Photo c. Steve Gullick 2024
Number one albums weren’t on the agenda when Glasgow post rock pioneers Mogwai launched their epic tunes back in 1995. Yet following on from 2023’s album ‘As The Love Continues’ going to number one in the album charts, Mogwai have released its follow up, the brilliant new album ‘The Bad Fire’. It’s an album that was borne out of difficult times for the band with keyboardist Barry Burns coping with his daughter’s illness (she’s now thankfully much better), yet the beautifully expansive songs found on the new album seem to have emerged from a place of renewed energy and focus, finding solace and comfort in music creativity. Combining their huge guitar sound with synth riffs, it feels like the natural successor to ‘As The Love Continues’.
On a cold, frosty Glasgow morning, we link up with Mogwai guitarist and vocalist Stuart Braithwaite who’s at home in his kitchen with the toast on.
“I’m multi-tasking,” he shouts down the camera.
We begin by reflecting that in our last conversation, back in 2023 around the reissues of the albums ‘Mogwai Young Team’ and ‘Come On Die Young’ we were discussing the influence of Sonic Youth, and the Reading 91 Festival on both our lives. For the new album those influences sound like they’re still there yet combined with more synths, like a John Carpenter soundscape, as Stuart reflects how their influences have adapted over the years
“Well, back when we did our first album, we didn’t even have a keyboard player, and since Barry’s joined he’s brought an awful lot to the band, and influence wise, a lot of that era of music is a really big influence of us, John Carpenter, Kraftwerk, Popol Vuh, all these kind of bands, so it’s definitely fed into what we do.”
As it’s been a difficult year for the band, this time around, did you all bring in ideas to the studio to work on, with Barry contributing as and when he could, or was it more the that you sat around and wrote altogether as a live band?
“We did it individually, Barry was fully involved, we just started it a bit later than we normally would. Although it took a bit longer to get together, it wasn’t that different a process, also we made the record in Scotland which we haven’t done for quite a long time, so once we got started it wasn’t too difficult at all.”
This time you were produced by John Congleton, so why did you decide to work with him, and what did he bring to the album which was different?
“We’d met John in L.A. and got on really well with him. We needed someone who could come to Scotland and he was up for that. Plus he’s really kind of from our world, he started out in a punk rock band, he worked with Steve Albini, even though he’s been involved in a lot of big records of all different kinds of genres, he kind of felt like one of us, we’re all around the same age and stuff so it was definitely an easy decision. He’s also a really easy-going guy, and very funny, so we all got on really well. He definitely brought a lot to the project and a lot of energy to the record, there isn’t a lot of pontification, we just recorded really fast, and just kind of got on with it, and I think you can definitely hear that energy.”
Do you think you respond well to the directions of a producer or do you all come in with set ideas, and they kind of enhance it?
“Well, we’d written the songs pretty much so John had some ideas, but it was nothing radical. We had the songs pretty much mapped out, so the changes were good changes but not absolutely drastic, it wasn’t like going in to reinvent the song or make it like a reggae ballad or anything (laughs), we were pretty sure about what we were going to do. He definitely brought a lot, and I think also, there’s a different energy with every person. Everyone’s different, so just adding a different person into the equation is always going to change things a little.”
When your last album went to number one, you said you were putting the bins out when you found out.
“Yes I was!”
Are you going to do anything different this time when your find out, or does that not bother you at all?
Well, I’ve moved house since then, and the bin process has changed a little bit (laughs). I don’t know. I highly doubt it’s going to be as tense as it was that time. It’s probably going to be pretty obvious if it’s going to do something crazy or not. I’m not putting too much stock in it. People seem to like the record, and that’s more important than any chart position.”
Your vocals on Mogwai records, always have loads of beautiful, layered effects on them, is that always the intention with the vocals to have them seamlessly blending in rather than a distinct separate vocal with shouty lyrics?
“Yeah, well I don’t have a really shouty voice, I probably couldn’t even do that if I tried to be honest, but yeah, it’s never really been the most important thing for us. Yeah, you’re right, it’s more of an element than the focus point”
As you do a lot of soundtracks as well, in the songwriting process, how do you decide which ones you’ll keep towards a Mogwai album and which ones you’ll use for a soundtrack?
“To be honest we only do one thing at a time. I think maybe once or twice, but not for quite a while, we’ve done something for a soundtrack and thought that should be on a record. Usually it’s like ‘we’re working on this just now, and all this music is for this,’ and then once that’s finished start writing again. We’ve written an awful lot of music that no one’s ever heard!”
Is that ever going to see the light of day?
“Well, usually there’s a reason no one’s heard it, because it’s rubbish (laughs). There is a lot of unheard Mogwai music.”
So is there ever going to be a Mogwai B sides and C sides compilation?
