DCist Interview: Bloc Party

I think the old axiom is that it takes three laps around the country for a British band to really start making inroads. Seems like these days a lot of bands can't make that commitment.

Yeah, but we've put in the work and it's paid off I think. And then there's Canada, which is kind of separate.

Yeah, they are mad for British bands up North. I went to the Virgin Festival in Toronto last year and saw the reaction you got from the crowd. You were one of the bigger draws of the weekend.

Were you there when Noel Gallagher was attacked?

I was. It was madness. Everyone was like "What the hell just happened?" But you guys missed all that, right? You played the day before.

Yeah, we had left town by then.

Does that ever cross your mind when you are playing a big festival like that?

Security breaches? No. [pauses] I have to be careful what I say here. [laughs] We've never really caused a controversy, let's say. I can understand why there are people out there that don't have the warmest feelings toward some bands. Anyone we've had come onstage we've invited or encouraged and they come up to dance and not commit acts of violence. It's love, not war.

Here in D.C., you're playing a smaller venue than last time you toured. Was that a conscious decision?

I think originally we had an extra day available so someone suggested we squeeze in a D.C. show. And we like that club. I think bands really enjoy playing that venue.

The 9:30 is world class.

Yeah. And its exciting for someone like me that grew up listening to hardcore and punk rock to play there, to play in D.C. at all, and kind of be a part of that history.

So the new record, Intimacy. It was co-produced by "Jacknife" Lee and Paul Epworth. You've worked with each of them in the past. How do you get a cohesive sound out of two different producers?

For us, in terms of a cohesive record, we were hoping for the best really, but we wanted two separate elements. It was kind of part of the idea to have two different producers to work on two completely different ends of the record and trust in them that it would come together and not sound disjointed. And I think it worked in that sense.

This record has a more electronic sound. Is that something you worked on prior to entering the studio or was that something that came about while you were recording?

It was a blueprint, in a way, for the record. The main thing being on a certain number of songs (lead singer and songwriter) Kele wanted to not write in a traditional way—you know, instruments in a room, turn up and play—but actually building that from scratch with software on a computer. We found actually that the two do complement each other, that there were times when we did need a live drum sound. But we were approaching music slightly differently for us. To not think of a band in a room playing music. You have to strike a balance. If we approached a whole record like that, then you are in danger of losing that spark of what we are as a band, collectively. The ideas come when we play together, so you don't want to lose all of that organic quality.

So after you are done recording do you have to go back and learn how to play those songs live?

Yeah. That's one of the points of the record, because a lot of times when we were writing songs for the second record, we had this song "Sunday" where there were two drum kits and things and we were thinking, "How are we going to do this live?", where the arrangement was very much to do with how we heard it being played. Whereas with this record, the only rule was to not think about that and let the music do what it should do and worry about it later.

Your albums have had a definite progression as far as dance and electronic influence...

It was very much in Kele's mind that we had covered certain ground and there were certain things we hadn't done, and one of them was, "What if we put our instruments down, is that still Bloc Party? How would that work?" Sort of pushing ourselves, asking the question. And I think there are places where we really succeeded, where you're listening to the record and you're not thinking, "Where's the bass guitar?" And there were times where you do want that and that's the balance I was talking about, trying to strike it and get it to work, one way or the other.

It was very interesting how you released this record. You announced the album on a webchat and then it was available for download three days later. What made you want to do that?

That technology is available now. We wanted to experiment with that. It made sense to employ those tactics instead of just being a luddite for the sake of it. We'd released two records on CD first and one of the things that was frustrating for us as a band was sitting on a record that we'd made for three months without it actually being out. We'd be saying, "Oh the record sounds like this," but, of course, at the time nobody had heard it. By the time it's actually out you're kind of exhausted talking about it. This is great, the people were hearing it when it was ready and that seems to make sense.

Was there also an aspect of controlling the leak? Because A Weekend in the City leaked a few months before it came out.

That was something that made us think a bit more about how to approach it, but I don't think it was necessarily the prime reason. It was more to do it differently and try something new.

You guys aren't the kind of band that only records albums. You've done tons of singles and one-offs.

Yeah, and we're still doing that really. We've just been in the studio.

I'm a big fan of E.P.'s. I always wonder why more bands don't do them in this day and age.

I love the idea of the album, and we take a lot of care over crafting that. But at the same time there is something definitely frustrating about that whole process. So many things have to align. You have to make sure the artwork and marketing wheels are aligned and that can be a bit frustrating as far as having made the music and wanting to get it out there. We've always wanted to go back in the studio when we've had songs and put them out when they are ready.

So what are your plans for the rest of the year? I know you are touring a lot...

We're touring the states and Canada for the next couple of months. And then the festivals start in June and then we have a big UK tour planned for October. And then we have some time off.
------------------------------------------

Bloc Party perform at the 9:30 Club on Sunday with openers Longwave. Doors are at 7 p.m. The show is sold out, but you can always try Craigslist.

All photos via Blocparty.com.