Vaccines Don't Feel Like Teen Icons, Do Consider Rihanna a 'Real Artist'

Don't expect British band The Vacciness to stop churning out albums any time soon. Having released their debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? last year, the London four-piece is already back with another album entitled Come of Age.

"We work fast, but not unusually fast," guitarist Freddie Cowan tells Spinner. "When we're on tour, we've got nothing to do other than play guitar so there's plenty of time to write music."

Cowan doesn't really understand how bands can actually go so long between albums -- his guess is that more money for production -- but another reason he notes is the lack of fairness to fans who catch repeat sets of theirs.

"We've toured a lot," Cowan explains. "But it's not fair for people coming to see us to see the same set over and over again."

Even recording is quite the speedy process for The Vaccines. Both their records have been completed in the span of two to four weeks, but again, this isn't a rushed process. Rather, that's just the pace the band's comfortable working at.

"We just go in, set things up and if it feels right, we just record. That's it," says Cowan.

The new album sees the band continue to hone in their brand of frantic Strokes-esque rock-pop with addictive riffs and hooks. On their inwardly looking single "Teenage Icon" lead singer Justin Young talks about his inability to relate to being a teenage icon. It's something Cowan doesn't get either.

"Justin was referring to himself," Cowan reveals about the single. "What he's saying is when he stands onstage, he's supposed to feel like that guy -- a teenage icon -- but he doesn't. I don't feel that way at all.

"I respect musicians for what they do, but I think there are actors and other people that deserve to be icons. Most of the time, I'm more in love with the music than the person."

That being said, Cowan definitely has a lengthy list of icons and musicians he idolizes, including Elvis Presley, Graham Coxon and the aforementioned Strokes.

"When I was 14 and The Strokes came out, I just adored them and they changed the way I lived my life," says Cowan.

Cowan and the band were even lucky enough to work with Strokes member Albert Hammond Jr. who produced their 2011 single, "Tiger Blood."

When asked if meeting his idol got him star-strucked, Cowan says, "Of course! It was crazy, pretending like I didn't know all of his guitars. He was like my hero so it was really incredible to work with him. I got confidence from him."

Hopefully confidence doesn't lead to mouthing off about other artists, though. In a recent interview, Cowan was quoted saying that Rihanna wasn't a "real artist," something that was, he says, taken out of context.

"It's unbelievable," says Cowan. "I just googled it and there are thousands of pages about it.

"It was completely out of context and of course she's an artist. I guess I wasn't thinking and she is one of the biggest artists in the world, so how can it not be news? I didn't think we were important enough for it to be news, though. I'm sure it's not that big a deal. In a couple of days, no one will give a shit."