INTERVIEW:  

conducted by Thomas & Jul with Michael James and Munaf Rayani on February 18th, 2004.  translated by Tom Driesen from French to English.

So we're in "La Guinguette Pirate", in Paris, on February 18 2004  to meet up with Michael James (bass) and Munaf Rayani (guitar) of Explosions In The Sky, just before their concert. Here's the transcription of  the interview they were kind enough to give in the back of that charming boat..

Q: How is your European tour going so far?

Michael: Rather good! It's been almost 3 weeks since we started. We're a little tired because we play every night and we don't have time to recover. Right now we're in France, which we like. The energy should be returning.

Q: How is the crowd responding?

Munaf: They are incredible. There's a big turnout at the shows. It's really awesome. We only toured Europe once before. That was good to but this time it's even better. We play in new venues and the welcome is excellent.

Q: What's the difference with your first European tour?

Munaf: Now we have a label in Europe so the press pays more attention to us. Apart from that, the people who saw us the first time around talked about it among friends so more and more people come to our shows. The shows are more and more important. It's really exciting for us.

Q: Are you equally successful in the States?

Munaf: We're starting to become more popular over there. The new album is going really well. People tend to like it. Everywhere we go our success increases bit by bit. That's quite surprising to us and it makes us happy. Any band expects that so it's great if it actually happens.

Q: Your growing popularity might prompt you to reissue your first album, which many fans expect you to do. So why don't you?

Munaf: It's difficult because we all love that album and it was very important at the start of the band. But at the same time, back then, the public didn't seem to care about it and now people only want to hear it because we are more well known. We will reissue it for the next tour and we'll sell it at a lower price. Originally there were only 300 vinyl copies of it to be sold. It was like a present for those that really wanted to listen to us. But now the demand is so high that it will be available on CD for everybody on the next tour.

Michael: It will only be sold on that tour. It's not that we are not proud of that album. It's just that we're not very comfortable commercializing that album and making money through it because it's just not that good. But because people are asking for it so much we will sell it at the shows.

Q: You don't think that album is all that good but still it got you signed at Temporary Residence, your label..

Michael: No, not exactly. It was a concert that somebody had taped and a friend sent it to Temporary Residence without telling us. And there were only new songs on that tape..
 

Munaf: There were a lot of new songs, ready to be recorded, on that tape. There was nothing of the first album on it. But it's fun to listen to it again, to remember that is was our first try. Like a photo album when you see pictures of yourself as a child.
 

Michael: Yes, like when you look at pictures of yourself at the age of 15 and you say: "I looked really stupid". That's how we feel about that album.

Q: But it's still you in the picture.

Michael & Munaf: Exactly!

Q: How would you describe your music? Do you categorize yourself as "post rock"?

Michael: I think we simply consider ourselves to be a rock band. I understand the "post rock" label but I don't really have an opinion about that term, if it helps people to describe the music we play: that's great. But I wouldn't say we are a post rock band. It's true that we don't sing, but for me, we are simply a rock band.
 

Munaf: Exactly. We are only playing music, we don't really think about it.

Q: A lot of post rock bands try to add other instruments to the traditional guitar, bass and drums. Don't you fear to be limited only using those instruments?

Michael: I don't think so. Some people may see that as a limitation. But it pushes us to be more creative with what we have. It might be easier to use a piano or strings to develop our sound but we prefer to do that with what we've got. Some people may be put off by our music because we don't use vocals but that's ok. We don't try to play music that pleases everybody. We wouldn't mind but we understand that that won't be the case.

Q: It seems that one of you guys can sing.

Michael: Who told you that?

Munaf: It's true, it's true! Michael sings like an angel but he never wants to sing to anybody except us.
 

Michael: Yes, I sing for my friends. But I don't like singing for a crowd.
 

Munaf: Michael, Steven (who does our artwork) and myself, we live in the same house. So I hear Michael singing every day!

Q: Would you, in spite of everything, be willing to add vocals to your songs, maybe by guest appearances?

Munaf: No, I don't see that happening. We are happy with what we're doing. We play with our instruments, since the beginning we have never thought about adding vocals. We don't think about it, period.

Q: Since you don't sing, you don't have lyrics. But how do you give titles to your songs?

Michael: We talk about it as a group. Sometimes we have a title even before the song is composed. And we try to write the song around the title. Sometimes it's the other way around. It varies.
 

Munaf: In a way that helps to find a direction for the song. There are obviously no lyrics but there is a storyline in our heads and it helps us to get from point "A" to point "B", passing all the levels in between.

Q: It helps you to recreate the corresponding atmosphere?

Michael & Munaf: Yes, exactly!

Q: Regarding the title "First Breath after coma": the fact that you put that song first on the album does that mean it's about a fresh start?

Michael: Of course. That's something we have done almost deliberately because the last song of the previous album was called "With tired eyes, tired minds, tired souls, we slept". For this album we wanted to start with something like: "wake up". It's the image we have of that song and the start of the album.

