Ed Harcourt on The Libertines, Lisa Marie Presley, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and his new album
Ed Harcourt has spoken to NME about what went into his “reflective” new album ‘El Magnifico’, in addition to his work with The Libertines, the success of Sophie Ellis-Bextor and his unheard music with Lisa Marie Presley.
Launched final week, ‘El Magnifico’ marks Harcourt’s sixteenth studio album – following the 2 instrumental information ‘Past The Finish’ and ‘Monochrome To Color’, and the full-bodied non secular successor to 2016’s acclaimed and rock-leaning ‘Furnaces’.
“It’s been an fascinating eight years,” Harcourt informed NME. “I bought out of London and moved out to the countryside to just a little village in Oxfordshire. After ‘Furnaces’, I proceeded to take inventory just a little bit – however I didn’t actually write any lyrics. I made two cinematic instrumental information, however as soon as I had these out of my system round 2020, that’s after I began writing ‘El Magnifico’.”
With the “apocalyptic dad rage” of ‘Furnaces’ drawing on the ominous nature of the place world politics was headed, Harcourt famous that many themes of the report grew to become extra of a tragic actuality.
“What can I say? I’m a sage, I’m a prophet, I’m a soothsayer!” he joked. “After that, I had no want to write down lyrics. The fallout of ‘Furnaces’ was fairly heavy-hitting, so I simply needed to ruminate and take a step again. The meditative side of doing ‘Past The Finish’ and ‘Monochrome To Color’ was a pleasant reinvigorating course of – it was like a reset button.”
He added: “I additionally had ‘Loup GarouX’ [side-project with Gorillaz and Senseless Things’ drummer Cass Browne and The Feeling bassist Richard Jones] – which was nice as a result of I may proceed the insanity and chaos of the post-’Furnaces’ sound.
“What was nice about that band was that it meant I may go straight again to writing songs on the piano, since you’re all the time reacting towards one thing else. ‘Oh, I’ve simply been writing some loud and offended guitar music, now I higher get onto the piano for some candy, romantic songs’.”
The years between additionally noticed the previous Mercury Prize nominee full his trilogy of albums produced for Sophie Ellis-Bextor, make some extra high-profile appearances along with his “sort-of brother legislation” Carl Barat‘s band The Libertines, and the unhappy passing of his pal and collaborator, Lisa Marie Presley. Harcourt spoke to us about taking inventory, and unheard music within the vault with the latter.
NME: Whats up Ed. While you got here to start out writing lyrics once more after ‘Furnaces’, what have been you reaching for?
Harcourt: “We’d gone into COVID and lockdown, and I had quite a lot of time to write down! ‘El Magnifico’ got here out of the ashes of that as a result of quite a lot of the songs contact on escapism, mortality and parts of grief. There are songs about near-death experiences, fever desires, daydreaming. It’s a really self-ruminative report. For my subsequent album, I in all probability gained’t focus by myself ideas as a lot and can possibly be extra of a storyteller.”
How did that sense of reflection encourage the sound of ‘El Magnifico’?
“Once I sit behind a piano and sing, it looks like an extension of me – prefer it’s the place I’m meant to be. That’s the place I’m most pleased. I fell into that pleased place behind the piano and took it from there. That’s what I’m recognized for, and this report is an amalgamation of the whole lot that I’ve accomplished. It’s bought the fiery parts of ‘Furnaces’ however then touches of my earlier stuff within the lo-fi piano pop. You comply with the white rabbit down the opening and see what occurs.”
…To make a best hits report?
“Properly, you already know! It’s all bangers no mash, man.”
Having labored so carefully with Sophie Ellis-Bextor, what’s it been prefer to see her change into such a world phenomenon with the resurgence of ‘Homicide On The Dancefloor‘ after that includes in Saltburn?
“It’s unbelievable. Who’d have thought? It simply exhibits the ability of viral memes and TikTok. It was inescapable, however good for Sophie. If individuals hearken to that then they’ll hopefully hearken to the albums that we did! I’ll be the little stain on her golden coattails. I’ll be in Abbey Highway with Sophie quickly, doing a little writing with a thriller collaborator – which is actually thrilling. Extra on that quickly…
“The true Sophie is an unbelievable girl. She’s a polymath and a renaissance girl. She’s a really loving and sensible mom who has managed to juggle that with a tremendous profession. With that comes expertise. Like everybody, she’s had her peaks and her troughs. To lastly have this lovely second wind is incredible. If you happen to stick it out for lengthy sufficient, it’ll come for you.”
Are you hanging on for a Saltburn second of your individual?
“I’m ready! I’ll be prepared. I’m within the wings and poised to soar into the heady heights of viral meme-dom!”
Simply hold your garments on.
“No, I’m gonna get bare, I feel.”
@bbcradio2 The Libertines carry out an unbelievable cowl of Alone Once more Or by Love! 🧡 #R2PianoRoom | Pay attention on BBC Sounds | Watch on BBC iPlayer #thelibertines #petedoherty #carlbarat #garypowell #johnhassall ♬ original sound – bbcradio2
You lately joined The Libertines on stage once more for his or her latest BBC Radio 2 Piano Session. Have been you concerned of their new album ‘All Quiet On The Japanese Esplanade‘?
“No, I used to be simply requested to come back alongside and be MD on that session and simply assist the blokes with the Love cowl. I used to be impressed by them, and so they did such a very good job on that – particularly Carl. Carl simply nailed that guitar half. He was wonderful. I’ve recognized them for therefore lengthy, and Carl’s clearly household. I take pleasure in working with the blokes; it’s all the time fairly an expertise. I simply get a name on the day. I name myself ‘The Fibertine’.”
Talking of legends, you labored with Lisa Marie Presley on her 2012 closing album ‘Storm & Grace’. After she sadly died final yr, you wrote about unearthing an unheard track you made collectively…
“I used to be simply going by means of the stuff that we’d accomplished, and I discovered this track known as ‘Gentle Of Day’. It’s so lovely and hymnal, and he or she sounds unbelievable on it. It’s simply sitting there. I’m unsure what we may do with it. It will be wonderful for individuals to listen to it as a result of it’s actually lovely. I’d love individuals to listen to it as a result of the tone and inflection in her voice is sort of lovely. You possibly can even hear a little bit of her father [Elvis] in there. It’s actually fairly particular.”
This can be a large query, however what was she like?
“She was nice – she swore like a sailor and will drink 15 pints of Guinness and nonetheless be standing. She was fairly petite, in order that was fairly spectacular. She was actually open to the whole lot once we have been working, and we clicked very well. I actually loved working together with her. It was fairly psychological; she got here to my studio in London together with her ex (Michael Lockwood) and so they’d actually been chased by means of the town by paparazzi of their taxi. While you dwell that sort of life, it may be fairly onerous to be regular and keep grounded as a result of it’s only a full circus generally.”
And also you felt that presence – ‘I’m within the room with a Presley’?
“Yeah! I had a good time together with her on New Yr’s Eve as soon as together with her and Priscilla. That was all fairly enjoyable, however I’ll must inform you extra about that on a later date…”
‘El Magnifico’ by Ed Harcourt is out now. He performs at in-store present at Banquet Information in Kingston-Upon-Thames on Monday April 8, earlier than a run of European summer season headline exhibits and US dates with The Afghan Whigs.