Earlash Article: Interpol (LONG POST)
Interpol
Interview with Carlos D. and Paul Banks
October 01, 2003
By Shannon Connolly
Many months ago there was a thread posted on the Interpol web site forum enthusiastically titled, “Ask Interpol a Question!” which promised that EARLASH would incorporate fan-submitted questions into its next interview with the endlessly touring, exponentially popular foursome. The response was large and diverse: three hundred and fifty fans from over a hundred different countries submitted questions that were silly, serious, and stalkerish. But the common theme was curiosity about the personalities behind the Bright Lights – what they like, what annoys them about each other, and what they miss about civilian life. When we finally did catch up with Carlos D. (bass) and Paul Banks (lead vocals/guitar), we convened in an East Village bistro where Carlos ate a rabbit, Paul critiqued the crème brûlée, and the interview was livened by bursts of song and jovial insult tossing. While they artfully evaded questions about the second album, they admitted to dallying with country-esque covers and spoke freely about NARCS, naked asses, and what’s next.
Earlash: So let’s start by talking about the tour. You’ve been touring for a really long time. Do you ever find yourself just going through the motions?
Paul Banks: I’m not tired of it, and no, I never find myself going through the motions. The songs actually kind of wind up generating their own new existence. By virtue of the fact that we’re better playing them and it’s exhilarating playing a song with other people. The more it evolves, the more fine-tuned it gets – the structure, the execution, the precision. There’s something exhilarating about just doing that with other people. So I never feel like I’m going through the motions. It’s funny because we’re a little torn between two stages, where it’s like there’s an awareness of people wanting to hear new shit and there’s an awareness of people wanting to see more shows. In our mind we’re ready to start writing new stuff now, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t want to tour anymore. So yeah, we’re a little tired but we still love touring, but also when anyone says you should be writing new shit, we’re kind of like, yeah, we know. We’d like to be writing new shit, but it’s sort of like one more tour is called for.
Carlos D.: It’s not at the point where it’s like, “Jesus Christ, no more no more!” We know that this is going to be the last tour, and we’re very comfortable with the fact that it is the last tour. And yes, we are tired. But, we’re not begging to stop.
EL: Yeah, but you’ve been playing the same songs for a long time now. Is it really true that every single time you feel a synergistic, exciting effect when you’re playing? Aren’t you ever just like, “Ugh! ‘PDA’ again!”
PB: It is absolutely true.
EL: So you’re never just up there going through the motions?
CD: Not unless you’re sick. Or unless you get the flu.
PB: The worst thing is the paranoia that people want to be listening to a new song.
EL: But you still enjoy playing the old songs?
PB: Yes. It beats doing the same job every day. Playing the same songs every day is better than going to the same job. So it truly, honestly still is a lot of fun to play all the old songs. The only problem is that feeling that we should be doing new stuff now.
EL: Right. Your awareness that the fans might not be having as much fun with the old songs anymore.
CD: And there are better-quality shows and there are poorer-quality shows. There are shows where we didn’t perform so well, so we didn’t enjoy it as much. There are shows where the audience sucked, so we were just like, that was lame, and it wasn’t as much fun as that “other” gig where we were like, “Whoa that was a fucking great gig.” So there’s a dynamic to our processing of an entire tour. It’s not always the same thing every day. Every day is different.
PB: And every tour is not in the same venues. There’s always an evolution …
EL: Which in your case is bigger and bigger.
PB: Yeah, so for us it’s nice.
EL: So can we expect anything new for this final part of the tour? Any new songs, some of the old songs, maybe a cover?
PB: No. We have old songs, like songs that aren’t on the record that we’ve thrown into touring shows, like “Specialist,” “Song Seven”…
EL: What about “Precipitate”?
PB: We haven’t done “Precipitate” since the release of the record, but there’s definitely a chance for “Seven” to make an appearance on this tour. “Specialist” definitely.
EL: Why the shun on “Precipitate”?
EL: You don’t like it as a song? There’s a moment in “Precipitate” I love.
PB: Thanks. I think some of us like to think the whole song is good!
EL: I wasn’t saying that’s the only good part, just an especially good part.
