It’s never going to be straightforward with the 747’s.

After finding out that the band are all from different countries in Europe, that they enjoy busking, got involved in a terrorist bomb-threat, played their first gig at a G8 summit after recruiting their drummer earlier in the day, as well as their lead singer Oisin Leech – who Bandidge caught up with for a chat – hailing from the same town as a former James Bond, you know you’ve got your work cut out:

“The guys from Jet said that we were the weirdest guys they’d ever met – but in a good way!” jokes Oisin, who originates from Navan, north of Dublin – the very same town as former 007 Pierce Brosnan. “We’re not very weird at all. I would say we were normal – or at least I would like to think so!”

How did the G8 summit gig come around?
    “That was in Naples, and it was the first time we played with Massimo (Signorelli), our drummer. We turned up, and there was a big bonfire in the middle of the Piazza del Gesu and Massimo was playing on the band after us.
    "We said we have no drummer, because the drummer we were playing with then wouldn’t do it, so we asked Massimo if he would do it and he accepted. We played two Clash songs, and a track from UK Subs and it just went really well. It all just made sense from there really.”

You’ve spoken out in the press previously about the negativity of labelling bands. How do you feel when people then label you as “The new Coral”, for example?
    “Well, it’s always nice to hear that, isn’t it? The Coral are an incredible band, they’ve been one of my musical heroes. Their last album, The Invisible Invasion and the track The Operator is incredible. So being compared to somebody like The Coral is a great thing. People are always going to try and label you, aren’t they?”

Previously, you’ve said that people should come see you live to make up their minds on your sound. Do you think that’s a bold statement to make considering that it’s easier for people nowadays to download singles rather than a whole album and make up their minds?
    “If people get the album and they’re kind of unsure, then come and see us live. We’ve been together for four years, which seems a long time, but for a band it’s not so long so we’re still learning about recording.
    "Maybe on some of the recordings we didn’t capture that live sound and energy we have when we do gigs. I saw a comment that said “you guys play better in the rawest form”, and that could well be true of us.
    "I mean I’m not bothered. If people don’t like the album – fine, I don’t expect to be everyone’s friend, it’ll never happen. Sometimes people hear something live that they might not hear on a record.”

Do you feel bands can feel happy with their previous records after a long period of time, as you’ve said previously that your debut album is the sound of the 747’s up to that particular point in time?
    “Some people complain that some bands are too ‘samey’, like their second album is just an extension of their first one; but if the songs are good, then I don’t have as much of a problem with that. Bands should always try and push forward, progress and do something new.
    "I mean, our first album is so eclectic, it’s like a logbook – every song is written in a different country, so some people might get a bit confused by that and that’s fair enough, but we couldn’t avoid that.
    "Our second album is pretty much written and it’s definitely more focused. It’s more rooted in one sound, which is exciting.”

How would you sum up the sound?
    “Some of its’ influenced by Nick Drake, but a bit faster. A bit more moving and upbeat if that makes any sense. That guy’s a genius. There’s a bit of George Harrison in there as well, a bit of Neil Young - a bit of The Raconteurs too. Then there’s some show tunes in there too, which we can’t really root down to any particular style, so that’s exciting.”

People have made a lot of the bands ‘Liverpool sound’. When you stayed in the city for the duration of the recording time, did you feel that it was a big influence on the outcome of the album?
    “Not really, I mean there are a number of cities that the album was forged in. There’s Dublin, Naples and Liverpool and I don’t think any city did more than the others, so it all kinda works together.
    "I think the fact that we’re all from four different countries (Massimo hails from Naples in Italy, whilst bassist Ned Crowther originates from Oxford. Guitarist Freddie Stitz is from Ellershausen, Germany) means that there is a coming together and a clash of four cultures, and the accents are there sometimes too.
    "But at the end of the day we’re just four blokes in a band, our songs and our music are more important than our addresses.”

747s is an interesting name – have you ever doctored the origin in interviews to make it even more interesting?
    “No, we haven’t really because the origin of the name is good enough to tell the truth to be honest. We’re not very good at making things up in these sorts of things really!
    "We came out of a café with a list of names, and we were standing outside of a club called the “24-7’s”, and I just said “747s” as we walked down the street and it just sat right for loads of reasons.
    "One reason is that Bill Withers used to put toilets in jumbo jets, another one is that Ned took a petrol generator onto a plane on the anniversary of September 11th and got arrested in Italy because of it - he didn’t do it on purpose!”

That’s one of the most infamous things I’ve heard about you so far…
    “He had the Sun or the Daily Star ringing him up that day. The Italian Police Chief in charge said that he was “an artist, not a terrorist” [Laughs]. It’s quite a punchy name and doesn’t say much about the music, it’s got that soul, old reggae/dub name about it. It’s easy to remember, and it’s short too.”

You ducked out of cello lessons when you were you were younger. Did you become good at hide and seek as a result of it?
    “I was about eleven and my dad used to drop me off for cello practice, and I think once or twice I rung the doorbell and teacher never answered so I hid behind a bush for an hour or so reading or something - that was just funny!
    "I wasn’t really into my classical music or my cello lessons, and then my mum bought me an acoustic guitar for Christmas one year. Looking back now, I love the cello - it just wasn’t my forte.”

If you had kept it going with the cello, where would you be right now?
    “I’d probably be in the New York Symphony Orchestra! [Laughs] I’d probably be doing cello repairs, maybe?”

Maybe that’s something to do later in life?
    “I could have a plaque up that says “All cello repairs here”! [Laughs]”

At Reading festival in 2005, a bouncer failed to recognise you when you pointed out to him that your band was being shown on one of the giant projector screens. Do you prefer that anonymity, or would you rather have the celebrity lifestyle?
    “I like the former, I like the “that’s not you!” idea – there’s more poetry in that really, isn’t there? That was great! The bouncer told me to get lost and kicked me out – that’s mean - he didn’t even look! He just pushed me out!”

Finally - If you had to create your own 747 jumbo jet interior, what would it be like?
    “I think I’d have to go with New York in the 1930’s. Like the inside of those banks? I’d go there. Maybe even have a little practice room inside of a giant safe at the back. I’d also have a big library, a bar, and a record player with all the best labels’ back catalogues in it. Oh, and bunk beds and a four-poster bed for my girlfriend as well!"