Editors
by Steve Markoff for SuicideGirls (http://suicidegirls.com/)

It has been a great year for Editors. The quartet from Birmingham, England released its smash debut The Back Room in 2006, garnering them mass critical praise and a nomination for England’s biggest music prize, the Mercury Award. Hot off the heels of that success, the boys returned in 2007 with their stunning follow-up, An End Has A Start. Creating music on its own terms, this indie rock foursome has rightfully been dubbed the bastard lovechild between Joy Division and Interpol. I had a chance to sit down with lead guitarist, Chris Urbanowicz, after a recent show in Toronto where he gave me the skinny on jeans, touring, and most importantly, free clothes.


Steve Markoff: How do you feel about the fact that I just said I was in Editors to get free clothes?
Chris Urbanowicz: That’s fine. Which member are you?
SM: I was your lead singer Tom.
CU: You’re Tom?
SM: Yes.
CU: You don’t look anything like him.
SM: I know. The funny thing was the ladies had no clue [laughs].
CU: You know what? You’re being intuitive to steal credit.
SM: As I’m walking away, a lady who actually works with you came up to get you guys free shit and I overheard her saying that you liked skinny jeans.
CU: Yeah?
SM: I love your music and I also love the band the Kings of Leon, but when I see the Kings of Leon wearing skinny jeans it kind of makes me feel weird.
CU: [Laughs]
SM: What is the fascination with skinny jeans?
CU: They do have the tightest trousers in rock and roll. That is true, that is amazing. They are almost like leggings. They are a bit too tight for me. Well, I like lines. It’s a good look. It’s good; everything is neat and tidy and angular. That’s good.
SM: Did the skinny jean thing come from the UK?
CU: Yeah, I think recently. They were kind of like the start of the resurgence of skinny jeans. It’s like a Beatles look. You know the Beatles wore this in like the ‘60s and everything so the wake effect of the skinny jeans. It’s like a classic look. It has just come around again.
SM: Are skinny jeans comfortable?
CU: Nah [laughs]. The thing is boys have got stuff down there. You know, it is not the easiest, but you just don’t want to wear them on a long flight.
SM: How do you go to the restroom with such tight jeans?
CU: That is seriously funny. You just pull them down like normal trousers.
SM: Alright, moving on…
CU: As long as it is not too hot. The only problem that I have with them is that in a really hot club they will be really sweaty. Just getting them off at the end of the night is sometimes a bit tricky. But that is only if you sweat.
SM: Well, that is the end of the skinny jeans talk.
CU: Ok.
SM: But that was very informative.
CU: Well, you know, I try my best.
SM: Tell us about the new album, An End Has A Start.
CU: Yep.
SM: What are a few similarities and a few differences between this album and the debut album?
CU: We have been on the road for like two years after the first record. That has kind of had an effect on us mentally and musically as well. We are much better musicians than we were before. Ah, I think the main thing is that we didn’t want to make the first record again. You know, make something a bit different that seemed more textured and layered and make it more dynamic. There is not really a core musical theme that goes through the record. Every song sounds a bit different, has a different tempo and stuff. I think it’s just a case of it sounds like we are more mature and, you know, just a bit better [laughs].
SM: How have you grown as a band over the last year from touring?
CU: Well, we are a lot more comfortable right now. I don’t really get nervous before shows anymore, not even big ones. So you do get into that routine of getting on the bus you know, and seek out your shower. But the thing I don’t like about being on a bus is that moment when you wake up in the morning and you have no idea where you are. You really don’t know what country you’re in, never mind what state. And you have to scout out a shower. Where is your shower going to come from? It’s kind of like you live in a venue. You live on a bus and a venue so you kind of like shit and shower and shave and brush your teeth in the toilets that you would see, you know [laughs] in a venue. So that’s the thing that I dislike. But the rest of it is kind of cool.
SM: Are you currently on tour?
CU: Yes. Yes we have kind of been working since about April to May. But we haven’t really been on tour as such. We have done lots of gigs and festivals. So this is the first time we have actually been on a bus and we are doing like pretty much three months straight around the world. Which is going to be fun too.
SM: Will you be touring in the States to promote the new album?
CU: Yes. Yeah we have played a couple gigs already. We did Boston and DC and New York so far and we are working our way west.
SM: When did you get to Toronto?
CU: This morning.
SM: What did you think about having to take a ferry to the island where you performed?
CU: [Laughs] I thought that was kind of stupid because it was really late, and we were getting dropped off from our bus where we were very comfortable. We were watching a movie and the guy said it was time to go and get the ferry. We thought there was going to be ferries every five to 10 minutes or something, but no! You have to wait like what feels like an hour. So we got dropped off and then the ferry arrived and it was on the other side of the river and it was just our crew shouting at us trying to get us over. So we went around, and we got a ferry. And then we arrived, and then we had to get in another car to take us to the actual festival [laughs]. So it was like, you know, just crap.
SM: [Laughs] What is it like touring in the US specifically? Because there is always hype when a new English band comes over
CU: Yeah.
SM: Describe how you have grown and dealt with touring in the States?
CU: It was really exciting when we first started because it took us ages to get to the States. It was like six months after our record was released and the first time we went it was just starting to buzz in the UK. Like, it took it to another level and our album stepped up to platinum status. Our album went up to number two after its release. And it was like fuck this is going crazy. This was kind of all filtering through to the States. So when we got there, we were just doing these buzz shows, and I’ve never seen anything like it back in the UK. There were lots of people there but it wasn’t, like, that foray you get.
SM: [Agrees]
CU: There were people lining up around the block and they just couldn’t get in and stuff because they are small venues. We played one place that was like a hundred capacity or less so we just had to take off our guest list and let the punters in, which is really cool because usually you get the media types…
SM: [Laughs] Judging you?
CU: Arms folded. Yeah, but this was people having fun. So…
SM: What do you enjoy about being in a band?
CU: I like that I’m making the music that I want to make. Which is good. It’s fun as well. I think the best thing about it is that I’m in a band with three of my best friends. And the most important thing is that we were friends first, and then we kind of formed a band through that friendship. I guess that’s the coolest thing. You know, because I know a lot of bands that don’t get on or there is one member who is an ass. And they get really jealous about the relationship that we have together. They find it weird that we go out, and drink together, instead of not drink as they did.
SM: What do you predict in the future for your music?
CU: Who knows? At the moment there is about a year and a half left of touring to go. Ah, and then we are going to do a new record and hopefully get a bit of time off. Hopefully, we’ll see and kind of start again and then usually take a little break after the third record. So we’ll probably do that and reflect. And then see what happens. At the moment all we can think of is touring, touring, touring.
SM: Cool, thank you brotha.
CU: Thank you.

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web address: http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Editors/