PB: Well it wasn’t omitted from the record because we didn’t think it was good. That wasn’t it.
EL: Okay, but how come you don’t play it?
PB: We’ve just fallen out of practice with it. We’re working on other stuff.
CD: The song still exists as part of our repertoire. But we had a writer’s block with it in a way. For the most part it’s completed, but there’s a final atmospheric layer on it that we haven’t realized just yet. And his vocals suck for it on the recording, so …
EL: The last time I heard it live was at the Bowery show, in December [2002].
PB: That was our first headlining show at Bowery ever. But anyway, there’s two songs that have already been incorporated into the repertoire that aren’t on the record, I don’t know if you know them. “Length of Love” and another one, “Strangers in the Night.”
EL: Is that the official name?
PB: No. I think it’s really funny that people call it that. Apparently it’s been referred to as “Strangers in the Night.”
CD: [To Paul] Why has it been referred to as that?
PB: Someone thinks the melody sounds like it. But I’m all about it. That’s okay with me. I was toying with the idea of naming it that actually.
CD: Yeah, you should. It’d be pretentious but I think it would work.
EL: If it wasn’t “Strangers” what would it be? Did you have an idea for it before?
PB: Most of the time we have the titles before the song is done, but in this case we didn’t. Like “The New” is called “The New” because that was the working title. Right now there’s one that’s called “That New One” because it’s new. We have another one we’re working on called “That Good One.” Right? [Looks at Carlos, who is devouring a rabbit.]
CD: No, it’s “The Good One.”
EL: As opposed to the others which are not as good?
PB: No, it’s just because it starts with bass.
CD: Yeah, and since I’m the one that makes up the working titles, it’s “The Good One.” But Paul’s right, sometimes we end up using the working title.
CD: “Song Seven.” That’s a working title that eventually got used. There’s a song called “Five” from The Black EP. That’s because it was the fifth song we ever wrote.
PB: For a long time “PDA” was song three because …
EL: It was the third song you ever wrote?
PB: Yeah. But it’s generally up to me to name the songs. I dropped the ball on “Five.” We loved the idea that it was “Song Seven” though.
EL: Song Seven has a nice ring to it though. There’s a hair salon on my street called Salon Seven that always makes me think of the song.
CD: Oh yeah, I used to go there. You should tell her about “NARC.”
EL: Yes, what about “NARC”?
PB: “NARC” is one that we’re going to unveil on this tour. Never heard before! And it’s all finished! So says … Paul! [Laughing and sarcasm.] No no, it’s been a long long long time coming, “NARC.”
[Ed. Note: True to their word, “NARC” was unleashed September 16 to a rapturous audience in Montreal, the first stop of the final leg of their tour.]
EL: This is “NARC” as in SCUBA right? An acronym?
PB: I think it is. Though might be an abbreviation for narcotic.
PB: Yeah, it’s always written like an acronym, all capital letters. Like, Johnny Depp was a fucking NARC dude!
EL: So your use of it is not related to narcotics?
PB: No, it’s an agent. An undercover agent.
EL: That’s very Interpol-appropriate then.
CD: Interpol has NARCS man! We got our feelers out there.
EL: There’s web site rumor that “NARC” is “Strangers.”
PB: I know. They’re morons.
[Ed Note: We know that “NARC” is not “Strangers,” but confusion about the songs’ official spellings and names persists. On the September 16 Montreal show set list, “NARC” was written “Narc.” Perhaps a typo. “Strangers” was written “The New One.” Perhaps a reconsideration of the pretentiousness of using Sinatra’s song name. “The Good One” has yet to be revealed.]
EL: Okay. If you ever did do a cover what would it be? (Sarahcure, London, UK)
PB: We have an idea of doing a cover actually already …
CD: [Says something muffled to Paul, attempts to interject.]
PB: [To Carlos] No, I had an idea long before that one actually, the one you’re going to mention.
