Bright lights still shine on Interpol after 15-year career

Sixth album, Marauder helps mark anniversary for Banks and co

New York indie rocker Interpol are gearing up for three Irish shows this month to showcase their first new album in four years.

The post punk icon’s debut album Turn On The Bright Lights laid the groundwork for finding glory in gloomy indie-rock, inspiring a tidal wave of brooding bands.

And the cooler-than-cool Paul Banks, Daniel Kessler and Sam Fogarino are still going strong, celebrating that debut’s 15th anniversary with a sixth album, Marauder, (above) released last August.

Even in its infancy in 2017 inside the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ rehearsal space in Manhattan, Marauder was shaping up to be a beast; an early practice session was so vigorous, it resulted in Sam hitting the drums so hard that he busted his kick drum.

“That rarely happens, even with heavyhitters,” Sam revealed.

Eventually, the trio were playing with such force and volume, that a neighbour called the boys in blue on the boys in black, forcing them out of the practice space.

“We ruined it for everyone,” reflected Daniel.

“It seemed like you’re picking on the wrong rock band,” added Sam with a laugh.

“It’s not like we’re Mastodon. I mean, in certain circles, we’re considered wimps.”

If that was ever the case, the Interpol captured on their sixth album are nothing of the sort.

While many fans took time over the last 18 months to read about the band’s vital part in New York City’s early 21st century rock renaissance, or bask in the glory of their hugely successful 15th anniversary tour celebrating the seminal 2002 debut Turn On the Bright Lights, the trio have been working on making sure they’re not just a cultural timepiece for music historians to study.

The result is Marauder: an album that sways as well as it seduces, that pounds as well as it pouts, and that batters as well as it broods.

They’ve had some help along the way. For the first time since 2007’s Our Love to Admire, Interpol have opened themselves up to the input of a producer.

For two-week spells between

December of 2017 to April of 2018, they travelled to upstate New York to work with Dave Fridmann – famed for recording with Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips, MGMT, Spoon, Mogwai, and countless more.

The New Yorkers arrived at his remote and frequently snowbound Tarbox Studios with most of

Marauder tightly rehearsed and worked out.

Fridmann made sure that their meticulous work in crafting a virile and visceral set of songs didn’t get flattened during recording. It was his suggestion to skip the

Pro Tools, and record directly two-inch tape.

“That meant there was a limitation to the amount of things you could track,” explained Daniel.

“You couldn’t add more overdubs because you would have to erase something else. You couldn’t really overthink too much of it.”

It’s a decision that allows a leaner and more muscular Interpol to flex throughout the album.

“Marauder is a character that appears in a number of the songs,” said frontman 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.”

linterpol play Dublin’s Olympia Theatre, with support from Nilüfer Yanya, on Sunday November 18 (sold out), Monday November 19 (only upper circle left) and Tuesday November 20. Tickets from €50.65, available at Ticketmaster.

‘Marauder is a character that appears in a number of the songs,” said frontman Banks, “and is actually mentioned in the song Stay In Touch’