If you follow critical acclaim,Tindersticks—the veteran band from Nottingham, England—is apparently huge; but for some reason, the alt-journalist focus group I established to confirm such things didn’t turn up anyone who had heard the band. So, let’s revise that.Tindersticks is apparently huge in Europe, and in the Obama era that has to mean something, right? Performing in America for the first time since an indefinite recording hiatus in 2003,Tindersticks will be showcasing its hypno-, lounge-, orchestral-, narcotic-, groove-centric pop on Mar. 6 at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple.
Now, how did this rare sojourn come about? Well, after its break, the Stuart Staples-led project returned in abbreviated form to play its second record (1995’s Tindersticks II) for the All Tomorrow’s Parties Don’t Look Back series. After that nostalgic victory lap, Staples felt the love again, officially reformed the band and built a studio at his rural French home to record comeback record The Hungry Saw (released in 2008).
Staples, speaking to me backstage before a show in Spain, detailed his live outlook when dealing with the new material. “The songs on The Hungry Saw still feel like they’re evolving and we’re really still enjoying playing them,” he says. “The newer version of the band is definitely a bit looser. It has a lot to do with the musical personalities that make the band up.You know, everyone has their moments, and when it all comes together the new material can really fly.”
Tindersticks formed in 1991 and released two self-titled albums that remain a bold rebuke of both American grunge and trad Britpop.They were majestic, soaring records with harsh arrangements held together by Staples’ smokestack baritone.Think of a humorless Bill Callahan in the British countryside with strings or a U.K. version of Lambchop. This was serious stuff and hard to top.The band continued to produce interesting material but struggled to strike gold in a series of weary albums that boxed-in its sound a bit too tightly. After 2003’s Waiting For The Moon—an unflinching, somber affair even by the band’s standards—the members went their separate ways, until the recent resurgence.
Tindersticks first performed in the United States in 1993. Staples reflects, “I don’t think we could ever be as wide-eyed again.When we first came to America to play concerts, it was a long time ago and we were very young. Going to New York in particular was kind of mindblowing for us. Now we have a good idea of what we’re approaching.We want to take the music to as many different places and people as possible at the moment.”
The current Tindersticks lineup is a departure from past conquests with complete orchestras.The band’s now packing a relatively austere seven-piece unit with Staples upfront, complemented by long-time collaborators Neil Fraser (guitar and vibes) and David Boulter (keyboards and percussion). Dan McKinna and Thomas Belhom handle bass and drums, while Terry Edwards and Andrew Nice provide orchestral flourishes. Recent live shows have received massively favorable reviews, some noting a return to the progressive-minded ethos of their past.
Staples confirms those suspicions. “At the moment, it feels like every single time we’re together and playing a concert something’s moving forward,” he says. “I think that the kind of musical relationships that come from performing provide a sense that we’re also looking forward to the tour being over, because then we can start making something new.There’s a real desire for that in the near future.”
Staples claims Tindersticks is firing on all cylinders again. “The performances are about connections,” he says. “It’s about people in a room making something together. I suppose what I look for is that barrier at the edge of the stage to come down. I want it to feel as though it’s a group of people in a room making this thing together. As a musician or a writer, it can make sense of what you do.”
>Tindersticks
Mar. 6, Brooklyn Masonic Temple, 317 Clermont Ave. (at Lafayette Ave.), Brooklyn, 718-638-1256; 7:30, $30/$35
