An Interview with Mew: At Neumos Tonight
With Kurt Cobain’s tragic death in 1994 and the subsequent end of Nirvana, the world lost the most celebrated carriers of the Pixies’ torch. In a possible example of the musical gods opening a window after a door had closed, that same year marked the formation of a band with a similar affinity for all things Frank Black half a world away.
Fronted by Jonas Bjerre, the Danish band Mew explores those same dynamic sensibilities through intricate musicianship. While both bands shared many of the same influences (most notably the aforementioned Pixies as well as Daniel Johnston), cover similar subject matter (relationships and social commentary), and were both born from the suburbs of highly literate cloudy metropolises, the two are markedly different in their artistic output. Like their Scandinavian brethren Sigur Ros, Mew creates exceedingly rich musical textures that have the ability to fill every corner of a room with dense emotion.
In advance of the band’s show at Neumos this evening, we were able to catch up with Jonas to discuss the band’s complex sound, their sources for inspiration and approach to music as performance.
(Mew will headline Neumos tonight. The Lonely Forest will open. Tickets $14 adv. All ages.)
How do you explain your sound to those who have not yet heard it?
Explaining our music is hard. It's a little bit like explaining a certain taste of something, sure you can say it's sweet, salty, sour, bitter..but if you hold your nose closed while tasting it, all the fine nuances disappear, and those are the ones that cannot be put into words. So if I were to make an attempt, all I could give would be stale descriptions like "alternative rock," "dreamy pop music," that kind of thing. Which doesn't really do us justice! ha ha
It seems that when music writers attempt to categorize your music, more often than not the word "cinematic" usually ends up in the piece. When you all began making music, what feeling did you hope listeners took away from the experience of listening to your songs?
Initially I think we were just hoping to leave the kind of impression on people that music had left on us. At first music was something that kindled our imagination, when we were just kids. In our teens it became our revolution, our way of expressing ourselves. Now it's a way of life, a grander part of life itself even. If we can make people feel something, a connection, then we're happy!
You all have been hand-picked to play alongside some of the most respected acts in music today, including NIN and REM, to name just two. Can you talk a bit about your experiences on those tours?
They were all great experiences, albeit very different because the artists we toured with were so different. There seems to be a real interest in our band from a lot of musicians out there, which is a great feeling. We just supported the Pixies at one show in Washington D.C., and that was pretty surreal for me, because they were my favorite band since I was 14.
How does playing huge shows like that contrast with playing more intimate venues?
We play big shows of our own in places, which is just as enjoyable as playing smaller, more intimate gigs, but in a different way. Our show is kind of "big," I make animation projections for the songs, and we've got a bigger setup than can really fit into a smaller venue (but we always get it set up there anyway!). But we really like the smaller gigs, because you can really connect with the audience more. Sometimes it's a fine balance, you might wanna play a smaller show in a city with lots of fans, but then you also don't want to let down people who might not get to buy a ticket in time. Being a support act is never as magical though, because ultimately it matters a great deal if people are there to see you or not. But it's a challenge in a different way, winning people over, which is very cool.
Your videos are noted for their creative exploration of dark themes. Which video do you feel best captures the overall feeling of the song?
I usually just listen to a song, maybe just an unfinished mix of ours, then I get inspired and I see pictures in my head that I wouldn't have thought of without the sound to accompany me. My favorite, and the one I still spent most time on, is the sequence of spirits playing string instruments along with Silas in his drum solo in "Louise Louisa."
From what subjects do you all derive inspiration, and how does an inspiration make its way into a song?
Relationships are obviously very potent subject matter, but on this last album I've been trying to steer away from it a bit, focusing more on different aspects of life, family, and magic. Musically, it goes without saying that listening to stuff, old and new, makes an impact, but in reality films, books, art, and our daily lives, make as much of an impact.
What bands would you count as most influential to your sound today?
Prince, Pixies, Prefab Sprout, My Bloody Valentine, Fela Kuti, Kate Bush.
In our experience, it seems that Seattle and Copenhagen share many of the same qualities (rain, lack of light during most of the year, brilliant summers). If you had to, how would you compare and contrast the city in terms of experience them as musicians?
I've never spent much time here in Seattle, in fact today is my first ever day here, and I hope to get to see some cool sites. It's actually quite a bit colder here now than Denmark, not sure why. The weather is a scary thing. Seattle has a pretty amazing music history, music from here has really changed the world. I'm not sure Copenhagen can boast the same thing...yet.
What bands are you listening to these days?
I just bought some new albums that I haven't listened to yet but am looking forward to: The new Phoenix, M.I.A., the newest Mount Eerie. I also bought the Pixies Doolittle CD, even though I've already got it at home on vinyl, because I just saw them perform it in its entirety and just had to get it on my iPod. What else? The "new" Prefab Sprout that just came out, Animal Collective, Oh No Ono's Eggs album, Daniel Johnston, The Beatles, and The Kinks.
What else do you have planned through 2010?
Lots of touring I think, assembling and thinking up new ideas for the concerts, maybe some special events and projects, lots of music and animation.
