Elbow

Elbow A pretty adventurous band from Manchester, Elbow have been around since 1990, releasing four studio albums, four EP’s and ten top fifty singles in the UK along the way. ALEX McINTYRE spoke to their drummer, Richard, to talk about their new album.

Elbow Can you tell me a bit about the new album, Build a Rocket Boys?
Well we’re at an age  now where we are reminiscing, getting arthritis and illnesses. It’s all about being at the age between 13 and 16, when you were growing up on the cusp of possible greatness, you smoke a bit, there’s some beer and you’re noticing ladies…

It was mostly Guy [Garvey, lead vocalist] who came up with this idea while we were on a writing trip, he immediately wrote Jesus was a Rock N’ Roll star, which is one of the simplest stripped-back songs we’ve ever done.

Most bands write songs about being young while they are young and then, as they get older and wiser, they follow that subject matter. Do you think you are maybe regressing?
Always. We are constantly mucking about, getting in trouble with our wives. We’re all hitched with kids now, except for Guy. It’s pretty cool because the kids love it, they can come to the studio and get on the drums and make a racket, I’m taking mine to Glastonbury which will be a great experience.

Do you have a track on the album that’s your favourite?
The Birds. The lyrics are phenomenal, it’s about a doomed love affair witnessed by the birds flying over. The track builds up, a real ‘Elbow builder’ like Newborn.

Are you allowed to coin your own phrase like that, ‘Elbow builder’?
Well it is! [laughs]

Would I be right in saying that there’s a different sound to this album?
There is a bit of a movement into synth and strings. The song Night will Always Wait, I wasn’t there because I was on my honeymoon but the boys went in really hungover after the wedding and the only thing they could move was their fingers so they sat around with four strings and the sound that was made… Basically if you’re really hungover, amazing things will happen…

Elbow’s Build a Rocket Boys is in stores now.