The post-punk icons are back with their first new album in four years
Interpol’s lasting impact on post-punk can’t be understated. With their iconic debut album ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’, the cooler-than-thou New Yorkers laid the groundwork for finding glory in gloomy indie-rock, inspiring a wave of brooding bands for years to come.
Their legacy building streak isn’t slowing, either. Yesterday, the group returned from a victory lap celebrating that debut’s 15th anniversary with news of a new, sixth album ‘Marauder’, and a storming comeback single in the form of ‘The Rover’. Accompanying the announcement with a 45-minute press conference (how very #business of them), they motioned to an atypically bright future – here’s what we learned.
They still look fabulous
As if you ever doubted it? About 15 minutes into the livestream, Paul Banks, Daniel Kessler and Sam Fogarino strode out, dressed in some of the finest suits this side of the ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’’s laundry room. They might be getting on a bit, but dad wardrobes mean nothing to these lads.
That ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’ tour impacted the new album
The band had been working on new material for a few months before the opportunity to celebrate ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’’ 15th birthday came around. “Simply put, it just injected that live energy into the process,” says drummer Sam Fogarino of the world tour, “It brought that excitement into the writing, and then the recording process.”
The title ‘Marauder’ is an overarching theme through the record
“’Marauder’ is a character that appears in a number of the songs, “ admits Paul Banks, “and is actually mentioned in the song ‘Stay In Touch’. There’s a few characters in this record, but that being the one that comes up repeatedly… it’s taking one element of the record and putting that at the forefront.”
Things are still frosty with former bassist Carlos
Interpol’s relationship with their former four-stringer is… fraught, to say the least – he compared his experience in the band to post-traumatic stress disorder just last year. While pointed references are made to the band’s tighter-knit new line-up in the wake of Carlos’ departure, it’s the press release that really digs the knife in: “On ‘El Pintor’, we were riding on the novelty aspect of Paul playing bass, and enjoying what a good job he was doing,” says Sam, referring to the 2014 album the band recorded without the original bassist. “But this time, it was a case of ‘you’re the bass player.’ I think now he felt comfortable to explore. He’s not just jumping into save the day, he’s applying himself and his voice as a bassist.”
They got Yeah Yeah Yeahs kicked out of their studio
The record was written in a New York rehearsal space that also houses Karen O’s equally cool-as-fuck New York band – or it did, anyway. After being far too loud (rock ‘n’ roll!) the band were turfed out of the space, which it seems is closed for good now. Nice one, lads. “It’s always the drums that get us in trouble,” admits Fogarino.
They’re mates with Ebon Moss-Bachrach from Girls and The Punisher for some reason
He turns up about 24 minutes into the video for weird, intimate, head-touchy moment, while everyone else just sits there. It’s a bit weird.
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