The Struts don't just know their history, they know it personally. In fact, they're probably opening up for it next week in a city near you!
The Derby, England-based quartet has supported rock legends like The Rolling Stones, The Who and the Foo Fighters, yet even after Dave Grohl called them the best band to ever open for the Foos, The Struts remains firmly grounded.
"It's a T-shirt I'd like to get made," front man Luke Spiller tells Q104.3 New York's Out of the Box with Jonathan Clarke of Grohl's quote.
"It still doesn't seem real, though," adds bassist Jed Elliott.
But The Struts have yet another milestone coming up. The band is among the performers for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which airs Dec. 2.
Spiller says The Struts are the only band to ever get to perform two songs on the runway. He's honestly not sure how that happened.
"The show itself is going to be brilliant," he says. "We're actually doing two songs, which is never heard of before. And let's be honest, we're probably the only artist in history to appear on that show without any substantial success. Like meat and potato pop Top 40 success... These (other artists that have appeared on the show) are bonafide pop stars, you know. I just find it hilarious. I love how we've once again in perfect Struts fashion we've kicked down the door — but the door being the back door..."
And while Spiller is never short of charisma on stage, before the taping he still worried about navigating the line between "being pervy and nerdy" while interacting with the models on the catwalk.
It's not the kind of concern you might expect from a band that just released a blistering second album called YOUNG&DANGEROUS (yes, in all caps).
The Struts know there's a glamour side to the business — they've seen it plenty while on tour with so many Rock and Roll Hall of Famers — but that lifestyle still feels foreign.
They're a band that's still used to doing the dirty work, carrying their own gear and taking turns driving the van.
YOUNG&DANGEROUS was a milestone, not just because it was the second album, but because it meant the band could finally expand its set list and become a headliner.
"It's nice to have two albums worth of material, finally," said guitarist Adam Slack. "When we re-released the first one [in 2016], we added a couple of new songs. But other than that, we've been playing one album's worth of material for the better part of seven years."
YOUNG&DANGEROUS has performed well so far, breaking into the Top 20 on the U.S. Rock Charts.
But The Struts have eyes on the pop side of the mainstream. The band just released an alternate version of "Body Talks," featuring Kesha.
"I actually prefer her version with us," Spiller says. "I think she really brings something fantastic and unique."
Check out the full Out of the Box interview above!
Get all The Struts' tour dates here.
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Check out the music video for The Struts' "Body Talks":