Interpol guitarist Paul Banks has reflected on debut album 'Turn On The Bright Lights' as a new re-issue draws near.
Has it really been ten years? Interpol released their debut album 'Turn On The Bright Lights' amid a maelstrom of new guitar music, with a plethora of plural nouns (Stripes, Hives, Beatings, Yeahs) threatening to bludgeon us into submission. But the New York group were a rather more subtle proposition.
'Turn On The Bright Lights' is, at times, a more rounded, European, art house affair than most of their contemporaries could ever hope to match. Draped in an exotic melancholia, it was a nigh on perfect introduction to a group who would dominate our stereo for the next ten years.
Clash recently spoke to Paul Banks about his new solo album, and decided to throw in a few questions about the forthcoming re-issue. "I think it’s something that just comes up, y’know, whenever you reach a decade. I think it sort of naturally comes into conversation" he reflected.
Asked if the band are by nature reflective, Banks admitted that Interpol do have their moments of introspection. "Na I think we definitely have nostalgia. Certainly" he affirms. "I think we really enjoy anecdotes from that era. I think we definitely look back very fondly on tonnes of shit which happened in that era."
Initially led by Daniel Kessler, the re-issue process has become a real group effort. "We’ll all been part of the decisions, everything.. every step of how the packaging got put together we all had to approve, sign off on. Everybody, the whole band’s been involved."
By way of a preview, Interpol have posted a clip online. Captured in action back in 2002 – mere weeks after the release of their debut – Interpol are on imperious form, matching obvious potential to their rapidly emerging stately touch.
Watch it below.
