Sibling relationships can be difficult to navigate in bands, as evinced by numerous bands, including your own. How do you balance your relationship as brothers and bandmates? somecandytalking
Jim Reid (vocals, guitar): If I’ve learned anything, it’s how to deal with my brother, and he’s the same. We used to have invisible lines we didn’t cross, but in the 90s we couldn’t stand each other. I’m eternally grateful that most of the incidents were before smartphones, so they’re not on YouTube. One night when we were DJing, we ended up rolling around on the floor, fighting, looking up to people’s horrified expressions.
William Reid (vocals, guitar): At the [Los Angeles] House of Blues gig in 1998, Jim got so drunk he couldn’t remember the songs. I kicked him off stage, tried to be the singer, but didn’t know the words. It finished the band for nine years, but we haven’t had a fight for a long time. It goes smoothly if there’s no alcohol involved. We’re mature now. You don’t want to be arguing all the time.
Jim: Through not having the band, the relationship healed. The song Jamcod on the new album [Glasgow Eyes] is about that night, but now we both know what not to say.
Jim once said: “After each tour, we wanted to kill each other, and after the final tour, we tried.” Who’d have killed who? Zaropans
William: I’d have killed Jim, because I’m bigger.
Jim: I’ve got to say I’d have killed William. Like Goldfinger was going to kill James Bond, strapped to a table, with lasers.
