Kasabian frontman Serge Pizzorno joined The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X this morning to pull back the curtain on the band’s legendary career, revealing that some of their most iconic sounds were born from shoestring budgets and pure chance.
The "50p" Secret to ‘Club Foot’
While revisiting the band’s back catalogue, Pizzorno stunned listeners by revealing the lo-fi origins of the 2004 anthem ‘Club Foot.’ Despite its massive, floor-shaking sound, the track’s opening bassline was recorded using a microphone that cost mere pennies.
"That was recorded on a 50p mic," Pizzorno told Moyles. "One of those really cheap red mics that plug straight in. We had nothing else around, so we just put that in front of the amp and figured it out." He further explained that the track’s haunting, string-like textures were created by "rubbing the strings with a mic lead" to mimic a violin, proving that Kasabian’s signature "wall of sound" was built on DIY ingenuity.
Imposter Syndrome at Abbey Road
The interview also delved into the inspiration behind the band’s new single, ‘Great Pretender.’ Pizzorno confessed the song was born from a massive bout of imposter syndrome while he was scoring a Hollywood film at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.
"I’ve got a GCSE in music and I can't read it," Pizzorno joked. "I’m in Studio Two—where The Beatles recorded—and the London Philharmonic Orchestra is staring at me waiting for direction. I just thought, 'What am I doing here?'" He noted that the track explores that universal feeling of "making it up as you go along," even when standing on the world’s most prestigious stages.
The Mystery Cab Driver
In another bizarre twist, Pizzorno revealed that the opening of ‘Empire’ features a real-life voicemail from a confused taxi driver. "He rang the mobile because he couldn’t find us. We couldn't understand a word he was saying, so we just thought, 'That’s brilliant,' and put it at the start of the song."
