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Arctic Monkeys: We've sold out

Rockers Arctic Monkeys were famously publicity-shy when they started out, but now they say they have learned what media attention can do for their career.

Rockers Arctic Monkeys fear they have "sold out" by breaking the vow they made against courting publicity when they started out.

The British musicians were famously publicity-shy when they first hit the music scene and turned down numerous interviews and promotional opportunities around the release of debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not in 2006.

Since the release of their fifth album, AM, in 2013, the group has been making more public appearances, including a performance on US talk show Late Show With David Letterman in January and at the BRIT Awards in February.

The rockers' track Do I Wanna Know? reached number one on the US Alternative Songs chart in January, and they now admit their previous attitude may have stunted their success.

"We said no in the beginning because we didn't want to do it. I never liked the idea of being everywhere... our nonchalance was our USP (unique selling point), yes," frontman Alex Turner told British Esquire magazine.

"I don't even know where that attitude came from. It was our world and we didn't want to let people into it in the beginning."

Bassist Nick O'Malley pointed out that they previously vowed never to perform at the BRIT Awards "ever" and they have also gone back on their promise to never make radio promo clips, with guitarist Jamie Cook adding: "We've sold out."

O'Malley said: "We never really wanted to do any of that stuff, but now we're like, number one. We never really realised the benefit before."


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


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