Horrors - Stories of Ghosts and Mirrors

We catch up with the English band on the occasion of the release of their fifth album, “V“. Acting as spokesman is the ever-reliable Faris Badwan, increasingly the charismatic leader and true driving force of the group, amid dazzling electronic turns, grueling tours, intense collaborations and a sudden urge to try his hand as a talent scout…

Ten years have passed since your first album. How, how much, and in what ways do you really feel you've changed?

Ten years is a long time, in which you can do just about anything. Before joining The Horrors I'd never actually written a song – I'd made sounds, but I had no idea how to put them into a structured song, which is a really strange thing to think about now. And the same goes for the band. None of us had any idea how to write songs, or what you need to put on a live show. At the start it was all very instinctive. Then I started focusing on what really interests me, and as we kept working as a band we realized that our instinctive ideas are really important for keeping that spontaneity that's so much a part of our music.

“V” features more electronic touches, elements of dance/trance and 80s pop (take a song like “Something To Remember Me By” as an example). And you recently offered an alternative (and wonderful!) version of the legendary “Your Love” by Frankie Knuckles. Have you ever thought about a fully electronic turn? Who are your mentors in that field?

We could definitely make a fully electronic album. We already use a lot of electronic sounds. We used more drum programming on “V” than on anything we've ever done before. We don't plan things in advance. And it's hard to say what we'll do in the future.

Likewise, “V” also has elements of punk and garage. It's a varied, bold album. Can you tell us about how this record came together?

While making this album we realized that the punk side of our sound is really important. And it's important to the whole band. For us, punk is first and foremost a spirit, rather than playing every song at a breakneck speed. It's about spontaneity. So for this record we wanted it to feel more alive and instinctive.

Paul Epworth is one of the biggest producers of this generation. What was it like working with him?

Paul has a great ear for melody and an enormous passion for music, but what people don't tend to pick up on is that he loves experimenting with sound and exploring different techniques. And that's exactly why he was the perfect person to work with.

The Guardian criticized you when Faris said that “voting is for people with no imagination.” Do you think music critics are too influenced by political activism? Looking at the most acclaimed albums of recent years, it seems musicians are forced to be political if they want to be taken seriously.

I think voting is important for people. But I don't think every musician necessarily has to feel obligated to write music with political undertones or to take a political stance. It's fine if they want to. I just think people should be genuine rather than write or talk about certain things to get attention. For me, music is first and foremost an escape.

Is "Press Enter To Exit" also a social commentary on the times we live in? What do you think about all this? Is there a "social" side to you?

"Press Enter To Exit" is about contradiction and struggle. It's about the way some people are born to destroy themselves.

Looking at your recent live sets, we only notice "In And Out Of Sight" and "I See You" from "Luminous". Why don't you play more tracks from that album anymore?

We now have five albums under our belt, and we've put together setlists that work as a whole show. When we play as headliners on tour we also throw in "Change Your Mind" and "First Day Of Spring", "So Now You Know", "Chasing Shadows", "Falling Star". We play a lot of different songs. Every tour is different because we like the show to be different every time the audience sees us.

Faris, can you tell us what it was like working with Hercules & Love Affair? We think "Controller" is an absolutely brilliant song.

I'm glad you like it. Andy did great work, we share a lot of similar musical tastes. He's got a punk heart, but he's also got a great ear for melody. The session was very natural. We wrote two songs, both of which made it onto the album.

What kind of music have you been listening to lately? Is there anything really new that's grabbing you?

I produced the first single for a new band called HMLTD that I really like. They're a young cyberpunk outfit from London who play with energy and aggression. Their live shows are truly incredible, they're the best new band I've heard in years. I also like The Garden, Baba Naga, Sex Cells...

What should we expect from the upcoming tour? You'll be back in Italy. And we're really happy about that. Do you have any hints about the next live set for your fans?

This new record feels like the best thing we've made so far, so we can't wait to start playing it again. Touring is one of my favourite things, and we can't wait to get back to Italy.

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