PB: Birthday Party, “She’s Hit.” You know Nick Cave’s first band? [Starts singing] “She’s hit, ev'ry little bit …”
CD: Oh yeah yeah yeah. That’s a good song, we could potentially record that. But then there’s another one that’s been mentioned a little bit more, though it’s not something we have any kind of concrete plan to do. Although I am excited about the prospect of trying to do it. It’s that song called, “Everybody’s Talkin’,” by Nillson, which is the lead track on Midnight Cowboy.
PB: [Singing] “Everybody’s talking at me, I don’t hear a word they’re sayin’, only the echoes of my mind … People stop and staring, I can’t see their faces, only the shadow of their eyes …”
CD: It’s country-esque. It doesn’t sound like an Interpol song but it sounds like something that we could very easily do because of the elements that are used in the song – the guitar, the bass, the strings sound – they’re all sounds that we’re already using …
PB: [Continues singing, eyes half-closed in country-esque fashion] “Skipping over the ocean like a storm …” Oh, and Carlos will probably sing that cover.
CD: Well, there’s debate about that. It’s completely, totally up in the air as to who is going to sing that song.
PB: He’s got a really good voice for that type of stuff, just in general.
EL: What are the chances that you are actually going to perform either of these anytime soon?
PB: Not in this year. Not before the second album.
EL: Right, back to the no-covers thing.
EL: Who has the most annoying habits on tour? (Lamestain, Berlin, GER)
CD: That is way too subjective of a question to properly answer. Every single one of us is obviously going to have a different answer.
EL: Let me rephrase. What do you perceive to be the most annoying habits that you each have on tour?
CD: Well if Sam were here he would say, “Well I hate it when Carlos does this …” But then Paul might say, “I actually hate it more when Carlos does that …”
EL: Tough crowd! Okay, I think people are just trying to get an idea about your life on the tour …
PB: Everyone would be most annoyed with Carlos.
EL: Finally a real answer.
PB: Daniel has no annoying habits whatsoever.
PB: Well, he is so on top of shit that it’s annoying. When you pull into the town and you want to get out of bed and go to the hotel room, Daniel is always fuckin’ there first, he’s never fuckin’ hungover …
CD: He has like five hundred different vitamins in his bag.
EL: So Daniel’s annoying habit is that he has none?
PB: Well he’s annoying in the sense that he’s so squeaky clean. And it pisses me off that when you wake up and you feel like shit and he’s like, “Oh yeah, I walked into the town this morning, I checked my e-mail, I did some dry cleaning …” And I’m like, fuck, I’ve got twenty minutes before sound check.
CD: Yeah, when you can’t open up one eye through the haze, he’s already done ten things.
PB: Um, Sam’s naked ass hanging out in the hallway of the bus? I didn’t witness this, but apparently Sam took it upon himself to sleep naked one night. Everybody who walked up the stairs to the top floor of the bunk just saw his naked ass hanging out into the hallway.
CD: Sam is like a little kid. He always sleeps in the same positioned bunk in the bus. He always has the bunk that’s by the back lounge, on the bottom, to the left. That’s the bunk that he always picks, it’s his bunk, regardless of the bus. And of course, he has this wonderful habit of turning around in his sleep 65 times so that the bedspreads slip outside of the bunk and on to the floor in everyone’s way because everybody’s trying to get to the back lounge. So by like 3:00 a.m. you’re like, “I gotta get to the back lounge, I’m fuckin’ drunk! I gotta go play a video game or I gotta go watch this movie …” It’s like a fucking obstacle course to get back there because Sam is fuckin’ all over the hallway …
PB: And one night one of the obstacles was his naked ass.
CD: That was that one night.
[Ed. Note: Assuming they can make it past Sam’s naked ass, one of the DVD options Carlos brought on the bus was The Ring, which Paul was excited about because he feels the close proximity of his band mates will allow him to enjoy the movie without getting too scared. Perhaps Sam is not the only little kid on board …]
CD: It’s funny, your question is what are the most annoying habits, but we give you the annoying habits of Daniel and Sam.
EL: Yes. Thank you for pointing that out Carlos. I think we need to hear about your annoying habits.
CD: No no! You said we have to move on.
EL: That’s okay we’ll make time. What are they?
