INTERVIEW: Elbow
- Posted on February 22, 2008 12:03 PM
- 0 comments
Interview by Zarina Raja
Elbow put a lot of Indie bands to shame. It’s not hard to see why they feel disheartened by many bands that are currently saturating the music scene.
Their clattering tracks bang and burn through you like unstoppable jolts of lightening, leaving you left for dead, but with more life inside you than ever.
There is none of this we-call-ourselves-Indie-but-we-are-really-a-Pop-band nonsense. They are an original band that is truly independent from the other weak bands that we are force fed by the media.
Their new album, The Seldom Scene Kid, is out on March 17th, and is set to expunge all those watery bands and hopefully bring something raw back to the ever thirsty industry.
I chatted to Pete from Elbow. We talked about the new album, and, amongst other things, I managed to find out who he would like to bottle (metaphorically of course) at a festival this summer.
You have a string of dates lined up for April. Are you planning anything special for any of the shows?
Well, it’s four albums worth of material which we are looking forward to doing. Predominantly, it is going to be from The Seldom Seen Kid. We will obviously loop back to the three previous ones and do the tunes that have always gone down well live.
We have a brilliant new lighting company so visually it will be different. The lighting guys have a completely different take on it. When you walk in, there won’t be much lighting. It will all be hidden behind screens and stuff but you will still get the same effect. You won’t think much will happen until it starts up.
The shows also depend on the people that come to the gigs to. Sometimes they are quite up for it and a bit noisy which is always fun. There are other shows when people just stand and watch, a bit quieter. The exciting thing for us is that it is the first chance to play all the new stuff. It took so long; everyone is really looking forward to it!
Will you be playing any covers?
I don’t think so. We never really have. We have only done them when we had to, like for Jo Whiley. We once did a Black Sabbath cover though. We are really aware that, even when it’s your favourite band, you start looking at your watch. We always say that an hour and a half is a much as we want to do.
In 2004, a short film was made about Elbow. Is there any band that you would like to follow round and make a documentary of?
Well, probably a band like Ween; an obscure band that write weird little Indie Pop tunes. They are as influenced by Prince as they are other stuff. I always think they are the cross between the Brass Eye and Southpark of music, they’re f****** brilliant.
Talk to me a bit about your new album, The Seldom Seen Kid.
Well, it has taken over the last two years of our lives. It was probably that long due to switching record companies. We got our heads down and got on with things. It’s was just the five of us in a little room in Salford doing what we always do; someone comes up with something and then it is worked on bit by bit. We were in a room only as big as a bedroom so it has a different feel to it. It is completely us.
Do you prefer writing and recording or being on tour?
You kind of love doing whatever you are not doing.
A lot of bands say that.
When you’re on tour with twelve months ahead of you, the best thing that you can think of is being in the studio. You have a normal home life as well when you are in the studio. Three of the lads have kids so that‘s important. Going out on tour, for me, is what I love most. At the moment, we can’t wait to get going.
Tell me something that no-one knows about The Seldom Seen Kid. We won’t tell anyone.
That’s really tough because I’ve got to trawl through the last twelve months. There is something that we said we would keep to ourselves but I can’t remember what it is!
Were you a seldom seen kid as a child?
No, I was absolutely everywhere! I got on with everyone at school. I wasn’t a trouble maker but I kind of was. I was the always seen kid.
Why should people buy your new album?
I think because it is the first album which is 100% produced by the band. It’s the first time we have not had any outside opinions. Actually, it was initially like that but right at the end, we got a feeling that maybe another pair of ears that is not part of the band might benefit the production. But mainly, what you are hearing is the five of us and no outside influences. I genuinely do think that this is the best work that we have ever done.
What is the one CD that you think people should stop buying?
I could give you a thousand people that I think are overrated but I have always thought that there is no point in slating people. There are so many people that are shit and overrated, but I just wouldn’t…
How about if I rephrase the question? Which bands are not suited to your own personal taste?
