“We're both attempting to quit smoking,” shares Faris Badwan, the half-Palestinian lead singer of The Horrors, glancing at bassist Rhys Webb. Rhys removes a cigarette from his pack, lights it, and pushes the ashtray towards me. “I went to Barbados,” he explains, revealing how he acquired his cigarettes. “I essentially crashed my father's holiday. I wasn’t smoking at all… and now I’ve ended up with an entire pack.” I assure him that vacation cigarettes don’t really count. He nods in agreement as he opens a bottle of red wine from a cabinet in his North London apartment.
The two veterans of goth-post-punk have welcomed me into their home without any hesitation. The kitchen table we're gathered around played a significant part in the creation of their upcoming album—though ‘Night Life’ (set to be released on March 21st) was completed in Los Angeles, a lot of the work took place right here at this table. The apartment itself showcases their aesthetic: dark red walls decorated with thoughtfully chosen artwork, the color perfectly matching the wine in Rhys's glass.
In one corner, an impressive collection of over a thousand records fills the space. When I inquire how he managed the move with such a collection, Rhys reassures me, “I've lived here for five years.” As we sift through his collection, I observe that the records aren’t sorted alphabetically. “They're categorized by genre,” he clarifies. “This area is post-punk, and that section is more punk.” I take my time over his punk collection, pulling out albums from The Slits and Buzzcocks before finding a Sex Pistols record.
“One of my favorite memories is spending a day with John Lydon,” Rhys reminisces, a smile breaking across his face. “As a huge Pistols fan, everything happening in the music scene back then was electric. There was this series in the NME—ironically titled the ‘Heroes Edition.’ I’ve always loved the punk scene, especially what came next with Public Image Ltd. It was meant to be a quick 45-minute interview, but we ended up hanging out for hours—chatting about music, drinking, and covering everything from The Slits to Jah Wobble and even discussing the entire controversy surrounding the Metal Box tapes.”
However, the most striking feature in his flat is the nearly empty fish tank. It’s a sizable tank with two fish swimming around, taking advantage of their newfound space. “There were more, and they were all named Mötley Crüe, but they’ve disappeared, leaving just these two,” Rhys explains.
I can’t help but draw a comparison between the fish's situation and where The Horrors currently find themselves. With the impending release of ‘Night Life,’ this is the band’s first album without their original lineup. The two remaining fish swim freely throughout the tank, filling every corner and adjusting effortlessly to their expanded space—much like Faris and Rhys, who are guiding The Horrors forward after the departure of the other three members.
Faris remarks, “We’re in a different situation now, especially with Jordan (Cook, drums) and Amelia (Kidd, keyboard/synth). We have a multitude of different ways to work, and we’re not going to sit down now, are we? We’re just pleased to have been able to rise up and move forward.”
Rhys adds, “We’ve just expanded the team. If Joe (Spurgeon, drums) wanted to join us again, he would be more than welcome, and he knows that. It was perfectly fine for him to get a bit bored with playing drums and his musical interests shifting more towards electronics."
Faris interjects, “To be honest, when Joe was leaning towards more electronic sounds before he left, it did influence the direction of our sound.” He continues, “It must be a strange feeling. Imagine being in a band with the same group all along, and then they create another record without you. That would be quite odd.”
Rhys remarks, “They’re genuinely happy that we reached the end of the journey we aimed for.”
Even with changes in their lineup, the band's chemistry remains strong, and their creative process continues unabated. “I think our working style has evolved,” says Faris. “We understand each other better now and know what works.” This enhanced connection seems to be propelling their progress. Reflecting on the extensive gap between their last two albums, Rhys adds, “The time between the last two records is just ridiculous. I feel like we won’t let that happen again. I’m fairly certain we’ll be writing music at some point this year. We might even release new music this year.” Faris looks at him in surprise and laughs.
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"We're both attempting to quit smoking," says Faris Badwan, the half-Palestinian lead singer of The Horrors, glancing at bassist Rhys Webb. Rhys pulls