IDLES have been discussing bringing love into their lives, as well as revealing the band’s best dancer. Watch our video interview with the band above.
Vocalist Joe Talbot and guitarist Mark Bowen took time out at Glastonbury last weekend to talk to NME – we gave their headline performance on The Other Stage five stars, too, describing it as a “a claim to headline the Pyramid in the future.”
NME asked Talbot and Bowen how it feels to be in the band after releasing their fifth album ‘TANGK’ earlier this year and repeating the mantra “Love is the thing”. Are IDLES now in a more loving place?
“Absolutely,” Talbot replied. ”It’s a thing I chose to do. I was at a point in my life where I needed love. Not necessarily romantic love, but I needed to bring that back into my narrative as a person on a daily basis. Obviously, I live this life as an artist, I’m singing the songs every day, and doing interviews and such. It was a really healthy process to go through and talk about that. And it’s been therapeutic.
“Literally, we look after each other more on stage and the audience dances now and they have this – there’s just a slightly new dynamic. We’re never gonna repeat ourselves again. It is fucking magic.”
Bowen added: “Our shows have always been about love. It’s always been about being uninhibited and sharing with each other you know? But the biggest change is the dancing that you can see. It used to be this loving chaotic mosh pit and now there are moments where everyone just like locks in and grooves. That’s a vibe we were going for and that’s what we’re getting, so it’s great.”
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IDLES are known for as much for their lively stage presence as they are for promoting love, so NME also asked them who the best dancer in the band is. Bowen said that it’s between him and Talbot. “The issue is he’s got the whole hip swing bum-shake thing that he does,” he said of his bandmate. “I mean, I’m not taking away from it. It’s an incredible thing to have.”
Talbot replied, “I’ve been spinning on my head you fucking rat,” before Bowen responded, “That’s showboating, though! No one likes that!”
IDLES released ‘TANGK’ in February. NME gave it four stars, saying: “The ambitious and mature fifth album has its hand on its heart and feet on the dancefloor, as the Bristol band prove that they’re so much more than punk.”
The band are currently on tour. They’re playing a few shows in France and Belgium this week, before starting a run of UK shows with a gig at Cardiff Castle on July 12. You can find tickets here.
You can watch more of IDLES’ interview with NME below.
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