Editors
Interview with Russell Leetch
Words: Ashley Marie Sansotta
Photo: Jill Furmanowsky

Appearing:
January 8, 2008
Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale

January 9, 2008
Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg

January 10, 2008
House of Blues, Orlando

Hailing from Birmingham, UK, Editors (formerly known as Snowfield) released their first album, The Back Room, in 2005 to universal acclaim. But it was during their 2006 barn burning tour throughout the States that the band skyrocketed to Bloc Party levels of popularity.  The tipping point being Editors’ intense live performances, headlined by the spastic Ian Curtis-like movements of their front man, Tom Smith; a comparison to Joy Division that would dog them for the following year.

Like Joy Division, this band does not skimp on gloom and doom. Familiarize yourself with Editors’ lyrics and you’ll hear tales of death, dying, and hospital waiting rooms.  Their new LP, An End Has A Start, only confirms how dark Editors can be, a trait often masked through clever hooks and guitar riffs.  During a break from the band’s European tour, bassist Russell Leetch touched on some of these sensitive subjects, and, of course, all those dreaded Joy Division/Interpol comparisons.

REAX:  How do you think ‘An End Has A Start’ compares/contrasts to your first album?
Russell Leetch: I think it’s just a natural progression onwards.  We didn’t want make the same record as the last.  We wanted to advance the songs.  And a more textured sounding record was made.

REAX:  How was working with Garrett ‘Jacknife’ Lee again?
RL:  It was very brilliant.  We’ve worked with him quite a few times now, since the new record.  We actually worked with him on some stuff just a few days ago.  He’s just a big lover of music, and he’s so eager to discover new things, and that’s what you want from a producer.

REAX: “Well Worn Hand” is an interesting song to end the record with.  I understand it was recorded in one take, too.
RL:  Yes, it was.

REAX:  What’s the meaning behind that song and does it have significance as the last song on the record?
RL:  Yes, it’s the darkest song we’ve ever written and put down on a record.  And it’s about the murder of a friend of Tom’s, and his thoughts and feelings when he heard the news about that person.  It’s quite dark, and I don’t know exactly where else (on the record) it could be, but last.

REAX:  I first saw you guys play at a music festival in San Diego and I know a lot of people were introduced to you guys the same way.  What is it that draws you to the fests?
RL:  A lot of people go to festivals, and you’ll find lots of people who don’t necessarily know your music, which is a good thing.  Sometimes it’s a little tricky – with a larger crowd – to impress people, and sometimes those shows can turn out to be the best gigs ever.

REAX:  You are notorious for your relentless touring.  Why is this so important to the band?
RL:  We just like people to come out and watch us.  We want to put on a good show every night – no matter how big or small it is.  And that’s the best way to have a fan base, because they are there with you.

REAX:  What’s the craziest thing to ever happen to you on tour?
RL:  Well, we’re pretty good.  I think we describe ourselves as being “the most punctual band in the world.”  It’s quite annoying sometimes because we’re always first.  Yeah...we can be a bit boring.  Hmmm...that’s not very exciting is it? (laughs)

REAX:  What’s the first thing that runs through your mind when someone compares you to Joy Division or Interpol?
RL:  Well, I can’t really say much anymore.  People still think that we really sound like them - and they can write about that.  But, we really think that the differences are very dramatic.

REAX:  What about comparisons to Echo and the Bunnymen?  I hear you play them sometimes before you go on stage.
RL:  Yeah we do!  We’re big fans of Echo and the Bunnymen... much more than Joy Division or Interpol. (laughs)

REAX: Do you see yourselves tagged as the gloomy pop band that some people make you out to be?
RL:  I think that it’s a good way to be.  We don’t want to be a “happy” pop band. (laughs)

REAX:  What is your biggest influence when it comes to your music?
RL:  As a musician, I have a spiritualized approach: making simple things big. And thoughts of just getting a good groove going, and forming it back to a song.  You know, they have that saying, “Minimum is maximum,”  I couldn’t agree with that more.

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