Interview: IDLES
By Jordan Smith
This week, I was able to speak with vocalist and lyricist Joe Talbot in preparation for SXSW . Read the full interview below. Idles played at SXSW last year, was that your first time at the festival? Did you enjoy it? So, what are you most excited about for this year’s festival? Any artists you’re looking forward to seeing? So you guys supported the Foo Fighters at The O2 a few months back, how did that come about? What was it like playing in a venue of that size? Your debut album, Brutalism - is it named after Brutalist architecture? Is brutalism common where you're from? Is that something that influenced your sound as well as just the metaphorical value? Do you think places and surroundings have a big effect on artists and the music that comes out of a specific area? You also have a song, "Stendhal Syndrome," that mentions painting and photography. Does visual art have any influence on IDLES? How did you construct the album artwork? Did you create the album artwork alone? Theres obviously quite a few songs on the record that are pretty political - are you trying to start a conversation or is it simply cathartic? Brutalism Notably in the song "1049 Gotho," you explores themes of depression from some unique angles. What made you want to tackle that subject in your songwriting? Clearly you and the rest of the band are politically and socially conscious, what are your thoughts on the music industry? We're coming up on the first anniversary of the release of Brutalism - how do you reflect on the album a year later? Brutalism What can we expect from album 2?