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Interpol (band)
Encyclopedia
Interpol is an American indie rock
and post-punk revival
band from New York City
. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks
(vocals, guitar), Daniel Kessler
(guitar, vocals), Carlos Dengler
(bass guitar, keyboards) and Greg Drudy
(drums, percussion). Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino
. In 2010, shortly after recording finished for the band's fourth album, Dengler left to pursue personal projects.
Interpol, having first performed at Luna Lounge along with other notable bands like The Strokes, Longwave, The National and stellastarr, is one of the bands associated with the New York City indie music scene, and was one of several groups that emerged out of the post-punk revival
of the 2000s. The band's sound is generally a mix of staccato bass and rhythmic, harmonized guitar, with a snare heavy mix, drawing comparisons to post-punk
bands such as Joy Division
and The Chameleons
. Aside from the lyrics, their songwriting method includes all of the band members, rather than relying on any given chief songwriter.
Interpol's debut album Turn on the Bright Lights
(2002) was critically acclaimed, making it to tenth position on the NME's list of top albums in 2002 as well as #1 on Pitchfork Media's Top 50 Albums of 2002. Subsequent records Antics (2004) and Our Love to Admire
(2007) have confirmed the band's initial success and turned them into a commercial and critical success. The band released its fourth, self-titled
album on September 7, 2010.
. Kessler had “been looking to put a band together for a while” when he met Drudy. Kessler "had a very hard time finding musicians to play with—musicians at all, really." Kessler met Carlos Dengler in a philosophy class at New York University
and asked him if he played an instrument. Later, Kessler ran into Paul Banks (whom he had first met in France) in New York's East Village, and the pair discussed collaborating together. Banks admitted that he and Dengler "butted heads" early on in the band's history, but told Spin
that now the two are "really tight, in a spiritual way". The band had trouble choosing a name at first. "I got to the point where I was like, 'Guys, we're getting decent crowds, but like... we don’t have a name so no one knows who to go see again,'" Kessler said. Furthermore, the band considered Las Armas and The French Letters as names before adopting Interpol.
In 2000, after releasing the Fukd ID #3 EP, Greg Drudy left the band to focus on Hot Cross
and his label Level Plane Records. Kessler recruited Sam Fogarino, who worked at a local vintage clothing store and at the time considered retiring from music, to replace Drudy. While a member of Interpol, Drudy was also a member of seminal first-wave screamo act Saetia
.
After self-releasing several EPs between 1998 and 2001, the band signed to indie label Matador Records
in early 2002. The first release, a self-titled EP containing re-recorded versions of "PDA" and "NYC" was released in June 2002. Turn On the Bright Lights
was released on 2002. Recorded at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport
, Connecticut
, the album's sound drew comparisons to post-punk
groups of the early 1980s and late 1970s, particularly Joy Division
, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Smiths
. The record was a slow-building success, selling 300,000 copies by 2004. The band regrouped in late 2003 to begin sessions for the follow-up album, again decamping to Tarquin Studios to record. Interpol released its second album Antics in 2004. The album sold 350,000 copies in its first four months of release. The record also saw Interpol earn their first UK Top 40 hits with "Slow Hands
", "Evil" and "C'mere
" charting at #36, #18 and #19 respectively. The album eventually reached gold status in the UK, and later in the US.
Interpol toured again after the release of the album, playing more dates than ever before and at bigger venues. The Antics tour stretched on for almost 18 months, including a number of shows playing as undercards for U2
and The Cure
, and the band reported feelings of exhaustion to Radio 1
DJ Zane Lowe
at a concert in Sunderland. The band took only three months off after touring finished. Whilst on the road, the band had also released the one-off track "Direction", written for the official soundtrack
to HBO's Six Feet Under, Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends
.
, Fogarino stated "[the process is] moving right along where I think it should...we're all pretty much on fire about it". Fogarino also dispelled rumors that the band had signed to major label Interscope
, but also confirmed that they would be leaving Matador in search of a new label. An update to their website in June confirmed that the band had been working on the follow-up since the turn of the year, but did not confirm a name for the album or comment on the mounting speculation that they were imminently to sign to a major label. On August 14, it was widely reported that Interpol had signed for Capitol Records
, a fact confirmed by Matador on September 1 in a press release on their website.