PB: My annoying habit, I guess, is that I play video games the most, maybe people feel like I’m a slave to PlayStation. And more in general, my most annoying habit is probably complaining about how bad I feel the day after getting drunk.
PB: Apparently I complain a lot about like, “Oh I should’ve done this …” Not that anyone’s having a great time, but …
PB: I just talk about how fucked up I got and how fucked up I should not have gotten.
EL: Paul, what is Carlos’ most annoying habit?
PB: Wow, uh, how much tape do you have?
EL: How about the high level version?
PB: [Engaged in thought for a moment, as if selecting from a long, long list] Carlos’ most annoying habit is that whenever you’re going anywhere he wants you to get something for him. If you’re going to a restaurant it’s, “Oh can you get me a burger?” Or if you’re going downstairs, “Oh can you get me a beer?” It’s like everyone’s his personal courier.
CD: See, the way I see it is that when I’m on my way someplace and it has been made in my mind a firm decision that I am going, I don’t care if there’s a fucking storm along the way, I’m going to this place …
PB: You can pick up a fuckin’ burger for him …
CD: Well if one of my touring partners learned of my firm decision that along the way I could also get something for him, how extra of a burden is it for me to actually put another hamburger in the bag? To ask for two hamburgers instead of one? Like, do something for the other person …
PB: The other thing is the three-hour showers.
EL: Are you guys sharing showers? Because that makes it even worse.
PB: Well, this is an old issue. Because we don’t share hotel rooms anymore. But what we do is we get a bus so you don’t have hotels at night, because you’re driving at night. But when you pull into the city you get a couple of hotel rooms so everyone can just use it for a shower. So we still have limited hotel rooms. We don’t necessarily get five rooms if we’re going to be there for half an hour, you know?
EL: So for that whole half hour Carlos is occupying one of the showers.
CD: No, three-hour showers.
PB: Yeah, and he’s also three and a half hours late for everything.
[Ed. Note: Carlos was ten minutes early to the interview. Paul was thirty minutes late. He arrived apologetic and slightly frazzled, telling us about a French bistro on Second Avenue named Lorenzo that looks exactly like the one we were waiting in on First Avenue (named Lucien). We forgave him and moved on.]
EL: Alright, moving forward. Do you guys have a pre-show routine? (Spaztic, College Park, MD)
CD: Ditto. No, wait, did you say routine?
EL: Yeah, like a dance or giving each other a high-five or something?
CD: We do have like a fantastic four-like “Go team go!”
EL: You do? No way. You’re fucking with me.
CD: We do! But we don’t do it in front of anyone. We don’t mind if people know about it, but we don’t like to do it in front of other people.
EL: Do any of you have a team-sports background? That’s a pretty team sports-like thing to do.
CD: Well it’s probably mainly Daniel’s doing …
PB: But I’m the only one with a team-sports background. B-ball and tennis.
CD: It’s Daniel and his untiring maintenance of the quality of any kind of situation that ever involves him because he is perfect. He concocted this pre-show ritual.
EL: It’s literally like a hands-in thing?
CD: Yeah. And he says, “Play a good show guys! Let’s play a good show!” It’s like, oh thanks for telling me that, like I’m not going to. He’s got too many vitamins in his blood.
EL: Next question. How do you feel about sharing a stage with bands that you grew up admiring? Like the Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen …
PB: There are other bands that I would get more of a kick out of than that.
EL: Well, okay. I think the Cure was a bone for Carlos.
CD: Oh, thanks. [Makes gobbling noise and head gesture that evokes a dog leaping and catching a bone in his mouth mid-air.] All due respect to the band, it doesn’t really do that much for us.
PB: It’s like one of those things like reading a magician’s book or whatever. I’d prefer to be in the audience watching them than say, “Oh, I’ve been on the same stage.”
EL: Next album. What’s the story? When is it out, what can we expect? (Chrisindetroit, Detroit, MI)
PB: Yeah, it’s not as good as the first.
PB: There’s only two good songs, the rest is just filler.
EL: So we’re talking about your typical shitty sophomore album?
PB: They’re gonna shelve it.
EL: Cool. When is that exciting album coming out?
