Weekly > Interviews
Bloc Party
Our man states-side, Booklover, spoke to Gordon Moakes of Bloc Party about life “on the inside” and the forthcoming Bloc Party album.
Hey, how’s your day going?
I’m on the train now. We just finished doing a photo shoot and I’m on my way home.
How did you guys come up with Bloc Party?
Well, we were originally called The Angel Range, and then we were The Union for a bit, and then we became Bloc Party. There was a lot of brainstorming on that one, it is tough to get all four of us to agree on something. A lot of people think of it as a literal meaning, which is kind of funny. It kind of has a disco ring to it, doesn’t it?
Were you aiming for a political tone?
Not really. We just kinda wanted to sneak something in there. Something that has a double meaning, you know? My favorite band name of all time is Joy Division. What’s great about the name is that it works on one level, but if you looked into what it really means, you’re kinda taken aback. I think our name is a little fatalistic. There is something implied there.
Snooping around the website, I have noticed everyone in the band has listed several literary influences, from J.G. Ballard to Brett Easton Ellis. I was curious how any non-musical influences work its way into the band, if at all?
Well it doesn’t affect the band sonically. The art we love affects us as human beings and that in turn affects the art we create. I’m surprised that a lot of people ask us about that. We don’t sit and read books to each other, you know? (Laughs) We are a pretty much a normal band in that aspect. It’s not a big deal.
You just released the Bloc Party E.P. in the states. Why is it in reverse chronological order?
The later we got into making the songs, the better the production has been. “She’s hearing voice” is more or less a demo. We had recorded it with the feeling that we would re-record it later if we had to, but the people around us said that it was great the way it was so we stuck with it. “Banquet” has this great panoramic sound, production wise. It’s like putting our best foot forward.
It also doesn’t have “Little Thoughts”.
The e.p. predates “Little Thoughts” actually. It just took a little longer to release. “Little Thoughts” should be released as a straight single in the U.S. shortly.
I have just read that you will be doing some opening dates for Interpol at the end of the year. Your thoughts on that.
I am scarily excited. You know, playing the music scene in London, you are kind of in a bubble. It’s easy to get caught in a trap and think of yourselves as big because you play packed houses in this little part of the world I don’t know how big we are in Europe. It will be nice to see how people take to us everywhere else.
I think of Interpol as a great example to follow as a band, because they have their own sound, and they have done everything on their own terms. I remember when I first heard them before the album came out and was blown away by them. They did a Peel Session and thought they were phenomenal. Now here they are as kind of elder statesmen, and to be invited by them to open is an honor and we are anxious about it.
- Bloc Party
- Interviewed by: Michael Chadwick
- Published on: 17 Oct 2004
- Comments: 0
Any new songs on the tour?
Well, for a couple of the dates in the U.S., all of the songs will be new to them, right? We won’t be doing any ‘new songs’ really on this tour, but most people who haven’t seen us live will hear songs they haven’t heard anywhere, like stuff that is going to be on the new album.
When is the album coming out, and what is it going to be called?
The album is going to be called the “Silent Alarm”, and I believe it is coming out in either January or February. The album is completely done. We just finished the mixing not to long ago. Some of the songs are pretty old to the band and just have never been recorded, and a couple was made for the album. We are very proud of it and we can’t wait to put it out.
Another question I have is more about the ‘process’ of succeeding in the U.K. Being an outsider, I read the music magazines and such and it seems every 3-4 months, the U.K. music press seems to annoint ‘best new band’ status and some of the bands…are rubbish (laughs).
Right. I guess what I’m asking is how does it feel now to be on the inside looking out, and what are your feelings about being embraced by the press as such.
I know right now our feeling is that we just need to weather the storm. We are very confident about our abilities as a band. We can play, and I think we sometimes surprise some people that it’s not just hype surrounding us. We just try to keep ourselves grounded. I remember reading those magazines and see those bands, and now to be in those magazines, it’s a little odd. A lot of times we get asked loaded questions like “How does it feel to be the best act in the U.K.?” and we’re like “we’re not saying that. You are.” We try not to say anything we can’t back up. I mean, I do feel we are a great band, of course, it’s just that we don’t try to feed into any of that. We try to not let it distract us.
It seems you are the unofficial mouthpiece for the band.
I did the website. I think it is just because I am the most interested in communicating what the band is outside of the musical aspect. I wanted to be a music journalist when I was in school, so I think of a big part of it has to do with that. The band as a whole works by filtering everyone’s creative ideas into a cohesive structure. Kele (guitar, vocals) brings a lot of that aspect to the band, but it is definitely a complete effort by everyone involved.
We’ll have more news on the forthcoming album release as soon as we have it. Stay tuned for a special feature coming up on The Beat Surrender written by Gordon.
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