Our Love to Admire
was released in July 2007. The album represents a departure for the band, being both the first record they have recorded in New York City (at The Magic Shop and Electric Lady Studios
), and the first time they have included keyboards in the arrangements from the start of the songwriting process. The band intended to tour behind the album extensively, beginning with the summer festival circuit throughout the United States and Europe. In August, Interpol headlined one of the days of the Lollapalooza
music festival in Chicago.
during spring of 2009. In a recent interview, drummer Sam Fogarino, referred to the album as having gone back to the original sound of Turn On the Bright Lights. It was later claimed by Paul Banks that it will not sound anything like their debut album and that there is some very "classical stuff going on" with it. No news about the album surfaced until late April when the band sent an email directing users to a free download of "Lights," the first officially released song.
Interpol's fourth album
is self-titled and was officially released on September 7, 2010. It was bassist Carlos Dengler's last effort with Interpol. In an announcement on their website on May 9, 2010, it was revealed that he had left the band sometime after the album's completion. When the remaining members tour in support, he will be replaced by multiple players. In early June 2010, the musicians who will play with Interpol on live dates were announced to be David Pajo
(formerly of Slint
and many other bands) on bass and Brandon Curtis
of The Secret Machines
on keyboards and vocals. The album was released on Matador Records
in the US, and on Cooperative Music for Europe, Australia and Japan. On February 2011, David Pajo announced that he was no longer touring with Interpol, in order to dedicate more time to his family. Brad Truax (formerly of Animal Collective
and many other bands) is currently the new touring bassist.
The band was announced as openers for the third and fourth leg of U2
's 360° Tour
, and subsequently the band announced eighteen US shows to take place over the third leg of U2's 360° Tour, but only three of them went ahead after Bono's back injury cancelled U2's entire third leg. The band however toured the UK and Ireland in November and December 2010.
On June 22, 2010, a promotional video for "Lights," directed by Charlie White
and featuring Lola Blanc, was made available for free download on Interpol's official website. The band also announced tour dates through December 2010. Interpol did open for U2's rescheduled tour date at Soldier Field in Chicago on 7/5/11 and will be opening with the 360° Tour for their remaining dates this summer; this included opening for U2 in Toronto on July 11, 2011.
joined with former Swervedriver
frontman Adam Franklin
to form a side-project band called The Setting Suns. Since then, the duo have changed their name to Magnetic Morning
and released a six-track EP on iTunes.
On August 4, 2009, singer/guitarist Paul Banks
released his solo first record titled Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper
under the assumed name Julian Plenti. Although not a long departure from Interpol's sound, the album features a wider range of material, and "establishes Banks' viability as a musician outside of the context of Interpol". The album was recorded at the Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn and at Electric Lady Studios
in Manhattan. It was mixed by Peter Katis
at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut. The album was released on Matador Records
.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
and post-punk revival
Post-punk revival
The post-punk revival was a development in alternative rock of the late 20th and early 21st centuries in which bands took inspiration from the original sounds and aesthetics of garage rock of the 1960s and post-punk and New Wave of the late 1970s...
band from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks
Paul Banks
Paul Julian Banks is an English American musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and guitarist of the rock band Interpol. He is also a solo artist under the name Julian Plenti. As a singer, Banks' voice lies in the baritone range.-Early life:Banks was born in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England...
(vocals, guitar), Daniel Kessler
Daniel Kessler
Daniel Alexander Kessler is the guitarist and backing vocalist for the New York City-based band Interpol. He was raised in the United States....
(guitar, vocals), Carlos Dengler
Carlos Dengler
Carlos Andres Dengler , previously known as Carlos D., is an American musician best known as the former bassist for the band Interpol.-Early life:...
