Guy Garvey has opened up about his enduring friendship with Robert Smith, describing the legendary Cure frontman as a “wonderful man” while confirming that Elbow are currently deep in the creative process for their 11th studio album. Speaking to NME on the red carpet at the 2026 Ivor Novello Awards, Garvey shared insights into the band's future and his ongoing commitment to the UK’s independent music scene.
Reflecting on his recent appearance at the 2026 Teenage Cancer Trust concert series—an event personally curated by Smith following Roger Daltrey’s departure—Garvey expressed deep gratitude for the invitation. “If Robert Smith gives you a call, you better get there!” he remarked. “He’s a wonderful man. He does everything himself—even if you get tickets to a Cure gig, it’s his handwriting on the envelope. He’s just really sweet, kind, polite, and really funny.”
A New Chapter for Elbow
Following the success of their 2024 record Audio Vertigo and the subsequent 2025 EP Audio Vertigo Echo, Garvey confirmed that the band is heading back to the studio. While he noted it is still early days for the project, he promised that the upcoming material is “sonically ambitious.”
“We’re writing another album, which will be our 11th. We’re just about to get together and make that happen,” Garvey said. “It’s too early to say how it might sound, but it’s all sonically ambitious. I’m just so happy that we’re all together. I’m so proud of being in the band for 35 years.”
The frontman also reflected on the 25th anniversary of Elbow’s debut album, Asleep In The Back. Revisiting the record has been an eye-opening experience for him, noting that it feels “much edgier” than he initially remembered. When pressed on potential anniversary celebrations, Garvey remained coy, simply advising fans to “watch this space.”
The Soul of the City
Beyond his own music, Garvey remains a vocal advocate for the UK’s grassroots music venues. Having previously partnered with Manchester’s Co-Op Live arena to donate sound equipment to local spaces, he emphasized that these venues are vital to the cultural fabric of a city.
“It wasn’t just musicians that came through spaces like the Night and Day Cafe in Manchester,” Garvey explained. “It gave a platform to us, but also novelists, illustrators, and actors. When you put a venue together, you start something for all of the arts. That’s how this stuff grows, and it should be looked after. When you axe something with that much history, what you get after is soulless. The small venues of a city are its soul.”
