Here's a 2005 video interview with Chris and Tom from "Face Culture". I don't know what it is with Face Culture but every time they've chatted with Editors, there's usually a moment of awkwardness somewhere along the way. This one boasts two such incidences, the first being the interviewer asking them about their sensational incorrectly titled album The Black Room. Oops.
The second contains an accusation which was often put to the band in their early days; namely that they sound like Joy Division. They were actually referred to as "Boy Divison" in areas of the media at one stage. The press. Oh, you kids. If you look very carefully at Chris at around 8 minutes and 25 seconds, you can see from his face that he knows what's coming next as the JD question arrives. The context of the comparison is really important. As Chris says, initially people require a point of reference which usually "Who do they sound like?". I have to confess that this was one of the things that encouraged me to find out more about Editors. Conversely, it can also be used dismissively by people who aren't fans; "I don't like them because they sound like Joy Division". I think that if you're in a group that writes occasionally dark songs and your singer is a baritone, then the comparisons are inevitable. It's how you react that's important and I think the group have evolved past the initial labelling.
The second contains an accusation which was often put to the band in their early days; namely that they sound like Joy Division. They were actually referred to as "Boy Divison" in areas of the media at one stage. The press. Oh, you kids. If you look very carefully at Chris at around 8 minutes and 25 seconds, you can see from his face that he knows what's coming next as the JD question arrives. The context of the comparison is really important. As Chris says, initially people require a point of reference which usually "Who do they sound like?". I have to confess that this was one of the things that encouraged me to find out more about Editors. Conversely, it can also be used dismissively by people who aren't fans; "I don't like them because they sound like Joy Division". I think that if you're in a group that writes occasionally dark songs and your singer is a baritone, then the comparisons are inevitable. It's how you react that's important and I think the group have evolved past the initial labelling.
They also take us through the Back Room track by track and there's some very interesting moments as a result. How about the track Fall being Editors' equivalent to Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight? This interview contains the first mention of "dark disco" as a description of a song, which is an uncanny portent for their future (see the ITLAOTE album). Also, we learn that Munich isn't actually about Munich the place. Strangely enough, there's no mention of Munich the pissing cat as an influence for that title. Hmmm.
Enjoy the chat ;)
Video - stream it here
brought to you with lots of lemming-love :) x
