Foals star Jimmy Smith thinks he’s been “lucky” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The guitarist has been living in the US for the last two years and he’s now feeling “totally different, in a good way” compared to his pre-pandemic self.
Reflecting on the last couple of years, he explained: “I feel totally different, in a good way. I’m lucky in that these last two years of the pandemic have had positive effects on me.”
Jimmy felt worn down by the “repetitive machine” of the music industry before the pandemic struck.
The musician visited his girlfriend in Los Angeles when COVID arrived in the US and he’s now decided to base himself on the West Coast of America.
He told NME: “As a band, we haven’t really stopped for 15 years. You see other bands doing stuff when you’re not busy and you just think, ‘Oh, we should be doing this’. That all just went away because it had to.”
Jimmy believes that the break has been beneficial for the band.
And he thinks that their new attitude is apparent on their latest album, ‘Life Is Yours’.
Jimmy – who stars in the group alongside Yannis Philippakis and Jack Bevan – explained: “Everyone’s position got stronger.
“Now it’s just the three of us, there’s no hiding any more. When we were a five-piece with Walter [Gervers] and Edwin [Congreave], you could take a backseat.
“Now all eyes are on everyone and you need to step up. I’ve got to say more now. I finally feel comfortable calling myself a ‘songwriter’, so I can be more confident with that.”