Build a Rocket with Elbow: An Interview

PA/The Telegraph

Elbow at ACL Festival
Sunday, September 18
Zilker Park (2100 Barton Springs Road)
5:30pm, Google+ stage
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Elbow may just be the most famous band you've never heard of. For some strange reason, the English rock band hasn't quite made the splash here in the US that they deserve, even after twenty years of incredible music making. With well-thought out lyrics, sweeping dynamics and deeply innovative composition, Elbow's songs run the gamut of emotions. After a Mercury Prize nomination for their fifth studio album, Build A Rocket Boys!, the group has been touring relentlessly in support. Richard Jupp, drummer for Elbow, took some out time from the busy schedule to discuss the latest album, self-producing, and why it's so hard for music to jump over the pond.

Your latest album Build A Rocket Boys! was self-produced. How did that come to be, who all was involved, and what are the pros vs cons of self-producing?

The main reason why Build was self produced was because of the phenomenal success of our previous record The Seldom Seen Kid which was also self produced. We have always produced our own demos and B sides but took the plunge on Seldom because we were at a stage in our career where we felt confident enough to do a whole album. Producing ourselves works really well for us as we have been together for 20 years so we get on incredibly well, we also have huge respect for each other as musicians but ultimately it works because we make each other laugh! To be honest, the bulk of the production and mixing is done by Craig (Potter - Elbow's keyboard player), and without his innate ability to sit at the computer for hours on end listening to us four debating the pro's and con's of the local cafe's beef sandwich was never lost on us!

Any thoughts why some bands seem to break through the ocean divide and others don't? Does it have to do more with the music or the listeners?

I think it's due to a number of reasons.The music has to be the main reason, of course, but without the right marketing plan and positioning of the music it won't get heard. Word of mouth is still the best form of marketing as the buzz that is initially created has the ripple effect. It also ensures that fans who get on board early feel a certain intimacy with the band. Let's not forget, though, the huge amounts of work involved by labels, agents, promoters etc. I also think any artist won't succeed without a massive amount of luck...

The new album has garnered some serious accolades, nominated for the Mercury Prize, a warm critics reception, and a spot at ACL Festival. What do you think it is about the songs on this new album that seems to have struck a chord with new fans? How are old fans reacting to the evolution of your sound and more upbeat lyrics? How does it compare to your previous albums?

The new album has had a fantastic response so far and I think it has to do with the simplicity of the tracks. We approach each album as its own body of work, not just a collection of songs and Build is no exception. This is really the album we've always wanted to make. In a way it is more closely related to our debut album Asleep In The Back in its themes and tones. The fact that The Seldom Seen Kid did so well has allowed us a certain amount of freedom on Build and thankfully the old fans love it! The newer fans have also got a pretty good back catalogue to check out to listen to evolution of the band.

What are the future plans for Elbow? Where does the music/band hope to go from here?

Well the future of Elbow revolves around loads of touring at the moment! We are also writing on the road and being parents when we are home, so it's pretty non stop.