EXCLUSIVE: Feeder's Grant Nicholas on why now was the time to recreate the 'Just A Day' video
The band remade it to raise funds for the NHS
Last updated 13th May 2020
Feeder's music video for 'Just A Day' is not only one of the most iconic music videos of the Noughties, but of rock music in general. Back in the days of webcams perched precariously on top of monolithic desktop screens, the band put out a call for fans to be film themselves dancing along and be a part of the music video - and music video history.
Although they refused to remake it many times over the years, Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose relented in 2020, using the updated version to raise funds for the NHS and PPE equipment, which frontline health workers desperately need.
The remake of the video was released in April, and was a huge success - with Grant saying at the time that they'd "always been against remaking" the video, but after receiving messages from Italian fans in lockdown, they "decided to revisit it again and highlight the plight of our own NHS and keyworkers."
Our very own Loz Guest caught up with Grant for our new podcast, Kerrang! Radio: The Lockdown Interviews, and divulged further on why now was a good time to remake the music video for 'Just A Day'.
"Basically, we’ve been asked for many years to do a new version of 'Just A Day' with possibly some of the same people in," Grant admitted. "We always felt it would be sacrilege and not the right thing to try and recreate such a well-known and iconic video.
"It was of a certain time, it was a very simple idea that came out really well. We felt like it wouldn't be right until now, and the reason why it felt right now is partly because of this whole lockdown situation," he explained.
"I think people at home are finding it very difficult, it can really have a huge effect on your mental state. I was sent a huge number of messages from fans, especially some fans in Italy who were in total lockdown at the time and they were very frustrated. They asked me if we’d be interested in possibly making a new video for 'Just A Day' so they could get involved and be something fun for people to think about, so that's really what fuelled the idea and made me think, 'Hey, if we’re ever going to do it, this is the perfect time to do it.'"
WATCH: The original music video for 'Just A Day'
With all the nostalgia and perfection of the original, what does Grant think about the remake? "I think it's fantastic, I think it's definitely as good as the original - a massive thank you to everybody that sent in all their videos."
Adding that they'd been totally "inundated" with videos and that they'd been sent "too many", Grant said that they'd put in "as many as we can in four minutes of music," apologising to those who didn't make the final cut but also staying optimistic that they'd still enjoy it.
Grant explained that the two charities being support by the video were Scrub + Face Protection Hub on gofundme.com, and Masks For NHS Heroes on CrowdFunder, which has also had the backing of actor James McAvoy.
"They’re all mucking in together and helping to make PPE equipment and clothing," Grant continued, "They’re doing an amazing job, so if you can support those and donate that would be awesome, because that's another reason for us doing this video - to support those two well worthwhile causes."
LISTEN | Grant Nicholas on Kerrang! Radio: The Lockdown Interviews
Scroll through to see Feeder's career timeline through the years:
Career beginnings
Feeder was created in 1994 when former band Reel went through a line-up change - resulting in Grant Nicholas, Jon Lee and Taka Hirose. That year, they sent a demo to The Echo label, who saw the band play after listening to it and offered them a contract. They released their EP 'Two Colours' 1995, selling it at their gigs, before releasing a promo tape called 'Two Tracker' and performing at Reading Festival. Their first single 'Stereo World' was released in October that year.
1997: Debut album 'Polythene'
Their debut album 'Polythene' was released in May 1997, featuring singles 'Crash' and 'Suffocate', and although it didn't chart highly, the record has since been certified Gold. The band toured the US in 1998 as support for Everclear, and in turn Everclear supported them on a UK tour that year.
1999: Second album 'Yesterday Went Too Soon'
After releasing singles 'Insomnia' and 'Yesterday Went Too Soon' in 1999, they once again performed at Reading and Leeds, releasing their second album 'Yesterday Went Too Soon' in August that year which peaked at Number 8 in the UK. They supported Red Hot Chili Peppers and Manic Street Preachers.
2001: 'Buck Rogers'
Spending 2000 writing songs for their new album and performing at UK festivals including Glastonbury, Feeder released 'Buck Rogers' in January 2001, which has gone on to be one of their signature songs. Although it was very nearly given away to a major US band whose identity has been kept quiet, Feeder decided to keep it. Good job they did!
Third album 'Echo Park' , released in 2001, debuted at Number 5 in the UK, and is thought to be the band's breakthrough album, featuring songs like 'Buck Rogers' and 'Seven Days in the Sun'. It's a good thing the album was successful, as Grant has since admitted the band may have split up if it hadn't worked.
2002: Jon Lee passed away
Sadly, drummer Jon Lee passed away in January 2002, leading the rest of the band to take the rest of the year out of the spotlight. Fourth album 'Comfort In Sound' was mainly about their reactions to his passing, featuring singles 'Come Back Around' and 'Just The Way I'm Feeling' and peaking at Number 6 in the UK. The band drafted in Skunk Anansie's Mark Richardson to play drums, and they went on their first arena tour in December 2003, playing the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2004 and supporting Coldplay, as well as taking part in Band Aid 20.
2005: 'Pushing The Senses'
Fifth album 'Pushing the Senses' was released in 2005, which Grant considered to be an 'extension' to predecessor 'Comfort In Sound', and peaked at Number 2 in the UK. They supported U2 briefly and headlined Download Festival, before taking time out to work on their sixth album 'Silent Cry', which was released in June 2008. They played the Isle of Wight Festival, but in December that year, their tour bus caught fire whilst driving from Glasgow to Lincoln, destroying the bus and the crew's personal possessions.
2009: Mark Richardson's departure
In 2009, Mark left the band, and was replaced by Karl Brazil, a session drummer. Launching their own record label Big Teeth Music, Feeder played under the name Renegades to promote their seventh album of the same name, which was released in July 2010. They released single 'Side by Side' in March 2011 to raise money for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and eighth album 'Generation Freakshow' was released in April 2012.
2012: Isle of Wight headline slot
Feeder performed on the Isle of Wight Festival's main stage in 2012, playing on the Friday ahead of headliners Elbow and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. They also played at Hyde Park in a series of gigs to celebrate the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, before announcing that they would be taking a break in 2013.
2015: Hiatus ends
The break was extended until 2015, when Grant revealed that there would be a new album in 2016, and in January 2016 posted photos of themselves recording in Grant's home studio. Their ninth album, 'All Bright Electric', was released in October 2016 in the UK, peaking at Number 10 in the UK, and they put out compilation album 'The Best of Feeder' in July 2017, along with a mini-album of new material called 'Arrow'.
2019: 10th album 'Tallulah'
They closed down their Big Teeth Music label, and signed a new deal with Believe Music. Their 10th album 'Tallulah' was released in August 2019, peaking at Number 4 in the UK - their highest charting record since 'Pushing The Senses' in 2005. The band will be touring the album in October 2020, having been forced to reschedule the tour from April due to the global pandemic.
2020: The updated video for 'Just A Day'
Feeder's music video for 'Just A Day' back in 2001 was way ahead of its time. The band asked fans to send in videos of themselves singing and dancing along to the track, and so created one of the most iconic music videos of indie rock in the 2000s. In 2020, they decided to put out a call to fans for new videos, and thus a second version was released in April 2020 to raise funds towards PPE equipment for NHS and key workers amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
You can watch the updated version of the 'Just A Day' music video on YouTube here.
2022: 11th album 'Torpedo'
The band put out their 11th studio album 'Torpedo' on 18th March 2022. Having written an album's worth of music before the pandemic, this was then stalled due to lockdown and they got busy writing new songs that reflected their feelings - and the result was 'Torpedo'.
You can hear Feeder's biggest hits on the Kerrang! Radio playlist.