(bass guitar, keyboards) and Greg Drudy
Greg Drudy
Greg Drudy started his career on drums practicing with the defunct band Quid Pro Quo in a Tampa warehouse next door to fellow warehouse owners Cannibal Corpse and Brutality. Drudy was the drummer for the bands Southpaw and Saetia, and was the original drummer for the band Interpol. He left Interpol...
(drums, percussion). Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino
Sam Fogarino
Samuel Joseph Fogarino is the drummer of New York City-based band Interpol. He has played in bands The Holy Terrors, Gus, The Wahoos, Napoleon Solo, The Ton-ups and The Last Night....
. In 2010, shortly after recording finished for the band's fourth album, Dengler left to pursue personal projects.
Interpol, having first performed at Luna Lounge along with other notable bands like The Strokes, Longwave, The National and stellastarr, is one of the bands associated with the New York City indie music scene, and was one of several groups that emerged out of the post-punk revival
Post-punk revival
The post-punk revival was a development in alternative rock of the late 20th and early 21st centuries in which bands took inspiration from the original sounds and aesthetics of garage rock of the 1960s and post-punk and New Wave of the late 1970s...
of the 2000s. The band's sound is generally a mix of staccato bass and rhythmic, harmonized guitar, with a snare heavy mix, drawing comparisons to post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
bands such as Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
and The Chameleons
The Chameleons
The Chameleons were an English post-punk band that formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England in 1981. They consisted of singer and bassist Mark Burgess, guitarist Reg Smithies, guitarist Dave Fielding, and drummer John Lever...
. Aside from the lyrics, their songwriting method includes all of the band members, rather than relying on any given chief songwriter.
Interpol's debut album Turn on the Bright Lights
Turn on the Bright Lights
Turn On the Bright Lights is the debut studio album by American post-punk revival band Interpol, released in August 2002. The album was recorded in November 2001 at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut, and was co-produced, mixed and engineered by Peter Katis and Gareth Jones...
(2002) was critically acclaimed, making it to tenth position on the NME's list of top albums in 2002 as well as #1 on Pitchfork Media's Top 50 Albums of 2002. Subsequent records Antics (2004) and Our Love to Admire
Our Love to Admire
Our Love to Admire is the third studio album by the American post-punk revival band Interpol, released July 10, 2007 on Capitol Records. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village and The Magic Shop Studios in New York City, the album is the group's first to be released on a major label...
(2007) have confirmed the band's initial success and turned them into a commercial and critical success. The band released its fourth, self-titled
Interpol (album)
Interpol is the fourth studio album by the American post-punk revival band Interpol, released on September 7, 2010 on Matador Records. The album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village. "Lights" was released as a free download through the band's website, originally in May 2010...
album on September 7, 2010.
Formation (1997–2001)
Interpol was formed by Daniel Kessler and initial drummer Greg DrudyGreg Drudy
Greg Drudy started his career on drums practicing with the defunct band Quid Pro Quo in a Tampa warehouse next door to fellow warehouse owners Cannibal Corpse and Brutality. Drudy was the drummer for the bands Southpaw and Saetia, and was the original drummer for the band Interpol. He left Interpol...
. Kessler had “been looking to put a band together for a while” when he met Drudy. Kessler "had a very hard time finding musicians to play with—musicians at all, really." Kessler met Carlos Dengler in a philosophy class at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and asked him if he played an instrument. Later, Kessler ran into Paul Banks (whom he had first met in France) in New York's East Village, and the pair discussed collaborating together. Banks admitted that he and Dengler "butted heads" early on in the band's history, but told Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
that now the two are "really tight, in a spiritual way". The band had trouble choosing a name at first. "I got to the point where I was like, 'Guys, we're getting decent crowds, but like... we don’t have a name so no one knows who to go see again,'" Kessler said. Furthermore, the band considered Las Armas and The French Letters as names before adopting Interpol.
