Interview: We Are Scientists Experiment with Weird Love Songs
Before the March release of their latest album TV en Francais (available through Dine Alone Record) it had been roughly four 
years since we last heard from Brooklyn, NY-based indie rock act We Are Scientists. During that time, the band – Keith Murray and Chris Cain – switched management companies, labels, and used the decline of a relationship as fodder for the album we’re hearing today.
When quizzed about that era, Murray reflects on a relationship he was in at the time as the album was being written – he could tell there were issues. Interestingly, he recalls, as soon as the album was written, said relationship came to an end. Timing is a funny thing.
As opposed to penning a paint-by-numbers breakup album that generally consists of whoa-is-me- sentiments, anger-infused accusations, and passive aggressive poetry, the duo took a different approach.
“They’re definitely very weird love songs…it’s kind of a pre-breakup album,” confirms Murray while in conversation with Riffyou.com a day following a successful run of sold out shows in Philadelphia. “They’re songs thinking about love, not really about being in love…thinking about why love is worth preserving, or not, and what that even means in practical terms.
“Even though there were issues that needed to be addressed, I definitely didn’t think I was breaking up when the album was being written,” Murray explains. “It’s nice that the album is not really a breakup album, because they are often very, very self-absorbed, and self-pitying. It felt like writing about the minutia of trying to navigate and manage a relationship that needed examination, more than it was: ‘this shit is awful, my heart is broken, and you’re an asshole.’ There are enough albums like that in the world.”
As the subject of love in the time of being a professional musician is further explored, Murray admits that “it pretty much fucking sucks” to try and balance a relationship with his type of career. He especially doesn’t deal well with the idea of abandoning the other person at home, in a place they’re meant to share. Apple’s glorious mobile technology feature, FaceTime, admittedly makes this whole scenario easier.
Even with heady, very personal subject matter at play within TV en Francais, the album isn’t by any means a downer. It’s a danceable rock excursion with enough hooks and heart to justify repeated listens. In some instances you’re hearing a less gloomy Interpol, others you feel the spirit of indie Brit-rock with a hint NYC flare attached to it.
“We think of it as a more atmospheric album, whereas normally on-record and live we tend to savour more direct, up-tempo…as basic of an approach as possible,” says Murray. “On this album, the pop sensibility would be that we spent more time manicuring textures and tones.
“We always want to be graduating to another move. Sometimes we’re too close to what we’re doing, that it’s hard to even tell how different the music is from what we’ve done before. We always think everything is pretty different, whether or not [that’s the case],” he laughs. “In this case, we were more interested in actively pursuing something slightly different. I love all of our old albums, but we definitely don’t want to tread water musically.”
-Adam Grant
Catch We Are Scientists on Tuesday, April 22 at Lee’s Palace in Toronto.
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