Bastille interview: ‘We were as surprised as anybody when we were suddenly really successful’

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It’s understandable, in other words, that they would find it a little frustrating when “in a lot of situations, people are like, oh, you’re the guys that did ‘Pompeii’ or were involved in ‘Happier’”. “It was just like, ‘You’re here now.’” One of the biggest frustrations, says Smith, was people’s attempt to define the band’s sound. So for this, we were like, ‘F**k it, let's put everything we think in “Doom Days” so we can put that song out and it says it all.’ It means there’s not much room for misinterpretation.” Besides, the world is in such dire straits right now, it would be impossible for Smith to ignore it in his music. “It’s a really odd time where it feels like the world is constantly changing, and yet also kind of stagnant at the same time,” he explains.