Q: And regarding the album title " The earth is not a cold dead place"?
 

Munaf: If you look at the album cover with the title endlessly repeated, it's like a madman who tries to convince himself by repeating that sentence. It's almost as if we're trying to convince ourselves. There are so many horrible things in the world that you end up forgetting about the positive things. But now we're in Paris and that's great for us! So the world isn't so repulsive after all. It's truly unbelievable that you can pick up some simple rock instruments and tour the world!
 

Michael: We all have our moments of loneliness or melancholy. But we want to concentrate on the more pleasant aspects of life and that's what we're trying to get across with this album and its title. We try to remind ourselves and everyone of our listeners that life is not that hard.

Q: And you're succeeding!

Michael: Thanks, we try to do our best.

Q: Let's talk about the concerts. How did you feel about playing with bands like Fugazi and Tarentel?

Munaf: Tarentel are friends so it was fun to play with them. But to play with Fugazi, one of our favorite bands, was impressive. They were really nice to us. That show, for 20.000 people, was one of the biggest shows we had ever done. And when we finished our set and turned around, they were standing there, applauding, and they took us into their arms. It was a truly magical day because we got to meet these guys whose music we had been listening to for years and years. We were very nervous..

Q: Soon you will be playing the Rhâââ Lovely Festival in Belgium. Do you know the other bands who will be playing at that festival?

Munaf: I think the Spanish guys from Migala will be there. We know them well, it's one of our favorite bands. I can't wait to see them. But I'm not sure who else will be playing there.

Q: Shipping News, Tom Sweetlove, Souvaris..

Michael & Munaf: Oh yeah, we really love Souvaris, they're great.
 

Michael: The festivals are quite different from regular shows because they are very organized. They say to us: you'll be standing there, the lights will be here, etc.. Sometimes it can be annoying but we have never played at that festival so we hope it will be ok.
 

Munaf: We're gonna be playing quite a few festivals this summer. That will be interesting because we have only played like 2 or 3 in our entire lives; apart from South by Southwest but that's different because that takes place in our hometown. When we finished that gig we could simply go home and sleep. But those festivals will be interesting. We're gonna play All Tomorrow's Parties in England, the Rhâââ Lovely festival, Les Nuits Botaniques in Brussels etc. Where ever people ask us to play, we go play!

Q: So you seem to like Migala. What other bands are you listening to nowadays?

Munaf: There are so many! Jawbreaker. That's a great band that we all like.

Michael: But we also listen to other stuff like electronic music. Four Tets last album is fantastic.

Munaf: The Shins, who do really well in the States, Pinback.

Q: And can you introduce us to some Texan bands?

Michael: I don't know if there are a lot of Texan bands. American Analog Set, Trail of Dead, Lift to Experience.

Q: You're forgetting At the Drive In! I really liked seeing them live because they looked impressive.

Michael: I have never seen them live but Munaf has.
 

Munaf: Yes, several times. It was a long time ago before they played the bigger venues. And it was incredible. I would have liked to see them in a bigger venue just to see the kids jumping around. It didn't work out for them, but that's the way it is, if you don't get along with the other band members, it's better to call it quits rather than fighting. I don't really see other Texan bands. Her Space Holiday, do you know them?

Q: Yes. And have you heard of Emery Reel? What are your thoughts on them?
 

Michael: Yes, we played with them. They're fantastic. They gave us a CD and we listen to it all the time.
 

Munaf: We hope good things will happen to them.

Q: Do you guys want to add something?

Munaf: Tony Parker is a great basketball player! He's very well known in the States. I love Paris, it's filled with nice people, boys and girls.

Michael: Je suis heureux de faire votre co naissance, mademoiselle. (in French)

Q: A more serious subject to finish up with : what are your thoughts on the upcoming presidential elections in the States?

Michael: I hope George Bush will lose. It's an awful man!

Munaf: Their strength is that those people can buy and sell everything they want. They can manipulate photos to damage you (a couple of days ago, some trick photos representing John Kerry participating in a rally against the Vietnam war in 1972 were being circulated in the United States, with the sole purpose of manipulating the American public opinion), they can do whatever they want. We really hope that Bush won't win.
 

Michael: At this moment his main opponent is John Kerry...

Q: Do you think John Kerry can win it?

Michael: I really think he can. He is becoming more and more popular because all the mistakes Bush has made over the last 4 years are starting to come out and his popularity is falling. I hope people will remember all those things when the elections take place instead of only thinking with their wallets.

Q: Do you really think John Kerry winning the elections will make a difference?

Munaf: You know, the American government is so powerful that they can piss around anybody they want to. And they do!
 

Michael: Let's hope that that will get better. John Kerry seems to be pretty intelligent. George Bush seems to be stupid and stubborn!

Q: Did you know that John Kerry has family in France?

Michael: Oh ok, I didn't know that.

Munaf: I don't think that'll help him winning the elections!