Band on the Run

"It’s like a fucking monkey who can never get full…"

Those are pretty much the first words offered by Band of Horses' Ben Bridwell when we meet. I’ve just asked him about BoH’s relentless live schedule, which, as we sit here in a small backroom at Glasgow’s ABC, is only two days gone into a 20-date European stop. “It can be a bit much sometimes,” he admits. “It feels like we are always one step behind. We are constantly touring, but it still feels like as soon as you go somewhere, they’re knocking again.”

That’s not to say that Bridwell resents the hard graft. On the contrary, the live experience is one he claims to increasingly relish. Having found the transition of drumming with Seattle underground heroes Carrisa’s Wierd to fronting the band of the moment a difficult one, he’s still treating the whole thing as a valuable learning experience. “You just get so much inspiration from it, you feel so inspired by performing and by feeding off the good vibes from the crowd.”

Of late, those vibes have been very good. However, even with two critically acclaimed albums delivered, and a surging fan-base in tow, Bridwell still seems unconvinced of his ability. “I’m not a naturally talented musician, I really have to practice, just to fucking pass, you know, without looking like a total moron.” That’s some grounded thinking for someone in his position, and it’s indicative of a guy for who, behind the thrill of fronting a band, the main concerns are family, kicking back with a beer and watching the Seattle Mariners on the box. Place that life back in Minnesota, where he shares a flat with his partner, and where he’ll be based for a two month sabbatical, fulfilling fatherly duties before the summer festivals, and it’s where you’ll find the greatest part of Birdwell’s persona comes from. “I love watching sports and wasting time drinking beer, so if there’s any reason to do that, any reason to sit there and shut the fuck up, then I’m into it.”

Between beer-fuelled sport-fests, he’s also keen to start seriously thinking about working on the foundations for the next Band of Horses album. But there’s the issue of industry politics to broach first; they’re currently without management, and while that’s something Bridwell recognizes they need in order to get into the studio, it irks him somewhat. “We’re being courted by every fuckin’ manager, and I just don’t feel like talking to those people. It seems like just such a fuckin’ hullabaloo!”

It’s a classic case of artists just wanting to make music, and to side step the feeling of being whored for profit, an issue which the band - but in particularly Bridwell - is still smarting over. Having initially sold license rights for sleeper hit The Funeral from their debut to Wal-Mart, an internet backlash pushed them to renege. “I knew it was not something I should do, but at the same time the management and the label were like, ‘it’s totally cool, man. The Shins, they dealt with it. Take this opportunity while you can and set up a life for your kid that’s on the way.’” What’s clear though, is that Bridwell didn’t just deal with it as label-mates, The Shins, did. Following increasing pressure from fans, and indeed anyone who felt like a wind-up, he backed down, and while he’s adamant that he was happy to do that, the grimace on his face when he talks about it suggests otherwise.

Still, commercial semantics, and managerial stresses aside, when the process of writing the new album does begin, it’s clearly going to be different to that of Everything All the Time and Cease to Begin. With BoH’s debut, Bridwell stood side by side with fellow Carrisa’s Wierd ex-pat Mat Brooke (now of Grand Archives), sharing to a fair extent the creative burden, whereas with their arguably superior sophomore album, he was shouldering almost all of the weight. Now though, it seems we may start to hear something straight from the other horse’s mouths. “I feel like I can start relinquishing some of the control,” resolves Bridwell. “The guys are so talented in writing their own songs, I really feel like it’s time now to move into a totally different phase.”

To balance a BoH collaborative effort, Bridwell considers the possibilities of a solo outing. “I have considered putting out a solo record, I don’t know if I should and then do that kind of thing for a little bit,” he ponders. And his direction? “I’m gonna be living in Minnesota this whole time… that’s where we’re having a baby, so maybe I’ll have a Midwestern vibe. Maybe I’ll get like a fuckin’ Dylan vibe or something…yeah right! Make sure you put in there that I’m the new Dylan, like I love it when people say that about me!”

Wish granted.