EL: Oh, so you’re going to take your time, fuck around, maybe do another tour and play all the same songs?
PB: Yeah, maybe a covers tour.
CD: I’m just going to start my game show host career.
EL: Alright. Great! Nice answers guys.
CD: [To Paul] Did you order ice cream?
PB: [To Carlos] Chocolate cake with ice cream.
CD: Thanks for asking if I wanted any.
EL: [Silently wondering if this is a manifestation of Carlos’ habit to have others personally courier things for him.]
PB: There’s crème brûlée. Want to get it? I’d split the cake for the crème brûlée. Half and half?
[Carlos agrees and orders the crème brûlée. Ultimately, they split it and concur that the cake is superior to the crème brûlée.]
EL: Next question. If you could write an original soundtrack for a movie, which director would you want to work with, and what kind of movie would it be? (Frodon, Salon-de-Provence, FRA)
CD: I think there would be no question. Well at least between Paul and I. David Lynch.
PB: [Looks up, nods in agreement, returns attention to forking chocolate cake.]
CD: We’ve had the appreciation and attention of people that I have admired for a long time. Like, for instance, I’ve learned that Ian Astbury is an Interpol fan. And I’ve always thought that Ian Astbury is a rock star god incarnated, so to learn that he’s a fan of ours is like, “Whoa!” I was watching this guy when I was twelve on MTV. But then I think to myself out of every person in the world, like which person would break my heart to hear that he would want to work with us, and it’s David Lynch.
PB: Yes. We would just do a good job I think. I feel the energy of his stuff really intensely. We both love [Angelo] Badalamenti.
CD: If we could work with Badalamenti that would be like … yeah. I wouldn’t have sex the entire time.
PB: I watched Secretary the other day and Badalamenti did the sound for that.
CD: And that was a fucking amazing soundtrack.
EL: What did you think of the film?
CD: It was brilliant, right?
PB: I really liked it. James Spader is like the Michael Douglas of our generation. Like, the sexy guy, the guy in all those sex movies. Michael Douglas did that. Like Basic Instinct.
EL: Yeah, Secretary was sexy, but there was no actual sex until the end, and it was tastefully done.
PB: You’re right, that’s true. But he was in Crash too.
CD: And that was all sex.
EL: In the Magnet interview it mentions that after your show at Maxwell’s you were all in a hotel room watching your Letterman performance and Paul, you went to hide in the bathroom. What’s going on in there? What were you doing? (Lua, Toledo, OH)
CD: [Laughs. Looks at Paul and begins to gesture like he’s jacking off.]
PB: [Scottish accent] I had a wank!
CD: [Scottish accent again] A little bit of a wank over there!
EL: Undercover sources tell us you were alone in the bathroom.
PB: Really? No, I was totally having sex!
CD: Yeah. He was totally banging some groupie chick.
PB: No, there were too many people in the room for me to leave the hotel, and I could not bear to watch. I haven’t seen any of our TV performances, ever. Especially not that one, which I thought was lackluster at the time anyway.
CD: That was our very first.
PB: But I can’t listen to anything live anyway.
EL: So watching is even worse?
EL: When you were actually in the bathroom what was happening? Set the scene for us.
PB: I had to run the water and flush the toilet over and over. But through the door, and over the sound of the rushing water, the vocals sounded like they were well-mixed, because it had like a little bit of a watery distorted affect on “PDA.” So it seemed like a good mix. But I know for a fact that it was actually horrible and catastrophic.
CD: It wasn’t catastrophic, but it was a bad mix.
PB: It’s not our sound guy up there doing it. When you do some TV shit, it’s just some guy who doesn’t give a fuck about your band. He’s like, “Oh vocals … here!” For me it’s really important that everything is mixed right.
EL: So no more TV for Interpol?
PB: No, I like doing it. And it got easier since then. But I won’t watch it.
EL: What do you guys think about Kid Rock wearing an Interpol T-shirt? (Paranoiasuperstar, Stockholm, SWE)
EL: Well, there’s a thread about it on your web site forum. Apparently it was at a celebrity golf tournament.
