SPOTLIGHT: Interpol
Words - Tajinder Hayer
Photography - Atiba Jefferson
Following sell out gigs at Camden Roundhouse in June, this summer Interpol release their seventh studio album, The Other Side of Make-Believe. Produced by the team of Flood and Moulder (U2, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, PJ Harvey) the new album has been described as a masterpiece of sadness, darkness and introspection. Who better than guitarist Daniel Kessler to interview and find out more about the band, the new album and what makes them so special.
Tell us about the track Toni
Toni was a track that I started to work on during the initial Covid lockdown and it started from the premise that I was trying to do something different. It felt really good when we were finally able to get together and work on it in upstate New York where we rented this old, rickety house. I think it sounds like the sort of song that might take forever to put together but it actually came together in a really natural and inviting way. Somehow we must have been circling on the same plain.
As to how and why it became the lead single from the new album, I’m not sure of that. These are things that are left up to those in the business that you work with and trust.
The Other Side of Make-Believe is your seventh album. What sets it apart from your previous albums?
Well we never force anything or have a specific conversation about what we should do. Typically we finish touring and I start to write a batch of songs and when I feel like I have a good amount we start to get together and work on them. When we started to work on this album the three of us were in different countries so that made it a very different experience. To me, looking back on how we made it and what it sounds like, it feels like a natural evolution of our sound and hopefully it sounds like we have grown and progressed as artists. It’s very rewarding when you can get to that stage without having to force it.
So many of your contemporaries when you started are not around anymore. Why do you think that Interpol have stood the test of time?
I think we work pretty hard and have quite a lot of output. We tour pretty heavy and I start writing straight away, as I have always found it super disruptive to write whilst on tour with the constant change of venues, countries and hotel rooms etc. I feel like when I go home its like a fresh slate, which allows me to be as creative as possible. It’s also much easier to stop, think and visualise the next chapter. I try not to force it, and have always really enjoyed writing songs. There is nothing quite like it.
In terms of longevity, I think our fans have always been really faithful and supportive. When we perform live, they feel an ownership to the tracks. It’s amazing to see that songs we have been working on for months play live so well.
Logistically how did you begin to work on an album remotely?
At the start it was not so bad because we tend to normally break away for a short while after a tour and it felt just like that. Because of how long we were apart and in different countries, we had to do what so many other artists were doing, and send tracks around individually so they could be progressed. I think we were up for the challenge though. There may have been a few wrong turns along the way, but actually that made the experience more experimental. It was great to see how one of the guys had such a different angle to what I had written. We work together really well and it was a great reminder of why we are friends.
What can fans expect when they see you live?
Hopefully they will experience a great crowd enjoying great live music. We really appreciate being able to play live as its the only real way to see how much fans appreciate your music. We are so grateful to be able to do that. We spend time to make such that the lights and the production are the best that they can possibly be. We always try and play something from all of our records.
Do you still enjoy touring?
Yeah I do. There are certainly times when it becomes challenging but the show always makes the whole experience really worthwhile. We love our fans and always love to see how diverse the audience is. It’s not very common for audience to stay and grow with the band but we certainly see that a lot. It’s like they discovered our music through a rite of passage and stayed with us.
Do you notice any differences between the audience in Europe and the US?
So far on this tour we have only done a handful of shows, but on the whole there are countries that are very passionate and others that are more reserved in terms of how they react. On the last US tour we did I felt like the age demographic was really diverse which was wonderful.
What are your plans for the rest of 2022?
We finish the UK leg in June and have some time off and then get back on the tour over the course of the summer. The US tour begins in August and September and then a little break again.
The Other Side of Make-Believe is released on 15 July 2022.
Follow Interpol on Spotify.