“I think there’s definitely somethinglacking in popular rock music today, especially what gets played on the radio,”keyboardist Chris Freeman says. “You get Nickelback and Creed. We needsomething a lot more daring and challenging, something that rock ’n’ roll ismissing now. We try to do something more intense than other rock bands do.”
Manchester Orchestra’s brand of rock isalso heavier and rawer than the indie-rock bands the group is often lumped inwith.
“We’ve played those radio shows in Florida and San Diego, andthe other bands had hit singles, like Phoenixand Vampire Weekend,” Freeman says. “Every night we were the loudest band.”
That intensity comes across on Mean Everything to Nothing, the band’s2009 studio album recorded with The Shins/My Morning Jacket producer Joe Chiccarelli,which scored the top 10 modern-rock hit “I’ve Got Friends.”
MeanEverything to Nothing was released last April to strongreviews, including a particularly enthused write-up from Paste Magazine that claimed the band had proved “it’s possible to makea massive, commercial, go-for-the-gusto Rock Record while still holding on todark idiosyncrasies.” After spending much of last year touring behind therecord, the band is on the road again for a 75-date tour that has included anappearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and will wrap up at this year’s BonnarooMusic & Arts Festival in Tennessee.
Unlike last year when it opened forSilversun Pickups and Brand New, Manchester Orchestra will be headlining orco-headlining this tour alongside Thrice.
Freeman, who was packing his suitcasefor the tour during the interview, is excited about that change.
“There’s a different kind ofsatisfaction playing in front of your own crowd,” he says. “That’s something wehaven’t been able to do for a while. You enjoy the connection with your fans.You can really enjoy the show.”
The shows will also include materialfrom Manchester Orchestra’s 2007 debut album, I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child, which was released when frontmanand lyricist Andy Hull was all of 19.
Hullgave his band its misleading moniker because he was heavily into The Smiths andother music that came from Manchester, England, and heenvisioned the band being a rotating group of players combining their effortsin the spirit of an orchestra.
That didn’t work out, and a moretraditional band emerged, but the name stuck.
The guys in Manchester Orchestra arenow all in their early 20s and have already played major festivals likeCoachella and Lollapalooza and toured internationally.
“Our last trip to the U.K. was hard,”Freeman says. “We had major injuries at that time, everybody in the band washurt. It’s a very dark, rainy place. It was just difficult at the timeall ofthat setting in. We were being miserable together. But, other than that, it isfun.”
Freeman says there’s a simple reasonfor why the band tours so much: The way bands make money these days isn’t byselling records, it’s by playing shows.
“We’re ready to get back in the studio,but we need to make some money,” Freeman says with a laugh, becoming cheerilysarcastic. “There’s so much money in indie rock. I can see the headline now:‘Manchester Orchestra is all about the money.’ This is great.”
Thriceand ManchesterOrchestra headline a 7 p.m. show at the Rave on Saturday, April 24, withO’Brother.
