Last March, Birmingham, England's Editors made quite an impression on those who attended their packed SXSW showcases. An airtight quartet, the band blazed through their sets with energy and precision. A measured mix of post-punk and UK arena rock, Editors project intensity and a dark mood throughout their recorded output. Their debut album The Back Room went gold and produced four Top 40 singles in the UK, and American hipster mag The Fader liked them so much they released the album under their own imprint. The band return to US record stores today with sophomore effort An End Has A Start, which offers bigger production and more ornate instrumentation without departing from Editors' rather serious lyrical content. An End has already gone to #1 in the UK this summer, selling over 60,000 copies in a single week. Lead vocalist and guitarist Tom Smith from Editors recently spoke with Austinist about being labeled as gloomy, rocking out to The National, and the grind of a SXSW appearance.

The new album An End Has A Start sports somewhat more anthemic production and a more arena-rock sound than The Back Room. What prompted the stylistic shift?

There's definitely much more going on in this record than on The Back Room. The Back Room was a much more claustrophobic record, but with [the new album] we wanted to try out more instruments, pianos, strings, acoustics, synths, etc. As musicians, we get a buzz from trying out new things. We can't make the same record over and over again. As for the production, to me, sonically it sounds like a great modern rock record... rather than some post-Libertines 'recorded for two bob' bollocks. I actually think the most anthemic thing we've recorded is "Bullets," but what do I know?

Do you feel the blogosphere perception of Editors as a perpetually gloomy band is unfair?

Our music is based in serious things. As far as most pop music goes, we are pretty gloomy, I guess; Akon we are not. I don't think our fans see us as just a gloomy band, and I don't care about anyone else's perception.

Is it strange to play huge venues in the UK, then come across to the US where Editors are less well known and play small clubs?

No, there's always work to be done wherever we go. [It's] part of the job, and if we have a problem with that then we're in the wrong job.

Critics love to lob Joy Division and Interpol references into your reviews. What artists were actually most influential on the band?

R.E.M., The Strokes, Elbow, Spiritualized, The Walkmen, The National, Echo and The Bunnymen, and Radiohead.

As a follow-up, what are you listening to now on your iPod or on the tour bus?

The new Kings Of Leon record Because Of The Times is a corker, as is The National's Boxer.

Editors played at SXSW 2006, and we saw some of you out socializing at the day parties. What were your impressions of SXSW? Is it fun to play, or simply manic?

Not fun to play, no, but...fun when you're walking around taking in the vibe. On night one, I saw Richard Hawley and it was fucking incredible.

Speaking of festivals, the US is finally catching on to the Glastonbury-type multi-day music festival. Do you think this is a positive development, or do you prefer playing the nighttime indoor gigs?

They're fun, yes. What's best is playing a festival at night, as open-air night time gigs can be very special. Wait, was Woodstock not a multi-day event? I'm more than likely wrong there. (Writer's note: Tom is right, but there were very few American multi-day music festivals afterwards until the advent of Coachella some thirty years later.)

Finally, we like the title track and "Push Your Head Toward The Air" best on the new album. What's your favorite track, and why?

That's up there for me, but today my fave is "The Weight Of The World." It took us a long time to get that one right, years, so it's satisfying to finally nail it. It's the most positive thing we've ever put down, and it's also the most pretty.

[Editors MySpace]
[Editors Offical Site]

Image via Editors' MySpace page. Photographer uncredited.