In 2000, after releasing the Fukd ID #3 EP, Greg Drudy left the band to focus on Hot Cross
Hot Cross
Hot Cross was a hardcore band from Philadelphia. They were signed to Hope Division Records / Equal Vision Records. The band was composed of former members of such bands as Saetia , Off Minor , You and I , Neil...
and his label Level Plane Records. Kessler recruited Sam Fogarino, who worked at a local vintage clothing store and at the time considered retiring from music, to replace Drudy. While a member of Interpol, Drudy was also a member of seminal first-wave screamo act Saetia
Saetia
Saetia was a New York City-based screamo/post-hardcore band. Their name originates from a misspelling of the Miles Davis track "Saeta", from his album Sketches of Spain, which, in turn, was named after the saeta, a religious tradition of flamenco music...
.
Signing to Matador Records (2002–2005)
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
in early 2002. The first release, a self-titled EP containing re-recorded versions of "PDA" and "NYC" was released in June 2002. Turn On the Bright Lights
Turn on the Bright Lights
Turn On the Bright Lights is the debut studio album by American post-punk revival band Interpol, released in August 2002. The album was recorded in November 2001 at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut, and was co-produced, mixed and engineered by Peter Katis and Gareth Jones...
was released on 2002. Recorded at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, the album's sound drew comparisons to post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
groups of the early 1980s and late 1970s, particularly Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
. The record was a slow-building success, selling 300,000 copies by 2004. The band regrouped in late 2003 to begin sessions for the follow-up album, again decamping to Tarquin Studios to record. Interpol released its second album Antics in 2004. The album sold 350,000 copies in its first four months of release. The record also saw Interpol earn their first UK Top 40 hits with "Slow Hands
Slow Hands
"Slow Hands" is a song by New York City-based post-punk revival band Interpol and is featured on the band's second album, Antics. The song was written by Carlos Dengler, Daniel Kessler, Paul Banks, and Sam Fogarino....
", "Evil" and "C'mere
C'mere
"C'mere" is a song by New York City-based post-punk revival band Interpol and is featured on the band's second album, Antics. It was released 11 April 2005 as the third single from that album, charting at #19 in the UK Singles Chart ....
" charting at #36, #18 and #19 respectively. The album eventually reached gold status in the UK, and later in the US.
Interpol toured again after the release of the album, playing more dates than ever before and at bigger venues. The Antics tour stretched on for almost 18 months, including a number of shows playing as undercards for U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, and the band reported feelings of exhaustion to Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
at a concert in Sunderland. The band took only three months off after touring finished. Whilst on the road, the band had also released the one-off track "Direction", written for the official soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to HBO's Six Feet Under, Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends
Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends
Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends is a soundtrack album to the HBO drama series Six Feet Under, released in 2005 on Astralwerks...
.
Move to Capitol Records (2006–2008)
In late March 2006, drummer Sam Fogarino confirmed that the band were back in the studio working on new material. In an interview with Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, Fogarino stated "[the process is] moving right along where I think it should...we're all pretty much on fire about it". Fogarino also dispelled rumors that the band had signed to major label Interscope
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
, but also confirmed that they would be leaving Matador in search of a new label. An update to their website in June confirmed that the band had been working on the follow-up since the turn of the year, but did not confirm a name for the album or comment on the mounting speculation that they were imminently to sign to a major label. On August 14, it was widely reported that Interpol had signed for Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, a fact confirmed by Matador on September 1 in a press release on their website.
Our Love to Admire
Our Love to Admire
Our Love to Admire is the third studio album by the American post-punk revival band Interpol, released July 10, 2007 on Capitol Records. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village and The Magic Shop Studios in New York City, the album is the group's first to be released on a major label...
was released in July 2007. The album represents a departure for the band, being both the first record they have recorded in New York City (at The Magic Shop and Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
), and the first time they have included keyboards in the arrangements from the start of the songwriting process. The band intended to tour behind the album extensively, beginning with the summer festival circuit throughout the United States and Europe. In August, Interpol headlined one of the days of the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
music festival in Chicago.
Interpol and departure of Carlos Dengler (2009–present)
On March 6, 2009, Interpol announced on their website that they were working on songs for a fourth album. The LP was recorded in Electric Lady StudiosElectric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
during spring of 2009. In a recent interview, drummer Sam Fogarino, referred to the album as having gone back to the original sound of Turn On the Bright Lights. It was later claimed by Paul Banks that it will not sound anything like their debut album and that there is some very "classical stuff going on" with it. No news about the album surfaced until late April when the band sent an email directing users to a free download of "Lights," the first officially released song.
