Elbow chat ahead of Birmingham tour date
They are recognised as one of the UK’s biggest and most important bands. Elbow have a well-deserved reputation for delivering arena shows that combine scale with intimacy to devastating effect.
Their new tour dates – which include a headline gig tomorrow at Birmingham’s Genting Arena – extends the Little Fictions campaign, following a run of sold out theatre shows, high profile festival appearances across Europe throughout the summer of 2017 and a series of Forest shows.
Little Fictions is the band’s seventh studio record and was released 12 months ago.
The title was a reference to the way people can sometimes be less than truthful.
Guy Garvey says: “You know what man? Sometimes you find more about what you do by talking about it.
“The title track is about the little fictions when you’re arguing with someone, if you’re both shouting and just being ridiculous with each other.”
The reference alluded to his happy relationship with wife Rachael Stirling, the Olivier Award-nominated actress he married in 2015, who is best known for her stage work and her TV work in Tipping the Velvet and The Bletchley Circle. The couple married in June 2016 at Manchester Town Hall and had their first child, Jack, in April last year.
“It makes you wonder why you do that with the ones that know you best in the world. We hate falling out, my Mrs. and I. But we do it so dramatically, it’s very cinematic when we do.”
Guy met Rachael at the wedding of a mutual friend, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who featured in the band’s video to Gentle Storm, which paid homage to the video for Cry, by Godley and Crème. Guy was thrilled that Benedict came on board. “Any opportunity to work with Benedict just can’t be passed up. One thing that most people don’t know about him is he’s an amazing mimic, a brilliant one.”
Little Fictions was the first Elbow album without founding drummer Richard Jupp, who left a year before its release. It featured collaborations with The Hallé Orchestra and their choir.
The band found it strange to make a record without Richard, who wanted to pursue other artistic projects. He had left an indelible mark on many Elbow songs but wanted to have a change.
Keyboardist Craig Potter adds: “We went up to a house in Scotland. Richard was planning on being a part of that, but he didn’t end up coming. That’s when it all happened, really; we realized it was probably just going to be the four of us. It was difficult. We didn’t know how to take it at first; it was a bit of a shock.” The resulting songs were sparser than many previously recorded by Elbow.
Craig says: “When we started writing, we realised there was a new energy in the room. We felt that Richard hadn’t wanted to do that for quite awhile, so it was refreshing to have four members of the band wanting to be in the same place writing music. The writing went really well for that reason – one of many reasons, in fact.”
Craig worked on a number of percussive elements and said a new dynamic emerged without the presence in the studio of a drummer. Communication was easier without the clattering of cymbals and band members stopped to talk.
“I had worked on beats with Richard for a lot of the new Elbow stuff, so a lot of the beats were partially written by me. I programmed drums, found some loops, so there was more programming going on than usual… There was some change but not that dramatically when it came to putting beats together.”
Guy was proud of the band’s new record. He’s pleased it connected with fans and is looking forward to Elbow’s live shows. “Doing shows compared to festivals is different in terms of having the audience the whole evening. We consider what do we as a band want to play but obviously you want people to have the best time and hear their favourite song.”
