No One Can Ever Know is released today, and is perhaps the most ambitious album yet for the group who hail from Kilsyth.
It strips away much of the “walls of guitars” sound that was more readily associated with The Twilight Sad, the album’s “anti-producer” Andrew Weatherall helping shape bare and glacial soundscapes for the plaintive, unmistakably Scottish vocals of James Graham.
The likes of Public Image Limited and Siouxsie and the Banshees have been bandied about as influences, and if new single Another Bed is anything to go by they’ve also married this genre shift to some of their most accessible melodies yet.
Singer James told us of No One Can Ever Know: “It just seems like the natural progression of the band – we never wanted to repeat ourselves on this one, so it’s a step forward for the band.”
Andy MacFarlane added: “We went down to London to record, just to get out of the comfort zone of staying in Glasgow and just doing what we’re used to doing.”
Of previous recording efforts, Andy explained: “We knew exactly what we wanted so it took ages and it was quite frustrating to get it – because we had such a vivid idea of what we were aiming for – whereas this time it was like ‘let’s just try something else’, even though it was just the three of us.”
The band embark on a UK tour this month which begins at Glasgow’s Grand Ole Opry on Thursday 9th, and are also releasing new single Another Bed on February 20th – for which a discomfiting video has been released.
Of their more downbeat melodies, James joked: “I’m not miserable all the time – it’s his fault [pointing to Andy], he gives me the music to begin with, and it’s always miserable anyway...
“Well some of them, anyway, I guess I just make them even more miserable. But no, we’re not going to be writing Shiny Happy People any time soon.”
He added: “I just enjoy writing darker songs, and I find it more interesting than someone harping on about how good their life is, and how everything’s amazing. Everybody goes through their ups and downs, and I just like to focus on that side because it maybe makes you appreciate the happier times, if you’re reflecting on the sadder times.”
The group also talked about their delight at selling out the Glasgow ABC in April 2010 while promoting their second album, and also spoke about playing with acclaimed Scottish post-rock group Mogwai, who have previously taken The Twilight Sad out on tour as support.
“The shows with Mogwai were amazing,” explained James. “We grew up listening to them, and they’re now good friends of ours, and they have supported the band from the start.
“We’ve toured with them three times now. We thought they would get fed up with us on the first tour to be honest, but they’ve been amazing – and we’re not on their label, so they’ve not needed to support us at all, yet they really have got behind the band.
“To be able to see our favourite band every night was amazing as well. It’s definitely a place where we would like to be, and we’re working hard to maybe one day try and get like that.”
James said of the upcoming shows: “The live set’s better than it’s ever been with these new songs attached.
“We’re always thinking about something else we can do just to make it not just a normal gig, just for people paying the money to come and see us, trying to step it up again.”
- For more details on the new album and tour, visit thetwilightsad.com.
