Interpol (band)

Interpol
Background information
Origin	New York City
Genres	Indie rock, post-punk revival
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Matador Capitol Parlophone Soft Limit Cooperative Music
Website	www.interpolnyc.com
Members
Paul Banks Sam Fogarino Daniel Kessler
Past members
Greg Drudy Carlos Dengler

Interpol is an American indie rock band formed in 1997^[1] in New York City. The band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks (vocals, guitar), Daniel Kessler (guitar, vocals), Carlos Dengler (bass guitar, keyboards) and Greg Drudy (drums, percussion). Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino. In 2010, shortly after recording finished for the band's fourth album, Dengler left to pursue personal projects. While the band is officially now a trio, they have recruited David Pajo as their new bassist and Brandon Curtis as their new keyboardist and backing vocalist for their current tour.

Interpol is one of the bands associated with the New York City indie music scene, and was one of several groups that emerged out of the post-punk revival of the 2000s. The band's sound is generally a mix of bass throb and rhythmic, harmonized guitar, with a snare heavy mix, drawing comparisons to post-punk bands such as Joy Division and The Chameleons.^[2] Aside from the lyrics, their songwriting method includes all of the band members, rather than relying on any given chief songwriter.^[3]

Interpol's debut album Turn on the Bright Lights (2002) was critically acclaimed, making it to tenth position on the NME's list of top albums in 2002^[4] as well as #1 on Pitchfork Media's Top 50 Albums of 2002.^[5] Subsequent records Antics (2004) and Our Love to Admire (2007) have confirmed the band's initial success and turned them into a commercial and critical success. The band is expected to release its fourth, self-titled album in September.

History

Formation (1997-2001)

Interpol was formed by Daniel Kessler and initial drummer Greg Drudy. Kessler had “been looking to put a band together for a while” when he met Drudy. Kessler "had a very hard time finding musicians to play with—musicians at all, really."^[6] Kessler met Carlos Dengler in a philosophy class at New York University and asked him if he played an instrument. Later, Kessler ran into Paul Banks (whom he had first met in France) in New York's East Village, and the pair discussed collaborating together. Banks admitted that he and Dengler "butted heads" early on in the band's history, but told Spin that now the two are "really tight, in a spiritual way".^[7] The band had trouble choosing a name at first. "I got to the point where I was like, 'Guys, we're getting decent crowds, but like... we don’t have a name so no one knows who to go see again,'" Kessler said.^[6] Furthermore, the band considered Las Armas^[6] and The French Letters as names before adopting Interpol.

In 2000, after releasing the Fukd I.D. #3 EP, Greg Drudy left the band to focus on Hot Cross and his label Level Plane Records. Kessler recruited Sam Fogarino, who worked at a local vintage clothing store and at the time considered retiring from music, to replace Drudy.^[7]

Signing to Matador Records (2002-2005)

Paul Banks, lead singer of Interpol, playing at Roskilde Festival, Denmark 2005 at Arena Stage

After self-releasing several EPs between 1998 and 2001, the band signed to indie label Matador Records in early 2002. The first release, a self-titled EP containing re-recorded versions of "PDA" and "NYC" was released in June 2002. Turn On the Bright Lights was released on 2002. Recorded at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the album's sound drew comparisons to post-punk groups of the early 1980s and late 1970s, particularly Joy Division and The Chameleons. The record was a slow-building success, selling 300,000 copies by 2004.^[7] The band regrouped in late 2003 to begin sessions for the follow-up album, again decamping to Tarquin Studios to record. Interpol released its second album Antics in 2004. The album sold 350,000 copies in its first four months of release.^[7] The record also saw Interpol earn their first UK Top 40 hits with "Slow Hands", "Evil" and "C'mere" charting at 36, 18 and 19 respectively. The album eventually reached gold status in the UK, and later in the US.^[8]

Interpol toured again after the release of the album, playing more dates than ever before and at bigger venues. The Antics tour stretched on for almost 18 months, including a number of shows playing as undercards for U2 and The Cure, and the band reported feelings of exhaustion to Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe at a concert in Sunderland. The band took only three months off after touring finished. Whilst on the road, the band had also released the one-off track "Direction", written for the official soundtrack to HBO's Six Feet Under, Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends.