CD: Hearsay. You saw this? You actually saw a photograph of him wearing one of our shirts?
EL: No, but for the sake of the question, pretend it’s a fact. What do you think about it? How do you feel about him liking you?
PB: Well maybe the rumor came from the Jimmy Kimmel show. He was on the show when we were on, and Pamela Anderson and he were next to us, sitting down on the side of the stage. So the moment we started playing the camera pans to them, so they have more face time on the camera. But then they left during the song. I don’t know if that’s because they thought we sucked. But I took it very personally, like, “Where the fuck did they go?” Like, “Why aren’t they watching us play?” My impression is that he hates us.
EL: Well people say he was spotted wearing an Interpol T-shirt.
PB: I’d like to think that. I’ve always heard that he’s a nice guy.
[Ed. Note: To date, there is no evidence of Kid Rock wearing an Interpol T-shirt, other than, well, hearsay, and EARLASH makes no claim to the validity of the statement contained therein. Sources speculate however that if he was wearing one, it was probably Pamela’s (suggesting that she might have left Kid Rock for an Interpol band member), or that the confusion arose from the resemblance that Interpol’s tour manager bears to Kid Rock. Operative word is “speculate,” though. We point this out (1) because Carlos was right about the question being based on hearsay, and (2) to illustrate the philosophy major-like tendency that Carlos exhibits for questioning the cogency of questions before conceding to answer them (for examples see “annoying habits” question above, “silly hair” question below). Fortunately Paul entertained the question despite its unfounded premise, and we learned that not only has he heard that Kid Rock is nice, he also cares what he thinks of them.]
EL: Do you find it odd when complete strangers approach you and feel that they know you?
PB: Are you talking about all of Carlos’ friends? Oh, sorry …
EL: Seriously, say somebody comes up to you and is like, “Paul I love you! I love Interpol!” What’s your take?
PB: My take is that I don’t like being taken advantage of. Like this girl meets me the other day, I was at the Hole, and she’s like, “Hey, what’s up!” And it’s like, um, “Wow, hey how’s it going?” And she’s like, “Yeah we met on tour.” And I was like, “Oh …” [Gives a look of complete non-recognition.] And she was like, “Yeah I’m sure you meet a lot of people, don’t worry about it.” And I was like, “Oh yeah sorry, want a drink?” So we go to the bar and get a drink, we’re talking, and after I buy her a drink, she’s like, “I’m kidding. I don’t really know you. We’ve never met. I just know who you are.”
PB: Yeah, it’s lame. I have a really bad memory for faces.
CD: I think the phenomenon of people knowing who you are, of people knowing your name before you even know theirs is a fundamentally strange way to relate to another human being. That’s why fame itself is frustrating. It’s almost like being a different person. Because the art of relating to each other in society is really based on a level of anonymity prior to an introduction. When you remove one side of that anonymity, it suddenly becomes a completely different social construct. And the social psychology behind that and everything else is transformed. And you, the person who is known, who loses the anonymity, has to sort of in a way, ironically enough, deal with the butt end of it. Because it’s your responsibility to own up to it every time. A fan can make an utter and total complete fool of themselves in front of you, the “famous person,” and it won’t have any repercussions whatsoever. But the known person doesn’t have that. And if you fuck up, they fuck with you, they exploit you. You can embarrass yourself and it will go down into the annals of history. It will be chiseled on marble. You will never be able to let it go.
PB: It’s a high-pressure situation.
EL: What’s the creepiest and/or best gift you’ve ever received from a fan? (Crawlingsickness, Moorehead, MN)
CD: [Looks at Paul] The stalker. The Stockholm stalker …
PB: But what was the gift?
EL: We’re not talking about sexual gifts …
PB: Yeah well, there was this body of work that was given to us, T-shirts, mix tapes, but it was someone who was actually stalking us so we shouldn’t talk about it.
