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What's the reaction been like to the new single?
Anders B: "I don't think we've actually lost any fans. Some people maybe had to get used to the new sound, but I still think it's very Alphabeat-ish. The great thing is we seem to be winning over some new people too."
Stine: "I've only seen good reactions so far. Some people have said they didn't like it the very first time they heard it, but after about five plays they started really loving it."
Where did the '90s dance influence come from?
Stine: "Well, it's been four years since we finished the last album so obviously we're all a bit older. Our tastes have changed and we've been listening to a lot of '90s music. We fell in love with that '90s house piano that we use on 'The Spell' and on some of the other songs on the new album."
Anders B: "And you know when Black Box sampled Miss Holloway's vocals for 'Ride On Time'? We kind of encouraged Stine to take that in and do some of that stuff."
Who brought the old '90s dance records to the rest of the band?
Anders B: "I'm someone who buys old vinyl in charity shops. When you go to charity shops in Denmark, you always find loads of Madonna records, which is probably why our first album had that influence. Over here there's loads of dance records in charity shops because that music was so much bigger here. I think the first Black Box record I bought was 'Strike It Up', which is a brilliant tune, and then I heard 'Ride On Time' on the radio and realised it was Black Box too. That started the whole thing off."
Do you go out dancing a lot? Are you clubbers?
Stine: "We're not really clubbers actually. We're more into pubs and maybe a bar with a small dancefloor. We definitely like dancing when we've had a few drinks though!"
Anders B: "If there were some real clubs in the area we go out in, we'd do it a lot more. Sometimes if we've been out for a few hours I feel like going to a club, but the journey from the East End, where we live, into central London clubland is off-putting."
Stine: "I haven't really done the club thing over here. I've been to Fabric a couple of times but I don't really like it."
Same here. I prefer somewhere that plays songs with choruses.
Stine: "Yes, I definitely agree!"
Anders B: "Yeah, our bassist Anders has started DJing and he plays stuff with big choruses. He plays the sort of stuff pop people like us want to listen to. That's what you want when you go out - you want it really loud, and you want that flow of music, but you want those choruses too."
Is 'The Spell' a good indication of what to expect from the new album?
Anders B: "I think it's a good introduction. It's kind of a link between some of the stuff on the old record, like 'Boyfriend' and 'Go-Go', and the stuff we're doing now."
Have you decided on the next single yet?
Stine: "It's a song called 'DJ' actually. We just started playing it live and it's working really well, so we decided to make it the next single."
Anders B: "It's going to come out in January and then the album will follow straight after. But first we've got to see how it goes with 'The Spell' this week!"
How are you finding the new label?
Stine: "Very good. They're very passionate. I think EMI were passionate as well, but obviously they were in trouble due to the whole industry thing. It seems like Polydor are much more on top of it. Not only are they passionate, but they've got the financials to follow everything up."
How did things end with EMI?
Stine: "It was rather smooth. They didn't have the money to take us up on the second album option, and we were keen to find a new and really passionate team. There's no hard feelings at all."
Anders B: "Normally you wouldn't be able to get out of a major label record deal after just one album. It's actually a really weird situation, but it's worked out quite nicely. Obviously we had ideas for a new sound and a new image, so it's kind of perfect that we've got a new label too. In a way, Polydor signed the new Alphabeat!"
Are you pleased with how the first album did?
Anders B: "Looking at it now, extremely pleased. I think we sold around 100,000 albums and loads of people seem to know the name Alphabeat. Just the other day 'Fascination' was on Strictly Come Dancing actually. When something like that happens, you know you're really in the mainstream."
Was it weird hearing your song on that show?
Anders B: "Oh yeah! I think a year or two ago we would have thought it was a bit uncool, but now we take it as a compliment. If it's on that show, it means a lot of people know and like the song."
You're known for being big Britney fans. What do you think of her new single?
Anders B: "I listened to it a lot the day it was leaked and I love it. The bridge is almost ten out of ten I think and the chorus is very, very Britney. She can do a chorus that's almost one note and it works for her. I guess Lady GaGa has taken over in terms of being the biggest popstar, but I still love Britney. I don't know how much she's involved in the music but I just think she's a great popstar. The tracklisting for her new compilation CD is amazing."
What do you think of Lady GaGa?
Stine: "We've become fans. I was very much in doubt at the beginning. I thought she was gimmicky and trying too hard, but then I realised that she's actually an amazing singer. It's so impressive how she does everything 100%."
Anders B: "I've been obsessed with her music for a long time actually, but I'm not sure about the new one, 'Bad Romance'. To be fair though, the version I heard maybe wasn't the finished one. A lot of people are already copying the sound she's made with RedOne, but there's something about her songs that's just special."
Stine: "I think she's going to make a better album next time. I like the singles, but I'm not a big fan of the album as a whole. Lots of the songs have amazing parts, but as whole songs they're not quite so amazing."
'The Spell' by Alphabeat is out now.
