After 25 years away, The Samurai Seven are back with new music, a renewed sense of purpose and the same infectious energy that first caught the attention of John Peel and Steve Lamacq in the late 1990s.

Following the release of “Duck and Cover” and ahead of their new EP “Make It Real”, we caught up with the original Oxford four-piece to talk about their unexpected reunion, writing new music, the enduring influence of John Peel, their upcoming shows with The Boo Radleys and why, after all these years, they are still enjoying playing together.

1. You just released new single Duck And Cover - what was the inspiration behind the song and its interesting title?

A few years ago, it felt like the world was generally becoming more peaceful, tolerant and understanding. Nowadays the world feels in a more precarious place, largely due to the rise of the kind of political figures we thought we had left behind in the 1930s. That's quite a depressing prospect in itself, so it is wrapped up in a bouncy pop song. Sweet and Sour!

2. Your upcoming EP is your first new music in 25 years - what made you decide to get back together now?

In the intervening period, some of us carried on playing music in other bands, and others didn't do music at all; but we all stayed friends. Jimmy, our bass player, suggested having a rehearsal together a couple of years ago - just for fun, not expecting it to lead to anything else. When we got together in a room, the music clicked almost immediately - maybe down to muscle memory - and it was so much fun that we decided to have another rehearsal. Suddenly we started being offered gigs, and it all snowballed from there.

3. Tell us about the new EP “Make It Real” out on the 11th September - how does it represent a new chapter for the band?

Once we got back together, I started having ideas for new material quite quickly, and so the songs on the EP came from that. Getting back together feels very exciting and full of joy, and so the new songs have a lot of that energy. I didn't think anyone would be that interested in the new stuff, so I just wrote what I felt like, without really considering anything else - so it's nice that the new songs have gone down so well live.

4. John Peel supported you on your first run in the charts - what did this feel like at the time? Has the industry changed?

We all grew up listening to John Peel, and the music he played shaped our musical tastes - so for him to even be aware of our existence, let alone get to play five sessions for his radio 1 show, was thrilling. More than anything, he was a music fan - he was genuinely supportive of new music, rather than positioning himself as such as a career move.

5. You’re going to be supporting The Boo Radleys in November - what can audiences expect from your live shows?

Our shows have a lot of energy; loads of vocal harmonies and pop hooks, over songs played a little bit too fast.

6. If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be and why?

I would be interested to know what someone like Rick Rubin would do with our music, although I read a book by him and he sounded insufferable. I would love to get to play with Paul McCartney, but it wouldn't be much of a collaboration as I might feel too awestruck to make any suggestions to him. I would be happy just to shake a tambourine and sing backing vocals in the background like Linda.

7. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt over the years in your career?

Being in a band is a journey, not a destination. It's fine to think about where you want to go next, but if that comes at the expense of enjoying where you are right now then you've totally missed the point.

8. What would be your ultimate achievement as a band?

So far, our last gig at Charlbury Riverside Festival; massive crowd, big stage, brilliant team behind the scenes; and we weren't too shabby ourselves.

Author: Andrew Braithwaite

Andrew is the founder and chief editor of Music Talkers. He's also a keen music enthusiast and plays the guitar.