Los Campesinos! Love Seattle Despite Cobain-Related Illness

Los Campesinos!, the Cardiff-based septet who release their third album 'Romance Is Dead' on Feb. 1, have revealed that they have spent a lot of time in "trendy" Seattle recording with Death Cab For Cutie and Nada Surf producer John Goodmanson, having made their second album 'We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed' there too.

Lead vocalist and lyricist Gareth Campesinos! tells Spinner the band, who originally met at Cardiff University in Wales, love working in the US. "Seattle was not dissimilar to the UK, weather-wise, so that made us feel at home," adding that "it's quite a trendy place, and it's steeped in all that indie rock history as well."

Work on 'Romance Is Dead' was started in Stamford, Conn. with the band cooped up boarding at The Carriage House recording studios, so by the time they reached Goodmanson in Seattle, Gareth explains the band were ready to "make use of their free time, catching as many shows" as possible.

The singer also recounted, laughing, that,"On one occasion Neil and Ollie [drummer] visited Kurt Cobain's house --they are both massive Nirvana fans. In fact Ollie was incredibly hung over the day they went to visit, and he ended up vomiting outside the house. Something to tell the grandchildren!"

Los Campesinos! start their longest UK tour in two years next month, calling at:

Central Station, Wrexham (Feb. 11)
EVOL, Liverpool (Feb. 12)
Fibbers, York (Feb. 13)
Tunnels, Aberdeen (Feb. 15)
Dog House, Dundee (Feb. 16)
Bongo, Edinburgh (Feb. 17)
The Venue, Derby (Feb. 18)
Musician, Leicester (Feb. 19)
Cambridge Junction, Cambridge (Feb. 21)
Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich (Feb. 22)
Audio- New Slang, Brighton (Feb. 23)
Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (Feb. 24)
KOKO, London (Feb. 25)
The Rainbow, Birmingham (Mar. 1)
The Roadmender, Northampton (Mar. 2)
Plug N Play, Reading (Mar. 3)
Banquet, Kingston (Mar. 4)