aaamusic | On 12, Apr 2012

Rupert Uzzell had a chat with Maps & Atlases ahead the release of Beware and Be Greateful. Here’s what he discovered!

AAAmusic: What can people expect from your new LP ‘Beware and Be Grateful’, released next week?

 

I think Beware and Be Grateful is somewhat of a continuation of what we were doing with Perch Patchwork but I also think it’s even more out there, sonically. We experimented with texture a lot more this time around. There is also a looseness to this record. We let some of the songs run wild.

 

AAAmusic: The album has been described as a move away from the ‘math-rock’ tag – with which you have hitherto been ascribed – into more pop influenced territory. What differences will people hear between this and your previous work?

 

We’ve always been partially driven by our pop sensibilities and wanted to write music that was not only challenging but also relatable to on an emotional or personal level. As we go along I think the songwriting becomes more focused but in true Maps & Atlases form, this album is still pretty experimental…

 

AAAmusic: The album has a rather cryptic trailer on www.mapsandatlases.org. What can you tell us about this?

 

We wanted to make something that introduced people to the new album but also explored the types of places we imagined this record existing. I liked the idea of getting thrown into a random stranger’s story in some dark club where the DJ was spinning this record. The narrative of the trailer has nothing to do with the album but I think there is somewhat of a connection, tonally and thematically.

 

AAAmusic: Browsing the songs from the LP – ‘Old and Gray’, ‘Fever’, ‘Remote and Dark Years’, ‘Bugs’, and ‘Old Ash’ – it starts to look like a collection of Ingmar Bergman film titles, and yet the single ‘Fever’ sounds surprisingly upbeat. Is this a deliberate juxtaposition, or is the rest of the album going to beas dark as the song titles suggest?

 

There are some pretty dark moments and really light moments on this record and occasionally they meet. Fever is a great example of this. Lyrically it’s on the darker side of the spectrum but musically its pretty upbeat.

 

AAAmusic: When coming up with songs, do you use any literary or film influences?

 

We’ve always found influence in writers like Charles Simic or James Tate. And specifically on this record, the lyrics in ‘Old and Gray’ reference the poem ‘Alicante’ by Jacques Prévert. Sometimes a lyrical idea will be visually based, and I guess in that way cinematic, but I don’t think we’ve ever been directly influenced by a specific film. Although I do like thinking about how a song or album could unfold in a cinematic way. When we were mixing the record we talked about how “Important” felt like the album’s 3^rd act.

 

AAAmusic: You’ve been praised for the rhythmic complexity of a lot of your music. Does it generally take a lot of rehearsal time in order to achieve this or does it come naturally?

 

Since we’ve been playing together for years this is just how we think, collectively. We have a pretty good idea of each other’s playing styles and usually know how to lock into them or play against them. We used to practice a ton but now its more instincts I think.

 

AAAmusic: You are back touring the UK for the first time since your debut release Perch Patchwork. Are you looking forward to being back here?

 

Of course! We’ve always gotten such a warm welcome in the UK and are definitely excited to play these new songs for everyone.

 

AAAmusic: For people who’ve never seen you live before, how would you describe your performances?

 

We try to do something slightly different from the records and let the songs jam out a little more. We try to put on a fun and energetic show. Shows should be fun!

 

AAAmusic: You’re well known for your after-show acoustic sets for the die-hard fans. Can people expect to enjoy any of these on this visit? Must be a bit tiring having just performed a gig, surely?

 

We save these for occasions that feel right. Sometimes certain environments aren’t conducive to us playing acoustically in the crowd but we love to do it when we can. If the energy is right, we just might on this tour. We are pretty spontaneous about the floor sets these days…

 

AAAmusic: Cheers guys! Best of luck with the release and the tour.

 

Thanks!

 

Author: Rupert Uzzell