Interpol emerged from the New York post punk revival of the early 2000s, releasing their first full length record in 2002 to critical acclaim. Turn on the Bright Lights has been hailed as a defining record for the post 9/11 indie scene in New York. Interpol played an early tour in the UK which included a John Peel BBC Session, and this was a big boost for the band. All three of the 2000s records placed in the top 10 in the UK and on the US alternative charts.
Daniel Kessler and Greg Drudy formed the band in 1997 when they met in a New York University class. Drudy left before the first full length album and Kessler recruited Sam Fogarino to replace him. Fogarino had nearly given up music and was working in a vintage clothing store.
After a decade of recording and heavy touring, Interpol tool an extended break in 2010 while the band members focused on their other projects. Returning in 2014, the band released another top 10 album with El Pintor.
Interpol has released an album every four years after their break ended in 2014. This summers’ The Other Side of Make-Believe is the most recent and like many of their peers was impacted by the COVID pandemic. The band altered their songwriting and recording process to make it work.
Reflecting on their 2002 first album, Paul Banks says “as far as ease of making it, we had years to write these songs. The longest writing period of any of your records is your debut. We formed in 1997, so it’s five years, and three-and-a-half/four of playing shows and trying out that material. So it went down smoothly in the studio, and then you have all the excitement of it being your first album. It was a good time in our lives.”
