Kasabian on taking risks, next move
Kasabian recently played a homecoming show in Leicester, England, in front of some 50,000 people, and also headlined this year's Glastonbury, one of the world's largest music festivals.
The group, dubbed best live act at the U.K's Q Awards in 2010, has also received honors for best band, single and album.
The buzz continues to spread to the United States, where the English rock band recently wrapped a headlining tour, playing sold-out venues across the country.
"It feels like something's changed. I can't put my finger on it," guitarist Sergio Pizzorno told CBS News. He says the shows have been "amazing" this time around.
Kasabian, which also features singer Tom Meighan, bassist Chris Edwards and drummer Ian Matthews, released its self-titled debut album in 2004. But as Pizzorno points out, they didn't come to "America for fives years -- and that's a long time...So we've been playing catch-up for a while."
Of all the U.S. outings, though, this latest trek is by far Pizzorno's favorite. "We've learned a lot in the time we've been playing all over the world. So you're seeing a band that's in really good form as well...We can turn up in Washington for 1,000 people and play like we're playing Woodstock," he said.
And Pizzorno says he can tell the American crowds are "digging" Kasbian's music probably more than ever before.
"You can see it in people's faces. You get a sense from onstage...You get a feeling from the crowd," said Pizzorno, who says he loves seeing the audience members mouth lyrics to the songs.
Kasabian is out behind its fifth studio album, "48:13," released this month in the U.S. The band took a "direct" approach with its latest effort. Take the album's title, for example. It's the length of the album. The direct approach carried on into the tracks, too -- each song has a one-word title.
"We just stripped away layers and layers," he said. "Everything was just in your face and that was the vision from the start."
Pizzorno, who also serves as primary songwriter of Kasabian, says he often starts with a loop or a "weird little sound," which then sparks a melody. Other times, he approaches songwriting more traditionally by just sitting down with a guitar.
The single "Eez-eh," for one, "sort of came out of nowhere," he says.
The track has more of an electric music sound than fans may be used to hearing from Kasabian.
"I knew that it would split opinion," said Pizzorno. "I knew what I was doing...When we play that one live everyone goes crazy for it...It's been a massive success...It just shows you that people do appreciate some risks."
"I have no idea how it happens, I have no idea how I do it," he said about songwriting, noting that while on the road he tends to immerse himself in books and movies to get inspiration.
"I like to build up...And then an explosion of activity hopefully happens when I get home," he said, noting that now -- as a father of two boys -- he has to work sneak in work in between time with his kids.
But before he tackles new music, there's a lot more touring to be done. Kasabian has dates lined up in Europe from now through the rest of the year, including five-night stand at London's O2 Arena.
As for the band's follow-up album to "48:13," it's too soon to tell.
"My instincts have always been a reaction to the last creative output. I never want to tread the same ground," he said. "There's a lot of stuff in my collection bag - that little leather bag full of stuff."
