Surprise! I have managed to feature yet another indie-rock band. But this time, they are actually talented. The Arcade Fire, a Montreal-based group, was an instant success with the release of their first album, “Funeral,” in 2005 and released their new album, “Neon Bible,” on March 6. The music is undoubtedly a mix of loud and soft, guitars and synthesizers.truly no one characteristic unites the songs aside from innovative mixes of sound and instruments and extremely inimitable lyrics that leave you wanting to know more and more about the emotions behind the songs. Open to interpretation, strange and without a doubt duly at the illustrative of indie-rock genius, the Arcade Fire’s music truly reveals emotion and experience behind production, rather than the typical indie whining and droning about nothingness.
The band is composed of Win Butler, his wife R‚gine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld, Jeremy Gara and Win’s brother, Will Butler. Win and R‚gine wrote and performed songs together with the help of various little musical elves, gradually forming the Arcade Fire with the collaboration of dozens of instruments and dozens of helpers coming in and out along the way. Their tours have been infinitely successful, and with the release of “Neon Bible,” the band sets off on a European tour (have any friends abroad?), returning to North America in late April to tool around in such areas such as California, Georgia, North Carolina, D.C., New York, Illinois and Ontario. If you’re interested in praising Arcade Fire publicly, check for dates around your area this summer.
But, you don’t have to wait until summer if you just can’t stand it any longer. Those cravings for interaction with the band can be satisfied here and now. Sweet hook-ups have allowed for an interview with Will Butler himself, the infinitely talented bass, percussion and guitar player for the band. Now, usually I cannot bring myself to elevate modern musicians to god-like status, but I would venture to say he could be on his way to the high heavens. Where did the conversation go?
A conversation with Will Butler
-Interview by Rebecca Katz
Student Life: So, your newest album is absolutely phenomenal. Reviewing it was a pleasure. After listening to it a few times over, I have been curious to know about the religious inspiration behind the whole piece. It seems to be overflowing with political connotations as well, but with the organ sounds and the choirs, it sounds religious at certain points. What was the group’s intent by adding the religious undertones?
Will Butler: Thank you. There wasn’t really a point in adding religious undertones – it just happened.
SL: I saw the title of the album as almost a mockery of traditional religion. What is the meaning of the title “Neon Bible?”
WB: I suppose we’re in the business of making the music, and listeners and readers and what-all are in the business of interpreting. We chose “Neon Bible” as a title because intellectually, it’s open to all sorts of meanings, but physically – well, it’s an obvious image. When you think “neon bible,” you think of a big neon sign in the shape of a bible. But you also think of how that sign betrays traditional religion. Or perhaps you think of it as a beacon for salvation. Or maybe you think of it as a sign for a pornographic bookstore on Coney Island that someone just happened to take a picture of and someone else thought it was a bible.
SL: I know your brother took scriptural interpretation classes at university, but do you personally have any ties to religion? Were there any times where your opinions clashed with those of other members of the group?
WB: You’re not supposed to talk about religion or politics at the dinner table, though we do quite often. Hasn’t been a problem thus far.
SL: Did “Neon Bible” give you the opportunity to play any instruments that you’d never played before or never performed songs with?
WB: We got a few new toys when we recorded Neon Bible. I bought a Moog Taurus II bass synth – you play it with your feet and it can make all sorts of rumbles and hisses. The band got a set of bass steel drums – four big chrome drums that sound warm and natural, but not quite like any bass instrument that would pop into your mind. R‚gine’s been playing a lot of hurdy-gurdy – basically a bagpipe-violin that you play with a crank. And it’s rare to play a huge church organ. It’s fun.
SL: Your shows are absolutely astounding. After hearing your albums, you think that it can’t get any better, but hearing your music live was almost a religious experience for me. Have you had any problem with the Arcade Fire getting its name out there and really filling your shows? I guess the question really is, how do you feel about the hype?
WB: It’s bizarre to come to a foreign land (I’m in Glasgow right now) and have a couple thousand people cheering and clapping for you – how the heck did you people get into a band from thousands of miles away? It’s a mysterious, pleasant feeling.
SL: You guys have had the opportunity to work with musical gods such as David Byrne and David Bowie. What bands/performers have influenced you most? What music do you listen to now?
WB: As far as new music goes – this band Electrelane is going to open for the second half of our European tour. They’re amazing – on record at least. I can’t wait to see them live. Their new album No Shouts, No Calls comes out in April, I think. And Kelly (one of our horn players) plays in the band Beirut, who are amazing live. I listen to a lot of oldies. I watch a lot of TV. TV is so good right now! It’s exciting. I mean, Lost, 24, Friday Night Lights, Project Runway. There’s lots of crap to download and waste time with.
SL: What are you looking forward to most about your upcoming tour? Do you have a favorite place to visit? Is there somewhere you’d like to visit that you haven’t had the chance to go?
WB: I’m excited now that the record is finally out. It’s been a long time coming (I mean, not too terribly long – but we finished it in December and it’s just coming out now. So I’m glad that people can finally hear – it makes the shows better too). Tour is tricky – you don’t necessarily see a lot of the place where you’re playing, unless you have a day off to wander around (and you’re not sick). I like eating – so any place with a good restaurant is all I want in life. And there are good restaurants pretty much everywhere, though sometimes hard to find.
SL: Now for the real question: do you like Canada or America better?
WB: Oh man, the ideal of America is amazing. It’s about the most exciting idea the world has come up with. There’s plenty of bad stuff – plenty of breakdowns between the ideal and putting that into practice. Once you travel around you really start seeing how messed up America is, but also how messed up every place is, right down to their cores. So I like that America at least has an amazing idea behind it.
So the musician is down-to-earth, friendly, and he may or may not have seen a neon sign for an adult bookstore on Coney Island that inspired the title of a new album, “Neon Bible.” Note that he said nothing in response to a question about solo work. Is he hinting at the possibility?
In sum, girls, Will likes oldies, he likes food, he is open to controversial political and religious debates and his fame has totally resided in his heart and not his head. Perfect? Perhaps. Married? Most definitely. But, we can all dream. In the meantime, be sure to check out his mad skill on that bass synth in the Arcade Fire’s new album, “Neon Bible,” and find your own meaning in the title. Maybe it will coincide with the porn shop of Will’s dreams.