Interpol Give Fans Something to 'Admire'

Posted on May 3rd 2007 11:00AM by Steve Baltin
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If Interpol seemed a little nervous during their performance at last weekend's Coachella festival, well, it's because they were. "[It's] the biggest show we've played in quite some time -- way over a year," drummer Sam Fogarino told Spinner in the band's trailer before the show. "It's a good sign. Feeling nervous is just anticipation of going on stage and giving 100 percent."

As if the live hiatus weren't enough to rattle a few bones, the band also used the event to preview a few tunes from their forthcoming album, 'Our Love to Admire.' Among the new songs were the first single, 'The Heinrich Maneuver,' and 'Pioneer of the Falls,' which Fogarino described as "sub mid-tempo, kind of dirgey." "Finally being able to [play live] is like being released out of the vacuum," he continued. "You crawl out and go, 'Oh, wow. There's this whole big world out here.' And to see reactions from fans -- people who come to see you -- is so worth it."

That's not to say it was all work and no play. Fogarino and Co. had a checklist of bands to see including Busdriver, who he had been spinning at recent DJ gigs, El-P, Jesus & Mary Chain and the Arctic Monkeys. "Sometimes you get in the mindset where you don't want to see the stuff you like 'cause you want to stay in your own head to prepare yourself for what you need to do," he said. "You can either be wholly inspired and go, 'Oh, yeah, I'm going to have a great show,' or just go, 'Oh, f**k, that was too good.'"

Interpol's former tourmates and fellow Coachella performers Blonde Redhead fall into the latter. "When we toured with them, they were so artistically proficient," Fogarino said. "Me and [singer] Paul [Banks] would walk off the side of the stage and go, 'Yep, too f***ing good.'"

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