EL: Okay. Carlos, a bit of a silly question for you. The music is great and everything but everybody wants to know about your hair. I quote: “Your hair has a tendency to look sleek but never stringy. Every time I attempt to channel 'The Carlos’ I end up looking like I just crawled out of the NYC sewer system. Can you give us tips on how one can achieve your distinguished look without looking like greasy trailer trash?” (A-lee-ma, Woodstock, NY)
CD: I don’t see how failing to achieve a certain look necessarily means that you look like trailer trash. Like, what are you doing to your hair? You obviously did something wrong to your hair on purpose. It’s one thing to not achieve a look …
PB: [Looks around uncomfortably] Hair discussion? Cigarette break. Back in 20 minutes? [Exits.]
CD: I don’t know what to say.
EL: I think this question is probing for tactical, tangible hair-styling tips. Like, what do you do, what products do you use, etc. It’s silly, but indulge us.
CD: I have really really really curly, wavy hair. It’s very unmanageable.
EL: Your hair looks straight.
CD: That’s because you can blow dry it straight very easily. If you’re deft enough to hold your hair up with a comb, that’s pretty much it.
EL: How long does it take to do?
CD: These days not very long at all. I get out of the shower and it’s wet, and it’s like, “Whew, whew!” [gesturing as if blow drying] and it’s done. Or, I spray it back with hairspray so that it sticks to my head, and then once it dries I comb it out.
EL: That reminds me, the Stills guitarist …
EL: Yeah, during their shows he fucks with his hair so much. It reminded me of you because you used to do that.
CD: I still do. It depends on how hot it is on stage. Because when my hair starts to get wet, it’s like Fidel Castro. So I’m constantly trying to press it down.
EL: Any products of note?
CD: No way. It’s a technique. But to get your hair really straight, use a really expensive hair straightener.
EL: Okay, end of silly questioning. Paul needs to come back for this one but you can go first. Tell us the album in 2003 you were most excited about.
CD: Anxiety Always by ADULT. Or did #1 come out in 2003 by Fischerspooner?
CD: If it weren’t for that album I would say Anxiety Always by ADULT., but I think #1 was brilliant. Very underrated too. I think people are distracted by their whole costume thing, their performance- art aspect, but they don’t focus on the music. Because if you listen to the music on that album, Warren Fischer is a classical fucking composer. I mean, if you really listen to the music that is going on in that album. It’s mind-blowing. It’s not electro, it’s not electro-clash, it’s not New Wave, it’s not retro, it’s just really fucking good.
[Paul returns. Is occupied with forgetting the face of the fan proclaiming her enthusiasm for the band at the next table, feigning interest masterfully.]
CD: Wait, you have to ask him his favorite album…
EL: We’re running short on time.
CD: Well just make sure that it’s understood that I picked that album. Not anyone else.
[Ed. Note: Carlos D. and only Carlos D. picked Anxiety Always by ADULT. as his favorite album of 2003. #1 by Fischerspooner, despite its mind-blowing brilliance, is disqualified because it was released in 2002.]
EL: Okay, will do. Alright, now that you’ve experienced life in the public eye, what if anything do you miss about civilian life? (nyxcalyx, San Francisco, CA)
PB: [Returned] Not much for me. I’m one of those people that if I’m ever really in the public eye, I would be like a weirdo because I wouldn’t change. I think it’s really funny how everyone’s like squeaky-clean, like Colgate toothpaste advertising mother fuckin’ like, Little House on the Prairie cheesesticks. Like on the red carpet, like, “Look at me!” blah blah. I would prefer to be known as a weird person.
PB: No, not even. But I don’t feel like I need to change my actions because people are looking. I remember seeing Harmony Korine at the Oscars looking all fucked up, and it’s like, that’s awesome, that guy’s for real. And I love that. I don’t understand those people that are on TV and are always squeaky-clean. I’m just not that kind of person.
CD: There are a lot of celebrities that purposely make themselves look like shit so that they don’t get recognized.
PB: Yeah, I saw Christopher Walken at a premiere once and he looked like a homeless person. Sweat pants tucked into socks, mountain boots, and a huge puffy marshmallow jacket. It was a big premiere. Mayor Giuliani was there. Muhammed Ali was fuckin’ there.
EL: Do you think you miss more because you’re so recognizable? No offense Paul, but I’m terrible at recognizing people, but if I see Carlos somewhere I can say, oh yeah, there’s Carlos from Interpol.
