I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

After laying eyes on riveting UK band Noah and the Whale at the Mod Club, iheartthemusic was extremely eager to chat with the insanely talented quartet. Shortly after the performance iheartthemusic had the pleasure of chatting with lead singer Charlie while the rest of the crew held down the fort at the merchandise stand. While they were selling t-shirts and chatting with fans until everyone left the joint, Charlie took the time to fill me in on great Canadian bands, his love of film, and the new album, which is going to be quite a departure from your regular 12-track disc. Charlie was a pleasure to talk to and the music ain’t so bad either!

iheartthemusic: First and foremost, I love your music! You have many songs about love and heartache. What inspires you to go there lyrically?

Charlie: I don’t really know, to some extent I write from experience, but I think it depends, there are some songs that aren’t necessarily like that though. I guess it’s whatever comes to me when I write.

iheartthemusic: Life experiences?

Charlie: Exactly

iheartthemusic: I read in an interview that you describe yourself as “post-grunge folk.” Does this description transform when a new song or album is released and as the bands grows, or do you try to keep within this genre?

Charlie: To be honest, I find each definition as banal as the other one, so that one sounds good. I think the new record sounds pretty different to the previous record; I would never want to constrict myself writing one type of music.

iheartthemusic: I totally agree. You guys just performed at Coachella, what was that experience like?

Charlie: It was OK, I couldn’t sing at all, though! The funny thing is, people came up and said that they enjoyed it, but before I went on stage none of my pedals were working, my amp wasn’t working and I couldn’t sing.

iheartthemusic: Oh no!!!

Charlie: It looked like it was going to be a major disaster, but we made it through… it was kind of weird.

iheartthemusic: How does a huge festival differ from just traveling with the band?

Charlie: It was a surprisingly big crowd at Coachella, I wasn’t expecting that. I feel more comfortable in a venue like this [Mod Club], I feel more conversational and relaxed, where at Coachella, how do you expect to make an impression on the guy way over there? That is the challenge, I guess.

iheartthemusic: I also read in an interview that you were inspired by Canadian band Arcade Fire. Since we’re in Canada, any other Canadian bands that you admire or are inspired by?

Charlie: There are loads of Canadian bands we like. Actually, since we’re in Canada, today in the van since we listened to only Canadian bands. We’ve actually toured with Broken Social Scene and Feist. But the Arcade Fire is great! I love Neil Young, obviously… there are tons. The band and I were actually talking about it, apparently if you’re a Canadian band you get funding from the government, the government will pay to help you make a record. That’s Incredible! That is the best thing I’ve ever heard!

iheartthemusic: The Canadian government are great… sometimes. In being an important part of the UK music scene, do you think the scene is finally getting the recognition it deserves in other parts of the world?

Charlie: The music industry is really good right now; there are some good stuff and not so good stuff, but there are definitely a lot of great bands in England. It’s funny, I never really think if it like that.

iheartthemusic: I heard you guys were huge movie buffs… do films inspire your song writing?

Charlie: Yeah, a lot. Actually, I just made a film for the new album… The album has this kind of narrative and the film has a sort of dual narrative with the album. It’s hard to explain but essentially it’s like the film is set after the album and there are musical parts that help tell the story.

iheartthemusic: Is it like the Pink Floyd/Wizard of Oz thing?

Charlie: Sort of like that, but purposeful, I guess. But yeah, I like films by Lynch, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson… lots of different films. Oh, I just thought of an amazing film that I saw recently, the Swedish Vampire film called Let the Right One In. [Emer's ed note: Such a good film!!! If you haven't seen it, remedy that!]

iheartthemusic: I’ve never heard of it.

Charlie: Incredible film, it’s phenomenal. I saw it in New York about two months ago, it’s out on DVD now.

iheartthemusic: I’m going to have to check that one out. Now about the new album, when will it be released and what shall we expect from it?

Charlie: I think in the UK it will be August, and the last I heard we are doing a dual release so hopefully in August here as well.

iheartthemusic: Should expect something very different with the film aspect?

Charlie: What we’re doing in England is a tour in cinemas, like show the film and maybe do some songs as well and maybe talk a bit. It would be cool to bring something like that over here as well. I know that there is talk of doing it in L.A., which is where our label is, there is a graveyard that shows films, we’re talking about doing it there. It’s like where all these movie stars are buried, Marilyn Monroe is buried there. So hopefully we can show the film there.

iheartthemusic: Finally, what should the fans expect from your live act? How do you want your fans to feel after they leave your gig?

Charlie: That’s a good question, I don’t really know. I guess, hopefully, some sort of sense of satisfaction. I have to admit, I don’t really feel guilty saying this but, I’m always totally touched and moved when people enjoy the music and enjoy the show, but I always have to feel like I’m doing it for myself as well, otherwise it doesn’t make any sense. The ideal is if the song is good enough for me it’s good enough for you.

iheartthemusic: If you’re feeling it the audience is going to feel it too, you got to be passionate about it.

Charlie: That’s the thing, you can’t sing a song that you feel totally disconnected from, it’s as you just said.

Interview by Kristen Tignaneli

Photography by Daniel Cheddie