‘I sit at a piano and try to write something that genuinely moves me or makes me happy. If I manage that, then I’ve already won’ - Exclusive Scouting For Girls Interview - By The Fans Magazine

Interview & Words: Grace Wearn

Photography Credit: Jamie O’Gorman

We sat down with Scouting For Girls ahead of their album release “These Are The Good Days” and spoke about the insight of songwriting, Roger Moore and more! (pardon the pun..)

”Thank you so much for your time today!

Fresh off your 2025 festival run — are there any key highlights that really stand out for you as a band? Or even from this tour so far?”

Victorious Festival in Pompey was genuinely off the chart. I played there solo a couple of years ago with just an acoustic guitar, and about 4,000 people turned up to a stage with a capacity of 500 — which felt either incredibly flattering or like a serious health and safety issue. So they asked us back to do it properly on the main stage. And we did. It ended up being our biggest and best crowd of 2025, which I now casually mention in most conversations.

“Are there any songs that changed the most from the first demo to the final version? How did they evolve and why?”

She’s So Lovely had completely different — and genuinely terrible — lyrics on the original demo. My manager made me rewrite the verses before we recorded it properly for Sony in 2007. Without that rewrite, it wouldn’t have been a hit. And without She’s So Lovely, I’d probably have been back working at Carphone Warehouse by 2008, explaining phone contracts to strangers who didn’t want to be there. So, you know… art really matters.

”When people hear “Scouting For Girls,” whether it’s the name or the music, what emotion do you hope they feel first?”

Joy. Or at least a brief sense that things might be okay. I think that’s a pretty solid aim.

“Who are your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped the way you write songs?”

Britpop exploded while we were at school and completely rewired our brains. Greg, our bass player, and I went to see Suede at the Watford Colosseum and decided, the moment we walked out, that we were going to be rock stars. Thirteen years later, somehow, we were. Which still feels like a clerical error, but I’m very grateful for it.

“Do you have a childhood memory that still influences your songwriting today?”

When I first started playing guitar, I found it really hard to sing and play other people’s songs at the same time — so I started writing my own. That way, no one could tell if it was wrong. I realise now that’s basically been my entire creative philosophy: make it personal enough that no one can argue with it.

If you had to release a Scouting For Girls album in another genre, what would it be and why?

We’ve done a few dance remixes that we absolutely loved… and which were almost universally ignored. So I think we’re now at the point where it’s either classical, folk, or we finally accept our destiny and write a musical.

“What made you wish you were James Bond for a day?”

Roger Moore. It’s the eyebrows. And the confidence. I have neither.

“Your new album ‘These Are The Good Days’ is out next week — 27/03/2026. What was the main inspiration behind it?”

The album was conceived in Palm Springs after we were evacuated from Los Angeles during the wildfires last year, which isn’t the most relaxing way to start a creative process. It became a kind of escape — from the noise, the bad news, and the constant sense that everything is on fire, emotionally and literally. At its heart, it’s about joy, fun, and remembering that being alive is actually quite a big deal, even on the boring days.

“What was your favourite song to write and produce on the album?”

Alright in the End — or, to give it its unnecessarily long full title, It Will Be Alright in the End (and If It’s Not Alright, It’s Not the End) — was my favourite. It has a full orchestra and my favourite second section of any song I’ve ever written. It felt like the right way to end the album. If I got hit by a bus tomorrow, I’d be very content if that was the last thing I ever made. Not ideal from a life perspective — but creatively, very tidy.

”How has your songwriting process changed since your first album in 2007?”

After trying pretty much everything over the last twenty years — co-writing, overthinking, underthinking, mild panics — I’ve gone right back to how I started. I sit at a piano and try to write something that genuinely moves me or makes me happy. If I manage that, then I’ve already won. Everything else is just noise.

You can presave ‘These Are The Good Days’ here.