CD: It’s my presence in the room.
PB: Nah, it’s like, “Who’s that guy wearing perfume?”
EL: That was one of the web site questions. What kind of cologne do you wear? (Ellen, Los Angeles, CA)
PB: [Looks at Carlos, smiles, in deep Euro voice emulating the commercial] CK One!
CD: I miss the fact that people didn’t used to have preconceived notions about who I’m supposed to be.
EL: Like you said about the disadvantages of not having your anonymity, of someone already thinking that they know you?
PB: And I might be ignoring the disadvantages, basically.
CD: But you’re a loser and you don’t talk to anyone, so you don’t really come into contact with people.
EL: Besides becoming reviewers for EARLASH what are you guys going to do after the last show of this tour?
PB: You have to explain the implicit humor in this, but I’m going to make the best sandwich in the deli.
[Explanation of implicit humor: Paul is referring to an off-the-tape discussion about their friends British Sea Power, who are known for the eccentricity of their live performances, which include orthinological props (plastic birds), liberal use of local foliage duct-taped to equipment, grungy cabin-boy vintage costumes, and pre-show poetry. British Sea Power regularly tell interviewers that the reason they put so much extra effort into their live performance is because they believe in trying hard to do things well and making things special, whether playing a rock concert, mopping a floor, or making sandwiches at a deli (my example). Paul shares their belief, but don’t expect to see any birds accompanying Interpol on this tour, nor to run into Paul behind a deli counter, for that matter. During our discussion, Carlos amused himself with imitating the recorded voice of T.S. Eliot, which British Sea Power plays before taking the stage (“Here they come! Here they come! Are they coming? No, not yet …”)]
EL: Nice. You’re going to be a popular deli man. Carlos, what are you going to do?
CD: [Thinking. Serious look. Forking chocolate cake.]
EL: Actually, I’m not sold that you will make the best sandwich in the deli, by the way.
PB: I’m a good fuckin’ cook!
EL: Yeah, but good deli sandwiches are not about cooking skills. It’s about being sensitive to other people’s needs. Anticipating their wants. Remembering faces! Like, would you remember how to slice someone’s turkey?
EL: Hmm. [Not convinced. Being a good deli-sandwich maker requires a heightened ability to remember people’s faces, a self-professed weak point for Paul Banks] Carlos?
CD: Um. Be a clown? I don’t know.
PB: I mean, is write the next record a viable answer?
PB: The question makes us sound like we’re total wash-ups after the tour.
EL: No it’s not meant like that. It’s curiosity about what your daily life will be like after the tour.
PB: Okay. Carlos and I are going to elope.
EL: Who is the boy and who’s the girl?
PB: But he wears [deep Euro commercial voice] CK One!
EL: Last question. If you could write your story right now for Behind the Music, start to finish, what would it be? (elmo, Middlebury, VT)
CD: How ironic it is that I will be the richest when it’s all over.
PB: Start to finish … hmm …
EL: Yeah, like tell us about all your trials and tribulations and how you overcame them.
CD: Nope. There are none.
EL: Come on, this is rock and roll. There’s always strife.
PB: I used to work eighty hours a week, seven days a week, twelve hours a day. I was at a magazine and before the issue closed you just never went home.
CD: [Looking at Paul, making fun of Paul’s trials and tribulations] Did you ever put your hands on your head [puts hands on bowed head], and just go, “I can’t take this anymore!”
PB: Yeah. But also I had to go to rehearsal. So if you remember, we were having rehearsal that started at like 10:30 at night. And I had a dog, so I’d go home and walk my dog at like 6:30, then I’d go back to work from like 7:30 till 10:00, then go Brooklyn to rehearse, then go to bed and wake up again to go to work the next day.
CD: He had no social life.
PB: None. Those were my trials.
EL: Okay, so there’s nothing else in the story? Nothing hard about the rise to stardom?
PB: Other than working my day job? Well, I mean, I have to talk to people and stuff …
EL: What a nightmare! Like having to do interviews at French bistros that you can’t find in the East Village!
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