Fire And Damnation' [title track], that's mine and Brian's song. I think with Brian, because he's not really had a platform to put his music on, he's enjoying himself because he comes from a slightly different mental space because he's never had as much success as he probably should have had. So he's making up for it now, really. I mean, apart from the three songs that METALLICA recorded of [DIAMOND HEAD's] — they were gonna be big, but it didn't quite happen in [the early 1980s]."

Byford added: "It was a no-brainer, really, to ask Brian [to join SAXON]. And Brian was my only choice. We had a lot of people who wanted to be the guitarist in the band. But Paul Quinn is a hard act to follow. And you have to have somebody with a bit of a special something that… It surprised a lot of people, which surprised me because it's a no-brainer, really. It's going well. And he is having a great time. And he plays well with Doug. There's no problem there. So they play well together."

Asked how important it is for SAXON to continue to release consistently strong new studio albums this far into the band's career, Biff said: "I think it's always important to try and have a new album be great because you're never gonna write an album as popular as 'Wheels Of Steel' or 'Denim And Leather', because that's how it was in those days. It's just they're classic albums. And the secret is to not try to write another 'Wheels Of Steel' or 'Strong Arm Of The Law'. It's just to write where we are now. And it was surprising how big the album was, actually. We're still selling tons of albums all the time, particularly vinyls. But we've turned into a bit of a streaming band now, which is quite new for us. But I think that's probably because a lot of younger fans are streaming. Well, they'll buy the vinyl and then they'll stream it as well. But who cares? Just get the music — steal it, borrow it. It makes no difference. Just get hold of it and listen to it."

As a result of Quinn's decision to step back from touring with SAXON, the band canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise. Quinn has since been replaced on the road by Tatler.

Brian has been touring with Scarratt, Carter, Byford and drummer Nigel Glockler since mid-2023, but continues to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

Originally from South Yorkshire, England, SAXON has gone on to sell about 23 million albums and has produced such classic songs as "Denim And Leather", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel" and "Power And Glory".

"Hell, Fire And Damnation" was produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, EXODUS, ACCEPT) and Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering.

Image courtesy of SDTV - Stonedead Festival