Interpol's fourth album
Interpol (album)
Interpol is the fourth studio album by the American post-punk revival band Interpol, released on September 7, 2010 on Matador Records. The album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village. "Lights" was released as a free download through the band's website, originally in May 2010...
is self-titled and was officially released on September 7, 2010. It was bassist Carlos Dengler's last effort with Interpol. In an announcement on their website on May 9, 2010, it was revealed that he had left the band sometime after the album's completion. When the remaining members tour in support, he will be replaced by multiple players. In early June 2010, the musicians who will play with Interpol on live dates were announced to be David Pajo
David Pajo
David Pajo is an American alternative rock musician. He has played a wide variety of music, loosely fitting into several other genres: hardcore, math-rock, post-rock, electronica, folk and indie-pop...
(formerly of Slint
Slint
Slint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...
and many other bands) on bass and Brandon Curtis
Brandon Curtis
Brandon Curtis is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the rock band The Secret Machines. Originally from Norman, Oklahoma, he was friends with Tim, Mark, and Brian of Tripping Daisy, as well as members of The Flaming Lips and The Chainsaw Kittens. Brandon and his brother Benjamin moved to...
of The Secret Machines
The Secret Machines
The Secret Machines are a three-piece American alternative rock band. Originally from Dallas, Texas before moving to New York City, they describe their band as space rock. The original lineup consisted of two brothers, Brandon and Benjamin Curtis, and Josh Garza...
on keyboards and vocals. The album was released on Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
in the US, and on Cooperative Music for Europe, Australia and Japan. On February 2011, David Pajo announced that he was no longer touring with Interpol, in order to dedicate more time to his family. Brad Truax (formerly of Animal Collective
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
and many other bands) is currently the new touring bassist.
The band was announced as openers for the third and fourth leg of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's 360° Tour
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. It was named for a stage configuration that allowed the audience to almost completely surround the stage...
, and subsequently the band announced eighteen US shows to take place over the third leg of U2's 360° Tour, but only three of them went ahead after Bono's back injury cancelled U2's entire third leg. The band however toured the UK and Ireland in November and December 2010.
On June 22, 2010, a promotional video for "Lights," directed by Charlie White
Charlie White
Charlie White is a Los Angeles-based artist.White received his BFA in 1994 from the School of Visual Arts, New York, and received his MFA from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California, in 1998...
and featuring Lola Blanc, was made available for free download on Interpol's official website. The band also announced tour dates through December 2010. Interpol did open for U2's rescheduled tour date at Soldier Field in Chicago on 7/5/11 and will be opening with the 360° Tour for their remaining dates this summer; this included opening for U2 in Toronto on July 11, 2011.
Side projects
In early 2007, Interpol drummer Sam FogarinoSam Fogarino
Samuel Joseph Fogarino is the drummer of New York City-based band Interpol. He has played in bands The Holy Terrors, Gus, The Wahoos, Napoleon Solo, The Ton-ups and The Last Night....
joined with former Swervedriver
Swervedriver
Swervedriver are an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band went on hiatus in 1998 before reforming in 2008 for a world tour, which included a performance at the high-profile Coachella Festival...
frontman Adam Franklin
Adam Franklin
Adam Franklin is a guitarist, singer and songwriter who has played in Swervedriver , Shake Appeal , Toshack Highway and currently releases records as Adam Franklin and tours with live band Bolts of Melody...
to form a side-project band called The Setting Suns. Since then, the duo have changed their name to Magnetic Morning
Magnetic Morning
Magnetic Morning is an indie rock duo made up of Swervedriver singer/guitarist Adam Franklin and Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino. The duo met early 2006 over dinner in NYC, while being introduced by long term, mutual friend, Jack Rabid. The band was formed in winter of 2006-2007 in New York City...
and released a six-track EP on iTunes.
