Backstage

The Cribs

August 2009 | Alternative

"Ignore the Ignorant" is the fourth full-length album from Wakefield's The Cribs. This time around, the brothers Jarman are joined by guitar legend Johnny Marr (of the Smiths, Electronic and latterly Modest Mouse). The album has already been hailed as their best effort to date.

We wanted to find out more about the new album, and the details of Johnny Marr's involvement, so we spoke to guitarist Gary Jarman to get the full story...

The interview

Hey Gary how's it going?

Yeah I'm good man, thanks.

The new album has a certain Johnny Marr on it. How did he come to join The Cribs?

We met by chance at a BBQ at a friend's house. I was a fan of the Smiths, and for him to tell me he loved The Cribs was cool enough for me. I was quite happy with that. I introduced him to my brothers and everyone got on well. We found out we had a lot in common, music-wise so we just thought we'd play together, that's kind of the way most bands together. It was a bit more high-stakes than normal, I suppose. We've had three records and obviously Johnny's got his own reputation to think of.

What does he contribute on the album?

It's a full collaboration; he's the fourth member of the band. He's the co-writer, co-producer, co-everything. He has the same level of commitment, the same investment in the band and the record as the rest of us.

What is it like for him coming into a band that not only has had three albums under their belt, but is made up of three brothers?

There was definitely some trepidation on both sides. He didn't want to people to feel that he had changed the band, to the point where it would alienate people. I appreciated that, but we also wanted it to make sure his contribution was just as valid as anyone else. But all that dissipated quite quickly, everyone got on well; the song writing went so fast.

Moving onto the album then, what is the story behind the title?

Yeah, there have been a lot of people reading into the title... it really isn't a statement, it's a slogan. It's actually part of the lyrics to one of the songs. People attach a lot of things to it; I think there have been a few misconceptions about the album title. We just thought it was a good slogan.

What's your favourite track form the album?

I think my favourite one is Save Your Secrets. It wasn't quite finished when we got in the studio, but I like to keep it like that, make sure they are not finished, so we can mess around with them. I mean, you're there for six weeks with nothing else to think about. So we tried to keep a few songs not quite finished. I really like Stick To Yr Guns as well. That took a long time to finish; it was a really difficult one to do. But I'm really proud of it now.

It has been said that you are one of the biggest 'cult' bands in the UK - do you want to move from that perception to something with broader appeal?

If you gave me that option when the band first started, mainstream success or the opportunity to be the biggest 'cult' band in the UK, I would definitely choose the latter. Always. All the bands I ever cared about were 'cult' bands. So it is flattering to be described like that, 'cos the people who like the band really care about us. They mean it, rather than just being fleetingly interested. You can't substitute anything for that.

You haven't had to sacrifice much artistic integrity to get where you are today...

No, and that is the cool thing about being on an independent label like Witchita. You're given the time to develop. You don't have to jump through any hoops. You don't have to do a bunch of s*** you don't want to do. It's cool to be in this position.

There was a lot written about the 'Leeds scene' when you first broke through, with the Kaiser Chiefs. What do you think of all that now?

At the time I thought it was a crock of s*** and right now I feel exactly the same. At the time it was everyone was jumping on the bandwagon. Rather than see it as a positive thing, everyone wanted to be the next band written about, the next club night with a buzz. I don't feel like a lot of it was done for the genuine love for music. Anyway, we're not even from Leeds for one thing, we're from Wakefield...

You've got a lot of gigs coming up, are there any you're looking forward to in particular?

I'm looking forward to Japan. Things have always been really good for us out there. I love the fans, they really understand the band. There's none of that cynicism you get in the UK and US. People just like bands; they just love the music, so it's always gratifying to play to people like that.

Thanks for your time, thanks for speaking to we7 Gary.

No worries, thank you very much.