Glory Days

Scotland’s Belle and Sebastian
Talk Success and Sunshine

By Shelby Hast | Photo by Muir Vidler

Belle and Sebastian have been busy. In 2005 they were voted “Scotland’s Best Band” by The List magazine; they also released Push Barman to Open Old Wounds, a double-CD collection of their career-spanning EPs and singles, and their recapturing of If You’re Feeling Sinister: Live at the Barbican was hailed by critics as a landmark live record. With their giddy new album, The Life Pursuit, drawing comparisons to T. Rex and David Bowie, Belle and Sebastian’s Stevie Jackson took a moment on the streets of Liverpool to reflect on the band’s sparkling year.

What has the band been up to this week?
This week we’ve just started our British tour. We have already played Scotland and we’ve just had a single out, “Funny Little Frog,” so we are running around doing TV shows and radio shows. Then in a few weeks we are off to America for a month.

Tell me about your 2005. You were recording the new record alongside your other releases, how hectic was all of that?
It didn’t feel that hectic to be honest; we were just working constantly. When we got to LA after writing The Life Pursuit, we recorded it quite fast because our preparation had been really good. We had already worked out every vocal harmony and every keyboard part in advance so it was easy to kind of bang them out. The period in California was a lot of fun—waking up every morning with it being sunny, it was good for the soul, you know?

I think a loose description of The Life Pursuit is that it has almost a rollerskate aesthetic. Is that close to what you were aiming for?
I think that description is fantastic! That’s perfect, I can’t wait to tell Stuart that, absolutely. I think I was hoping it would sound more like someone’s first record as opposed to their seventh; that there would be a vibrancy to it, a sense of fun. And I think it has that. When we met the producer [Tony Hoffer], he said, “do you want to make a coffee table record or do you want to make a pop record?” And we said, “hmm, a pop record would be good” [laughs].

So are you inventing a new Belle and Sebastian with every record?
In a sense, our new record is a continuation of Dear Catastrophe Waitress, but it is a reaction to it as well. To be honest, this is the first record where I have felt a real sense of satisfaction—sometimes you are so disappointed because you hoped it would be better. But this one, I left it alone for a while and came back to it and thought, “Oh. This is just great.” And I don’t normally do that, which I guess means something in the terms of a trajectory the band is on. It’s good, in a funny way we feel quite new at the moment, despite being veterans.

Do you think the group has left some of the storied Belle and Sebastian troubles behind?
I think so, yes. It’s amazing, we used to be very troubled, there was always someone who was unhappy. I think over the years we’ve learned to go on and just do the work and enjoy it. The vibe is very nice at the moment, I must say. There’s almost something psychotic about it when you are all going in different directions. It helps with everyone going in the same direction, it makes it much more joyful. Now it’s more about making it a constructive experience, being a professional. I think we finally grew up.

Bookmark:

Record Label Matador Released February 2006

Tracks Act of the Apostle Another Sunny Day White Collar Boy Blues Are Still Blue Dress Up in You Sukie in the Graveyard We Are the Sleepyheads Song for Sunshine Funny Little Frog To Be Myself Completely Act of the Apostle II For the Price of a Cup of Tea Mornington Crescent