I think that would probably get music stopped!”
You’ve surpassed yourselves again in the song title department! Last time we spoke you were saying that you had one called ‘Taxi Jazz’ and that’s never seen the light of day on a Mogwai song, is it ever going to be used?
“No, that’s never going to see the light of day in a song”.
For this new album, was it still the same process for choosing the album title, as there are ones on there which fit the music perfectly, such as ‘Lion Rumpus’, so how do you decide from your pile of song titles which one goes with a particular song?
“That one does fit quite well, but there really wasn’t that much thought behind it, it was just more of a coincidence. It’s still the same process to be honest, we just have a pile of song titles, and it was literally the day the album was getting mastered and just after the discussion of what songs were going to go on the record, straight after that was what they were going to be called. There really wasn’t much thought behind it at all.”
In terms of the Mogwai sound on ‘The Bad Fire’ have you used any new equipment for the record or any new effects, and what are your old favourites?
“Kevin Shields designed a pedal for Fender that I use a lot, the Shields Fender Blender, and Barry gets whole new synth keyboard set ups for every record. He doesn’t even hoard them, he gets rid of them, he gets rid of them all and then buys new ones, which I think is a good idea. Although it does give him a bit of a headache when we go on tour and he has to replicate all the sounds”
Talking of touring, do you find as you’ve grown older as a band, that you still love touring just as much or do you find that these days you have to adapt to keep yourself sane throughout the whole touring process, how has touring changed for you over the years?
“Oddly, I think we just get more used to it, I think we get better at it, just managing our time and these kinds of things. I mean, I still feel really lucky to do what we do, and to go and visit all these places, to have people all over the world who want to see us play. I’m looking forward to it. I will be absolutely knackered (laughs), but you know, I’ll just take a lot of Berocca with me!”
As well as the new album and tour, there has also been a new film made about you ‘If The Stars Have A Sound”, how was the process of making that?
“Our involvement with that was pretty minimal, other than letting Anthony (Crook, film director) film us recording. We just handed over our archive footage, and me and him had a few Zoom conversations that are included in some parts of the film, but for a film about Mogwai, we’re not actually in it that much! (laughs)”
In terms of other Mogwai related stuff, you had your Big City Festival in Glasgow last year, obviously you’re busy with touring this year, so is that something you’re going to do again?
“We’re looking to do it again, yeah. I think it might be a different site, but we’re organising that just now. That’s something we definitely want to continue and make it an annual event.”
You also run your own label, Rock Action, so are there any upcoming releases on there we should be looking out for?
“Yeah we’ve got loads of good stuff, there’s the new bdrrm album which is really great, there’s a new Sacred Paws album, and a new Cloth album, it’s a really bust first half of the year for the label.”
Did you ever imagine that you’d still be in a band thirty years later, and what else would you like to achieve with the band, in the next few years, if anything?
“No, I mean we never had any idea that we’d be going this long, so that’s a huge surprise. I’d just be happy to keep making music that we like and play concerts. I’m pretty content to be honest. I think of all the things that we wanted to do we did, we did early on, so everything else is a bonus to be honest.”
What advice would you give to new bands, just starting out today?
“Just enjoy yourselves, have fun, don’t take it too seriously, just have a good time. Always take spare sets of strings!”
They may have been around for thirty years, yet Mogwai remain at the forefront of what comes to be known as ‘post rock’ albeit with their music also being somehow uncategorisable, existing in its own sphere where the worlds of indie, rock and electronica collide. ‘The Bad Fire’ is another utterly mesmerising album, cementing their place as sonic innovators, who still maintain a uniquely playful twist to everything they do. Thirty years on, still making music on their own terms, with their own label, festival film and in Stuart’s case autobiography, keeping them busy, Mogwai remain one of the most exciting and inventive bands around.
Mogwai: The Bad Fire – out now (Rock Action Records)
Mogwai UK Tour
February
20 London O2 Academy Brixton
22 Leeds O2 Academy
23 Edinburgh Usher Galk
May
17 Glasgow Barrowlands
18 Glasgow Barrowlands
Mogwai Film: If The Stars Had A Sound’ directed by Anthony Crook – out now
From the early days of creating handmade zines, in a DIY paper and glue style, interviewing bands around town, then pestering Piccadilly Records to sell them, to writing for various independent mags such as Chimp and Ablaze, writing about the music I love is still a great passion. After testing the music industry waters in London with stints at various labels, being back in my hometown again, writing about this city’s vibrant music scene is as exciting as ever. All time favourite bands include Sonic Youth, Nick Cave, Patti Smith although anything from electro to folk via blues and pysch rock will also do nicely too. A great album, is simply a great album, regardless of whatever musical cage you put it in.
