Mew Tours US Promoting New Album: No More Stories…[(Columbia) UK release date: 24 August 2009 (digital); 7 September (physical) ]

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An interview with Bo Madsen on debut week of their fifth album: No More Stories/Are Told Today/I’m Sorry/They Washed Away/No More Stories/The World Is Grey/I’m Tired/Let’s Wash Away

I consider myself a music and lyrical snob.  When I was first introduced to MEW’s music in 2005, I was instantly hooked.  Mew has a unique, warm and ethereal sound, and sometimes they have a “busting at the seams,” 1,2,3 jab, pounding sound.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting MEW (Silas, Jonas and Bo).  They are self-effacing, easy-going, diffident, dreamy and polite to a fault.  They don’t fit the standard mold of “typical” musicians with unhappy souls, erratic bi-polar behavior; snorting coke off the tits of a groupie and drinking excessively.  There’s nothing about them that is insolent or surly.  Once I ran into Bo on a very cold and wet day in new york city.  He was coming up from the 6 train.  He was alone and looked a little drab in his bulky brown sweater in comparison to his dynamic and enthusiastic presence on stage.  He commented then they were working on a new album  [No More Stories...].  I couldn’t wait to hear it and my chance came on August 24, 2009 at Williamsburg Music Hall in Brooklyn, NY. They rocked it.  Simply said.  What’s new and intriguing about this tour is the visual panorama on a huge projection set behind the stage [courtesy of Jonas].  Shapes and images warp, bounce and change in conjunction with the sound of their music as the audience watches and listens in awe.

by corine michel

Though they’re on a short tour now with NIN, they will be touring again Winter 2009.

Interview with Bo:

What’s the one experience that carved you from the inside out that made you want to make music?

Teenage blues i guess, confusion and the need to express things that could not be formulated.

What song do you listen to most on repeat?

“If i was your girlfriend” by Prince and “Regne Sangen” by Bamse.  These are classics.

Do you write better music out of depression or happiness?

I would say melancholy or the sweet mix of the two or simple discipline like getting up early and out of bed!   That helps too you know…

How does the band collaborate on making music?  Is there a hierarchy or do you all give equal input in melody, harmony and rhythm?

Well, usually we all go into this hypnosis in which I mean we start recalling dreams, childhood memories, all the sticky stuff. Once in the trance, we seek out the instruments and start riffing. Then starts the process of melting the chords and the rhythms into this crunchy chocolate bar (the song).  At least that’s what’s happening sometimes.

What is the most amazing musical experience you’ve ever had?

Well, we are NOT a drug-using band at all but one day, a long time ago, I brought to the castle some peculiar little brown cakes that was fed to all except Silas. At some point during this session, the bass started to fly away from the bass player, which made it difficult to play along. The music was the most beautiful I had ever heard.  Jonas had to retreat to the other room.  The music was so beautiful. He wrote a poem about it, which is quite good actually.

What artist (in any medium) would you want the world to know about?

Well, for me it’s a little like falling in love when I find a new artist to indulge in but it happens rarely. It happened with Prince, Dinosaur Jr, Red House Painters and The Microphones. I like other stuff too, but these are some of the mains. I can also recommend a band called WHT by Troels Abrahamsen.

If you could change one thing about MEW what would it be?

I dont know.  I think I like it the way it is, therefore it is.

Frengers & And The Glass Handed Kites are amazing albums, how would you say your music has evolved with No More Stories?

This record reflects us more organically.  It truly outlines the writing process that we do in this wide-open room back in Copenhagen.  The magic for me is when we’re there and playing.  The music evolves with the three of us hitting the center from each of our angles, almost sculpturing a part out of the blue. I like that about the record. I also really appreciate that the record is so diverse; all the songs have their own personality.

What other upcoming events are you excited about?

Well, right now I’m pretty excited to be back here in the US. We are starting a short US tour tonight here in Boston.  The tour is a mix of our own dates and some dates with NIN.  It should be all fun!  Also, I’m excited about making new music; I feel it bubbling underneath, that and all the potential creativity to come…