Move to Capitol Records (2006-2008)

In late March 2006, drummer Sam Fogarino confirmed that the band were back in the studio working on new material. In an interview with Pitchfork Media, Fogarino stated "[the process is] moving right along where I think it should...we're all pretty much on fire about it".^[9] Fogarino also dispelled rumors that the band had signed to major label Interscope, but also confirmed that they would be leaving Matador in search of a new label. An update to their website in June confirmed that the band had been working on the follow-up since the turn of the year, but did not confirm a name for the album or comment on the mounting speculation that they were imminently to sign to a major label. On August 14, it was widely reported that Interpol had signed for Capitol Records, a fact confirmed by Matador on September 1 in a press release on their website.

Our Love to Admire was released in July 2007. The album represents a departure for the band, being both the first record they have recorded in New York City (at The Magic Shop and Electric Lady Studios), and the first time they have included keyboards in the arrangements from the start of the songwriting process. The band intended to tour behind the album extensively, beginning with the summer festival circuit throughout the United States and Europe. In August, Interpol headlined one of the days of the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago.

Interpol and departure of Carlos Dengler (2009-present)

On March 6, 2009, Interpol announced on their website that they were working on songs for a fourth album.^[10] The LP was recorded in Electric Lady Studios during spring of 2009.^[11] In a recent interview, drummer Sam Fogarino, referred to the album as having gone back to the original sound of Turn On the Bright Lights.^[12] It was later claimed by Paul Banks that it will not sound anything like their debut album and that there is some very "classical stuff going on" with it.^[13] No news about the album surfaced until late April when the band sent an email directing users to a free download of "Lights," the first officially released song.

Interpol, playing at Rams Head Live!, Baltimore July 25, 2010

It was announced that Interpol's fourth album will be self-titled and will be released sometime in mid-September.^[14] It will be bassist Carlos D.'s last effort with Interpol. In an announcement on their website on May 9, 2010, he had left sometime after the album's completion. When the remaining members tour in support, he will be replaced by multiple players.^[15] In early June 2010, the musicians who will play with Interpol on live dates were announced to be David Pajo (formerly of Slint and many other bands) on bass and Brandon Curtis of The Secret Machines on keyboards and vocals.^[16] The album will be released on Matador Records, in the US, and on Cooperative Music for Europe, Australia and Japan.^[17]

The band were announced as openers for the third and fourth leg of U2's 360° Tour,^[18] and subsequently the band announced 18 US shows to take place over the third leg of U2's 360° Tour, but only 3 of them are scheduled to go ahead after Bono's back injury cancelled U2's entire third leg. The band however are going to tour the UK and Ireland in November and December 2010 with further dates expected in Europe.

On June 22, 2010, a promotional video for "Lights" directed by Charlie White was made available for free download on Interpol's official website. The band also announced tour dates through December 2010.^[19]

Side projects

In early 2007, Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino joined with former Swervedriver frontman Adam Franklin to form a side-project band called The Setting Suns. Since then, the duo have changed their name to Magnetic Morning and released a six-track EP on iTunes.

On August 4, 2009, singer/guitarist Paul Banks released his solo first record titled Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper under the assumed name Julian Plenti.^[20] Although not a long departure from Interpol's sound, the album features a wider range of material, and "establishes Banks' viability as a musician outside of the context of Interpol".^[21] The album was recorded at the Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn and at Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan. It was mixed by Peter Katis at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut. The album was released on Matador Records.

Discography

Studio albums

• Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
• Antics (2004)
• Our Love to Admire (2007)
• Interpol (2010)

Band members

Current members

• Paul Banks – vocals, guitar (1997–present)
• Daniel Kessler – guitar, vocals (1997–present)
• Sam Fogarino – drums, percussion (2000–present)

Current live members

• David Pajo - bass guitar (2010–present)
• Brandon Curtis - keyboards, vocals (2010–present)

Former members

• Greg Drudy – drums, percussion (1997–2000)
• Carlos Dengler – bass guitar, keyboards (1997–2010)

Former live members

• Eric Altesleben - keyboards, vocals (2002–2003)
• Frederic Blasco - keyboards, vocals (2004–2005)
• David "Farmer Dave" Scher - keyboards, vocals (2007–2008)

References

External links

• Official website
• Interpol Concert Chronology
• Interpol at Allmusic
• Interpol at Discogs
• Interpol discography at MusicBrainz