IRON MAIDEN's STEVE HARRIS On BRITISH LION: 'I Think We Are A Better Live Band Than We Are On Record'

Ireland's Overdrive recently conducted an interview with IRON MAIDEN and BRITISH LION bassist Steve Harris. A couple of exerpts from the chat follow below.

Overdrive: There is no doubt that you are a busy man, but since the BRITISH LION album has been out since 2012, there have been a few new songs added to the setlist over the last few years. Would you say that there is another album's worth of material there, as I believe you have about eight tracks for the next album near enough completed?

Steve: "Yeah, there are eight tracks that are completely finished and we have about three or four more that are sort of half completed, I suppose. When I say that, I mean that all the ideas are there, it's just that we need to rehearse them and get it all sorted out. So, yeah, we have the guts of a new album there. The idea is to get stuck into it as soon as we can, really. That's all depending on the schedule with IRON MAIDEN, of course."

Overdrive: I understand that the new material is going down really well and seems a little heavier than stuff from the debut. Was there any particular influence for you personally on writing the new material?

Steve: "I do think things are moving into a heavier-sounding territory. A few people have said that recently on this tour also. Some of the ideas have been around for a while but then when we start playing them live, they start coming into their own. That's the reason behind why we want to put out a live album. The band are so much stronger and heavier than we were since we started. It's evolved into something different, and I personally think that's a great thing. It's like any band, really. Once you start out, you are kind of finding out who you are, and then by the time you get to the second album or you've been touring a lot, doing live shows or whatever, the sound starts to shift slightly to something that is more the true essence of what the band really is. I think tracks like 'Bible Black' is a good example of who we have progressed as a band as it's definitely a heavier track, but it still has all the melodic stuff that we like to write in there also. I don't want to lose that element of who we were when we started out as there is some really nice '70s-style influence going on here and there. I just want to incorporate all of our influences and make it our own moving forward."

Overdrive: I understand that you have plans to release a live album. Can you give me a little insight as to why it's a right move for BRITISH LION?

Steve: "Well, we are recording all of the dates on this tour and we have a bunch of material from other tours and shows in the past. I think the band is a little different to when we started out, and the reason we want to do a live album is to show people that in the cold light of day, we are as good as we like to think we are ourselves. [Laughs] Honestly, I think we are a better live band than we are on record, if you know what I mean. Well, we'll soon find out about that, won't we! [Laughs] It's just the right thing to do for us and we feel that it sends a message out there of who we are and also that we really believe in what we are doing."

Overdrive: This is obviously very different to what you do with MAIDEN. For you personally, BRITISH LION must be a refreshing change of scenery and something different for you. Would you agree with that?

Steve: "Yeah, it's different, but also the same in a way. I just love doing what I do and when I get up on stage and really just get into the music and the live performance aspect of it, the feeling can be the same. Obviously, IRON MAIDEN is on a way bigger scale to BRITISH LION, but as a musician playing live, it's just the adrenaline rush of playing in front of an audience that gives you that rush. As I've said, it's been great to get out on this tour and do smaller shows, and I suppose it's a nice change of pace from the bigger stuff, but I just love it all."

Read the entire interview at Overdrive.