Interview: Mew
This is the first album without your original bassist. How much did that equate into the recording process and overall sound of the album?
That it a tough question to answer because Johan’s musical direction has changed a lot since he left Mew. Undoubtedly it would have been different. But I am not sure exactly how it would have been different.
This album sounds a lot warmer and there is more light on it than there was on Kites, and so I suppose from the outside it is tempting to believe Johan was responsible for all the darkness, but that is not the case. On Kites the general feeling and idea was to make a dark and hard-handed record, but we don’t ever want to make the same album twice, so in many ways No More Stories is a counter-reaction to Kites. We would never have made No More Stories if we had not made Kites. That’s how it works, we move ahead in zig-zags and in shifting formation.
This album seems to have a miscellaneous feel, like each song is very different from the next, which was the first thing I noticed when I heard the record. It has a very different feel than your previous album. Was this something that was preconceived or did it just happen as you started to record?
We had a very strict or at least thought-out schematic approach to the last record, we wanted it to be dark and cold, more so than our prior records, and we wanted each song to progress into the next, as seamlessly as possible. On this album we wanted to create something warmer and more colorful and to some extent for each song to be its own story so to speak. We also applied different methods of writing, and often put ourselves in a new place and with new tools to make sure the end result was dynamic and pulsating and never felt stagnated. So I suppose in a way this album is as thought-out as the last one. We certainly spent as much time and more on it!
I read that you recorded this record in Brooklyn, Copenhagen, and France. How do you choose where to record?
That’s not exactly true. We did some of the initial writing in the south of France, it was a break between touring the Kites album in the states. It was just a way for us to focus on new songs and putting all our energy into it, as we felt we were in dire need to start writing again.
The recording started in Brooklyn, there is a studio there which our producer Rich Costey had worked in before and really liked. That place has a great sound and a lot of strange old instruments which makes it sort of a playground for musicians who want to expand beyond the “normal” rock music ensemble. We did a lot of tracking there. Then we went back to Copenhagen and recorded some stuff at our own studio / rehearsal space, such as mallet instruments and synths and other bits and bobs. And then we returned to New York, this time recording at Electric Lady in Manhattan which is a great place that has a very pleasant atmosphere. We also mixed the album there.
Choosing where to record.. it’s a long list of variables that need considering. Sometimes it can be a logistic nightmare. We really like New York a lot, and our producer lived there at the time and knew those studios, so it made sense for us to go.
You have been playing some intimate shows with Nine Inch Nails. How did the tour with NIN come to life?
Trent Reznor appreciates what we do and asked us to go on the tours. We did some big shows with them in Europe and now are doing an intimate tour here in the states. It’s been really great so far, and we are very happy to have been invited and it feels extra special because it’s their farewell tour. Trent Reznor has had a huge impact on music and is just an extremely talented and creative guy!
I’m also a big fan of Kashmir. Do you guys have any type of musical relationship with them? Any chance of a Mew / Kashmir US tour in the not-so-distant future?
That’s cool. I think they are recording in New York right now actually. We have done a short tour with them in Denmark and know them well and they are super talented and great guys and fun to hang out with! But no, there hasn’t been talk of doing tours with them just now.
What music are you guys currently listening to, and do you have any music suggestions?
I am looking forward to hearing the new Mt. Eerie album which I have not yet gotten my hands on. These last three days I have listened to the following albums
Symptoms “Calm”
Oh No Ono “Eggs”
Plaid “Tekkon Kinkreet soundtrack”
Genesis “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”
Yellow Magic Orchestra “Naughty Boys”
Did you have any specific albums or artists that you were influenced by while recording this album?
Hmm… not sure. We talked about Beatles Magical Mystery Tour, how that album sounded, with warmth and its compelling stereo image.
But I don’t think we are very conscious about what inspires us. It’s more like a few extra spices that go into the veggie- and fruit juice blender
and then when we stop grinding all the juice out we stop and see what it tastes like.
