Despite being nominated twice, Iron Maiden have never made it to induction at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. As part of an exclusive interview featured in the brand new issue of Metal Hammer, out now, Maiden founder, bassist and band leader, Steve Harris, was asked for his thoughts on the matter.

"I’ve never been worried about it," he shrugs. "I’m not one way or the other. I’m not really against it or anything like that, but, you know, if people get recognized there that’s fine.

"But I’ve never been bothered with it," he reaffirms. "We’ve never done music to be in some Hall Of Fame or whatever. And also, if it was a thing that was voted by fans, that’d be ok, but the way it works, it doesn’t matter how many fans vote, it only counts as one vote. So it doesn’t really represent anything. I don’t know how I’d feel about it if we did actually get [inducted]."

Read more at Louder, and pick up the new issue of Metal Hammer here.

Speaking on the same topic with The Telegraph Bruce Dickinson recently stated: "I don’t want to be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame! Because we’re not dead yet!"

He added: "Some people feel almost actively threatened by metal. Not by the nature of the music. But by the fact that it doesn’t conform to their worldview of what pop music should be, which is: pop music is disposable, darling. Well: we don’t make disposable pop music."

Iron Maiden's ongoing The Future Past Tour features previously unperformed songs from Maiden’s most recent studio album, Senjutsu, along with a focus on 1986’s iconic Somewhere In Time record, plus other classic cuts. The tour lands at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday (June 24).

To view Iron Maiden's complete tour schedule, head here. Watch a recap of the tour opener below: