Thought this might be worth putting up as a tenth anniversary thing: an interview I did with Stuarts Murdoch and David in Glasgow’s Gallery Of Modern Art back in October 1996 and published in Bigwig magazine the following month. Rereading the piece, I guess hindsight’s shown I was wrong to presume the “atheism” of the song “If You’re Feeling Sinister” but on the whole I hope the article captures something of the atmosphere of the band’s early days…
LOVE AND FATE : Belle And Sebastian by Roy Moller Bigwig, November 1996
“Maybe it was the fact we’d just got together that meant I felt I could just let go for the first time. I was quite confident the band would do it. We only had a very short period of time to do the LP and if we didn’t leave everything up to fate and combinations of our actions, we’d never have got anywhere”
Belle And Sebastian singer/songwriter Stuart Murdoch is recalling the recording of Tigermilk, their first LP (released on Glasgow Stow College’s Electric Honey label). Since then, the Glasgow septet have recorded a new album and played a Mark Radcliffe radio session. And they’d like to record a third LP before the year’s out. Good going for a band formed early this year.
These days such an alliance of productivity and talent is rare indeed. With so many Britpop bands adopting string sections like so much costume jewellery, Belle And Sebastian’s second album, If You’re Feeling Sinister (out this month on Jeepster), is subtly augmented by cello, violin and trumpet. From the wistful Mayfly to the upbeat atheism of the title track, rich yet understated arrangements permeate the record like the warm flush of a good malt.
Allied to vocals that suggest a folk Momus or Nick Drake with a Morrissey fixation, bittersweet evocations of childhood and adolescence such as the recorder-enhanced Judy & The Dream Of Horses combine vulnerability and directness in equal measure. “I think CS Lewis said that if you have to write for children and reduce everything to quite simple, clear ideas then you’re gonna come up with something pretty good”, comments Stuart.
It’s an approach that’s paid dividends. According to bassist Stuart David, keeping things simple and clear is the Belle And Sebastian ethic: “It’s just about not doing unnecessary things ‘cos all it really is is writing a song and letting people that want to hear it hear it”.
This dedication to clarity is matched by the trust in instinct that saw the band through Tigermilk. Hence Belle And Sebastian’s signing to Jeepster. As Stuart M explains, “We knew we had to do a record for them because they were just nutcases really. You should always let yourself feel it by fate and they were the first company that hassled us”.
True to their penchant for favouring locations like Glasgow’s intimate Café Soma over traditional rock venues, an upcoming visit to London sees the band playing the Rough Trade shop and supporting the Tindersticks for two nights at the Institute Of Contemporary Arts. Due to these commitments, the recording of that third LP will probably have to wait till the new year.
Since recording Tigermilk, in March things have happened pretty fast. “It’s like a battle with the real world but that’s to be expected,” says Stuart M, adding, “It’s a nightmare but sort of fun as well because in the past you might have started off with a little idea, then you indulge yourself to the point of playing in a pub and you’re trying to carry on your indulgence and see your perfect little idea through to the high street.”
Seek out If You’re feeling Sinister in a high street near you now. If you’re looking for music to warm your winter, Belle And Sebastian are the perfect indulgence.
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