The Beat Surrender

Elbow have had an amazing year by anyones standards, onto album number four now they’ve blown pretty much everyone away with The Seldom Seen Kid, something that has also happened in the live arena as well on their tour earlier this year.

Currently in America spreading the Elbow love onto the other side of the pond, I managed to grab a few words with Elbow drummer Richard Jupp to find out how the gigs were going in the States, how it feels to write music that genuinely touches people and more importantly to put to bed those silly rumours that this could be their last album!

Congratulations on album number four it seems to have been really well received by both fans and critics alike which must please you?

Thanks very much!!Yes it’s been well received right across the board which has been fantastic.Its meant so much more this time because its been our first totally self produced album. Craig was the man at the helm with everyone firing off ideas at him! How he held his composure I don’t know!.

As with all your releases, you again seem keen to push yourselves musically and try your collective hand at new things, is this something you discuss prior to writing each album?

To be honest we wouldn’t be true to ourselves if we didn’t try and push ourselves to try new things. It really isn’t a concious decision but we rather enjoy making life difficult!. One of the things which has kept us together for so long and kept us fresh is that we challenge each other, ranging from obscure instruments to exotic butties. We dont sit down and discuss what we do beforehand it’s rather rections to the ideas we put down and ideas that have stewed for a bit, haphazard really.

As each album gets critically acclaimed that you release, does it make it harder or easier to come up with the next album?

The thing with Elbow is that we have been rather lucky in the fact that we’ve never had to prove ourselves to anyone but the band, we are our harshest critics, so in answer to the question its easier because we write for us not ‘them’.

Your songs more than most bands around at the moment seem to strike a real personal chord with people, it must be both satisfying and humbling to write the songs and then see the reaction they get from people?

Its the best job in the world!!!!!!It is humbling to see the reaction we get from the songs,and to be honest it’s a lot to do with Guy’s lyrics. The everyman quality is something Guy consistently looks for and has again made a connection with people. We have received letters and emails from people who listen to our stuff at incredibly profound times of their lives, births, deaths, marriges and to document these times with songs you’ve written is incredibly satisfying.

You’ve just completed a tour of the UK which again seems to have gone down brilliantly with sold out shows and rave reviews, how has it compared to previous tours for you personally?

Touring is one of the highlights of what we do,this last tour was amazing as it was the culmination of 2 years hard slog, with label changes, births and the responsibility of self producing you’re record. Also the tunes are, in my opinion, the best we’ve done and the transition from record to live has been relatively stress free! Catering,two buses and a big fuck off lighting and PA rig kind of helped too!.

Continue