Texan indie favourites Midlake have a new frontman, with guitarist/vocalist Eric Pulido stepping centre-stage to replace Tim Smith. With the band's excellent fourth album Antiphon released this week, Pulido talks to Brian Campbell
THE song The Old and the Young on Midlake's new album Antiphon is, in a word, brilliant.
It has a lolloping bassline, a bouncy melody and a catchy chorus, so frontman and guitarist Eric Pulido was right when he said, with a laugh, "the chorus has a lift, like we were releasing the dove".
Releasing a dove might conjure up an image of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer's joke folk act Mulligan and O'Hare - and the Midlake guys do like a laugh - but their new record is seriously good.
After original frontman Tim Smith left the band of his own accord last year, some thought it could spell the end for the band from Denton, Texas.
But Pulido, who stepped up from his role as guitarist and backing vocalist to take over lead vocals, is arguably a stronger singer than Smith.
He says that Smith's departure, while difficult and unexpected, served to bring the rest of the band closer together and work more as a team. "It wasn't something that I desired or that I had these ulterior motives; it's just one of those things that happens and you just forge ahead," he says. "Luckily all the other guys have stepped up as well, so it's more communal than ever before and that's been great." Midlake have always been a phenomenal guitar band with a neat line in harmonies (and some flute for good measure).
Their acclaimed 2006 album The Trials of Van Occupanther is something of a classic, yet Antiphon contains some of their best tunes to date - It's Going Down, This Weight, Provider and Aurora Gone are all stunners.
Pulido admits the album took them away from the Brit-folk leanings of 2010's The Courage of Others and down a more psychedelic path. "We always tend to take a little bit of a left turn, because you grow and mature and hopefully you're progressing. "Obviously there's a distinct difference in the voice, but it's the same band that made the other records. And we always get inspired by new stuff and that comes out when you record. "It's been great doing the new ones live and they've all been getting a really warm reception, so that's been encouraging."
Midlake debuted much of the new album over the summer, including a fantastic show at The Windsor in Bangor, Co Down, as part of the Open House Bangor festival.
The band also played Sligo Live last month, while Pulido and fellow Midlaker Eric Nichelson played a stunning two-hander at The Black Box in Belfast in March.
So do they enjoy their Irish jaunts? "We do. The crowds are always great and we get a very warm reception, so it makes for a good experience," says Jameson Whiskey fan Pulido.
"Bangor was a lot of fun and Sligo was great. We hadn't played Sligo before. We even had a seaweed bath there. It was awesome."
He says he and his bandmates - who are currently on a mammoth tour of the US - are big fans of playing live. "We all love it. It's our livelihood and it's something that we feel fortunate to be able to do - to travel and play music together and meet some great people." Some of their US dates are support slots with Pearl Jam and The Flaming Lips. "They're both bands that have been around for a long time and I was quite into them at different parts of my life, so I really respect them," says Pulido. "I've met Jeff, who plays bass for Pearl Jam, and we've met all the Flaming Lips guys because we've played shows with them in the past. "It's cool that they asked us to come out and do some dates with them. We're excited about those ones."
He says the album title Antiphon - named after the album opener - was a word that really resonated with him. "I'd heard it in a liturgical setting and it's about this call and response style of singing. The record is our response - and not only to what transpired with Tim. Every album a band makes shows where they're at musically and lyrically at that point in time and it's their response. "I just thought it was a great representation of what this record is." n Antiphon is out now on Bella Union. Midlake play Vicar Street in Dublin on February 23. For more information, visit Midlake.net.