Midlake - The rebirth of American folk-rock

Denton, Texas. In the middle of a clear sky watching over the plateau, a multicolored balloon made of rags appears; standing in the gondola, a man scans the landscape with an old spyglass. A small band of armed men, faces crusted with salt and dust, emerges from a copse, rifles slung over their shoulders, jolting along on horses too thin to go much further. A camp of soldiers in old, faded uniforms: alone in his tent, one of them opens a crumpled letter with excruciating care. A stag with a majestic rack of antlers throws itself off a cliff into the void, saluted by the last ray of sunlight.

These are some of the images that Midlake, and Tim Smith in particular, have given us over the course of their still-brief career. Pairing them with music that is at once so strange and so familiar, the Texan band has told, and keeps telling, of a time of intense emotions and essential needs, of simple dreams of immersion in nature, and of harrowing stories of abandonment and love. Before delving into their career so far - one that still has plenty left to give - we caught up with them in the middle of their European tour, which unfortunately doesn't include our peninsula. With a touch of regret, guitarist Eric Pulido answered our questions.

Where are you right now, and where was your last show? How's the tour going?

We're in Dublin right now, and last time we played was in Bristol. The tour has been fantastic for us. It had been a while since we'd been out on tour, so it really felt like a gift to get back on the road and play our material, old and new.

You've been moving around a lot, but Italy isn't on the list. Can you tell us why?

I'm not sure why we haven't stopped in Italy yet, but I promise we'll do it as soon as possible.

A very simple question that, apparently, hardly anyone has asked you. Where does your name come from?

Well, it's not the greatest story ever told, which is probably why nobody asks us about it! It was just a fairly neutral name that everyone could agree on. It doesn't actually have any specific meaning. Tim went around telling everyone that there was a band in town that sounded like Radiohead and Bjork called "Midlake". Everyone thought, "Hey man, why don't we come up with a name like that?" Tim told the guys it was a lie, and the rest is history...

Since your first EP, "Milkmaid Grand Army", your music has changed at a slow but steady pace. Do you have some kind of "end goal" in mind? For instance, do you think you're getting closer to that à-la Jethro Tull sound that's invoked on your Wikipedia page?

Our music has changed over the years because our tastes have changed. We never go into the studio to sound like another band, but we're not trying to reinvent the wheel either. We simply always want to make a record we can be proud of years down the line. We've obviously made a few missteps along the way, but we've grown, in a lot of ways. We feel good about what we're doing now.

"The Trials Of Van Occupanther" has often been described in terms of the influence of Fleetwood Mac or Neil Young, while "The Courage Of Others" comes from a deep dive into British folk-rock (Fairport Convention, Pentangle, and of course Jethro Tull). Do you still feel like a contemporary band, and in what sense?

Well, we're a contemporary band by definition, but our sound is often influenced by bands from the past. A lot of bands draw on that era as a reference point, and it's really all about how you interpret those influences. There's something warm and natural about a lot of the records from back then, and that's something we like to try to capture.

One thing that struck me is your passion for vintage furniture and antiques in general. It's something that fits perfectly with what you write, with the emotions you convey through your music. If you had to get to the heart of this passion, how would you explain the appeal of times gone by? How much of it is nostalgia for an ideal place, an ideal time, and how much of it is actually "real"?

I'm sure there's a romantic idea underneath it all that things were better back then. "The grass is always greener," right? Obviously we enjoy living in our own time, we enjoy the benefits of modern technology, but there's something about things - whether it's music, furniture, architecture, and so on - that gives the impression they reflect a different kind of care, a different kind of honesty.

Does this fascination also carry over into the instruments you use, your recording techniques and so on?

We just try to play emotionally, to feel good. Whatever that involves, we try it. There's no equation to get there, we just try, we let ourselves be inspired by the music, we use our ears and our hearts to decide when everything's right!

“Bring me a day full of honest work/and a roof that never leaks/ I’ll be satisfied”. Let me say I find these lines beautiful. After all these years, spent touring around the world, after reaching international popularity and so on, do you still feel the need to “head home” (translation of “Head Home”, one of the songs from “The Trials Of Van Occupanther“, from which the quoted lines are taken, ed.)? What do you miss most about Denton?

Of course we always miss home when we're away. Our wives, our kids, our pets, the local bar, everything! It's fantastic to meet friendly faces and fans who appreciate our music all around the world, but nothing beats “home”.

I have to be honest, “The Trials Of Van Occupanther” is my favorite record of the last decade. Do you feel the weight of such a successful work? For instance, did you feel the need to distance yourselves from it when writing “The Courage Of Others”?

Obviously we had no intention of putting together another “Van Occupanther”, so we didn't see it the way others might. Every album is a statement, made in that particular moment in time, and we were very happy that “Van Occupanther” had brought many people closer to our music. Most of the pressure we feel is the pressure we put on ourselves. We just wanted to make a record that was emotional and sounded good.

The cover of “The Trials Of Van Occupanther” shows a rather enigmatic image. When I look at it and try to connect it to your music, the film “The Village” comes to mind. Maybe because of that sense of a simple, “untouched” world the record conveys… What's the story behind that cover, anyway?

No, that film has nothing to do with it. It was inspired by an ad that struck Tim, that's where we got it from. Tim is also a huge fan of Tarkovsky's film Andrei Rublev, and both the “Van Occupanther” cover and the “Courage” one show clear influences from that film.

Your first two albums were dominated by these strange characters, “Van Occupanther” especially: those records have a clear narrative drive. Your new album doesn't show any story, or character: could you explain the different songwriting dynamics behind “The Courage Of Others”?

I agree, but Tim says there was nothing planned about it. This record seems to more naturally take the shape of the first person singular, and I think that suits the music well.

Speaking of your storytelling ability, could you ever write a concept album? A soundtrack?

A soundtrack would be fun, provided it's the right film.

Let's talk a bit about your commercial “partners”, who appear on your official website. Madeline Wood and Cappulido…

Madeline Wood is Eric Nichelson's wife's clothing line. She makes really beautiful clothes and everyone should check it out. Cappulido is my little business where I sell coffee online and locally. First and foremost I work with the growers, it's a worthy cause, and the beans taste amazing! It's just a fun hobby, but there's never a shortage of coffee at home or in the studio!

Nature, its beauty, humanity's sense of wonder before it all seem like important themes on your new record and, to some extent, on “Van Occupanther” too. Without getting into million-dollar questions, how do you rate Obama's environmental policy?

Politics can be a thorny subject, but one thing is for sure: I'm glad it's not my job. Let's leave politics to the politicians, and support our country and the people who run it, hoping they don't mess things up!

Could you tell us something about the record you played on and produced with your friend John Grant, singer of Czars? How does it sound?

It was really great to take part in it, the record sounds fantastic. I'm really excited for John and I think everyone should give his record a chance. It's called “Queen Of Denmark” and comes out on Bella Union in April.

As a last question, I'd love for you to tell us about the last dream you had.

That I'd be doing an interview for OndaRock… Dreams do come true sometimes!

(25/03/2010)

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