On August 4, 2009, singer/guitarist Paul Banks
Paul Banks
Paul Julian Banks is an English American musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and guitarist of the rock band Interpol. He is also a solo artist under the name Julian Plenti. As a singer, Banks' voice lies in the baritone range.-Early life:Banks was born in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England...
released his solo first record titled Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper
Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper
In a First Listen feature on their website, The-Fly.co.uk said that Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper "could almost be two different albums – one with folky, Bon Iver-esque lullabies and one with upbeat art-rock stomps" and that it is a "beautiful little sonic beast"...
under the assumed name Julian Plenti. Although not a long departure from Interpol's sound, the album features a wider range of material, and "establishes Banks' viability as a musician outside of the context of Interpol". The album was recorded at the Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn and at Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
in Manhattan. It was mixed by Peter Katis
Peter Katis
Peter Katis is an American record producer, engineer, mixer and musician.Working primarily out of his own residential studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Katis is best known for producing alternative and indie rock bands, especially for Fat Cat Records.-Biography:Katis attended New Canaan Country...
at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut. The album was released on Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
.
Studio albums
- Turn on the Bright LightsTurn on the Bright LightsTurn On the Bright Lights is the debut studio album by American post-punk revival band Interpol, released in August 2002. The album was recorded in November 2001 at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut, and was co-produced, mixed and engineered by Peter Katis and Gareth Jones...
(2002) - Antics (2004)
- Our Love to AdmireOur Love to AdmireOur Love to Admire is the third studio album by the American post-punk revival band Interpol, released July 10, 2007 on Capitol Records. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village and The Magic Shop Studios in New York City, the album is the group's first to be released on a major label...
(2007) - InterpolInterpol (album)Interpol is the fourth studio album by the American post-punk revival band Interpol, released on September 7, 2010 on Matador Records. The album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village. "Lights" was released as a free download through the band's website, originally in May 2010...
(2010)
Current members
- Paul BanksPaul BanksPaul Julian Banks is an English American musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and guitarist of the rock band Interpol. He is also a solo artist under the name Julian Plenti. As a singer, Banks' voice lies in the baritone range.-Early life:Banks was born in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England...
– vocals, guitar (1997–present) - Daniel KesslerDaniel KesslerDaniel Alexander Kessler is the guitarist and backing vocalist for the New York City-based band Interpol. He was raised in the United States....
– guitar, vocals (1997–present) - Sam FogarinoSam FogarinoSamuel Joseph Fogarino is the drummer of New York City-based band Interpol. He has played in bands The Holy Terrors, Gus, The Wahoos, Napoleon Solo, The Ton-ups and The Last Night....
– drums, percussion (2000–present)
Current live members
- Brandon CurtisBrandon CurtisBrandon Curtis is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the rock band The Secret Machines. Originally from Norman, Oklahoma, he was friends with Tim, Mark, and Brian of Tripping Daisy, as well as members of The Flaming Lips and The Chainsaw Kittens. Brandon and his brother Benjamin moved to...
– keyboards, vocals (2010–present) - Brad Truax - bass guitar, vocals (2011–present)
Former members
- Greg DrudyGreg DrudyGreg Drudy started his career on drums practicing with the defunct band Quid Pro Quo in a Tampa warehouse next door to fellow warehouse owners Cannibal Corpse and Brutality. Drudy was the drummer for the bands Southpaw and Saetia, and was the original drummer for the band Interpol. He left Interpol...
– drums, percussion (1997–2000) - Carlos DenglerCarlos DenglerCarlos Andres Dengler , previously known as Carlos D., is an American musician best known as the former bassist for the band Interpol.-Early life:...
– bass guitar, keyboards (1997–2010)
Former live members
- Eric Altesleben – keyboards, vocals (2002–2003)
- Frederic Blasco – keyboards, vocals (2004–2005)
- David "Farmer Dave" Scher – keyboards, vocals (2007–2008)
- David PajoDavid PajoDavid Pajo is an American alternative rock musician. He has played a wide variety of music, loosely fitting into several other genres: hardcore, math-rock, post-rock, electronica, folk and indie-pop...
– bass guitar, vocals (2010–2011)