Certainly a band like The Feeling. I’m f****** hearing them all the time; they do my head in. I think they are fantastically overrated. There are good bands which just disappear. It is just ridiculous sometimes.
How do you think your music has changed since you first started out, if at all?
I think it has changed as we changed. Every album documents the previous year before it came out. They are always just snap shots of our lives. When they change, the music we make changes. I think we are a bit more grown up too. This album is a little bit more experimental. I think it is a little bit darker. I think it is one where you need to sit down with it for a while.
Finish the following two sentences for me:
Elbow love…
Oh, I don’t know! I’m shit at this! With questions like that, you always try and think of something really clever. I don’t know what elbow love… tea, cigarettes, alcohol; probably a bit too much.
Elbow hate…
Oh, we don’t hate anything. We’re lovers!
Some people say that certain bands have saved their lives. Do you have a connection like this with a band?
Spiritualized. ‘Lady and Gentlemen We are floating in space.’ That’s an album that we all absolutely loved. You know when you are really down about something; it’s kind of nice to wallow in it. But listening to that makes you feel so big and great. It’s just fantastic. I can always listen to that album. I won’t listen to it for a year or so but then I will go back to it and remember how great it is! It just hasn’t dated at all.
What is the one situation that makes you want to be asleep in the back?
Ummmm…God, I don’t know! I’m not very good a these!
Does Elbow regret anything?
No, I don’t think so. I like where we are. Without everything that has happened, we wouldn’t be here. We have made some bad decisions. We hold our hands up to them though. I wouldn’t tell you though as you might not have spotted them. You learn from your mistakes.
Do you get a chance to see any gigs?
Oh yeah! I saw Richard Hawley recently. That was great. He’s going to do some gigs with us on this tour. There is a duet on our album with him. We do get out when we can. The last two years have been working from home so it’s been easy to have a free evening. Manchester is great for gigs.
It’s good to know that you are out there going to gigs. A lot of bands say it would be like a busman’s holiday to go to a gig in their spare time. That’s quite disheartening.
Oh, totally. The more I go out and see bands, the more excited I get about what I do. I just think, f***, I wish I was on stage. Being in a band, you can always get away with blagging your way in.
In your opinion, who is the best band to have come out of Manchester? Ever?
That’s a good one. I love The Stone Roses. They came into our world when we were leaving school. Doves are great friends, but one of the best bands. Those two are probably my favourite.
I thought that you might have said The Smiths.
No, I’m not a huge fan.
Any festival action lined up for the summer?
Yeah! We are going to do Glastonbury. I can’t wait. There are quite a lot of European festivals too.
Any strange festival experiences that you would like to share with me?
I didn’t go to a festival until we played one. The first one we played was Reading and Leeds. There is always mad, fun stuff going on. It is so easy to get into mischief. We had a great time in Japan too. We played with Trail of the Dead and we had a great time with them. It got so messy, we t****** a dress room completely. After we had finished, we saw the face of the hotel guy and he looked distraught. We felt terrible so we spent the next hour cleaning it up!
That’s not very Rock ‘n’ Roll!
I know. ‘Elbow and Trail of the Dead clean up afterwards!’ It was definitely the right thing to do.
If you were to throw a metaphorical bottle at someone at a festival this summer, who would you throw it at?
The Feeling. It’s not just them though, it’s…I’m not going to go on about it.
What’s the most memorable gig you have been to as a fan?
That’s good! In the 90s, I saw this band called G Love and Special Sauce. You should get their first album. It’s absolutely incredible. It’s got this amazing tune called Garbage Man. They are kind of like The Black Keys, but fifteen years ago. They played at the Roadhouse in Manchester, that’s where we all used to work and hang out. They played an awesome gig there. We were all quite young. It blew our heads off.
Elbow's new album, The Seldom Seen Kid, is out on March 17th.
Elbow have a spanking new website in the form of a rotating Rubik’s cube! Check it out!
Buy Elbow tickets.
Elbow MySpace.
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