One of indie pop’s most beloved bands – Belle and Sebastian released their 12th album, Late Developers this past January 13.
Recorded during the same session as last year’s A Bit of Previous, their 11th album, Late Developers is a part of a whole rather than a totally different album. And yet, there is a slight difference between the tracks on Late Developers.
“I felt there were some older songs that ended on the second record (Late Developers),” disclosed vocalist, violinist, and guitarist Sarah Martin in an exclusive interview with this SoundStrip writer. “It’s probably because we wanted to get the newer songs out of A Bit of Previous while they felt current and important. It felt like we needed to continue the momentum of the songs being written and recorded quickly to get them out. Those in the pipeline generally ended up in the second batch of songs.”
“For me, the biggest decision was whether to put ‘I Don’t Know What You See in Me’ which is the collaboration with (young pop composer) Pete Ferguson,” chimed in keyboardist and percussionist Chris Geddes. “It was most obviously the pop song from the two sessions. Ultimately, it felt like it didn’t fit with the first record.”
Late Developers bristles with a lot of energy as it draws from the band’s many influences from 1960s pop to Beach Boys harmonies to 80s C86 power pop. Furthermore, the band makes mention of many of their influences in their songs.
Songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King are name-dropped on the opening track, “Juliet Naked.” And in “So In the Moment” which leads off the second side of the record, I believe it is the first time that a modern pop band makes mention of Paul McCartney and Wings in a song.
“I want to jump in like Paul McCartney and Wings. I feel like letting go,” wrote guitarist, pianist, and vocalist Stevie Jackson.
“Steve is a massive Beatles and Paul McCartney fan as we all are,” explained Geddes.
“It was Stevie who wrote ‘So In the Moment’ and I love that song. It was good fun to record and Stevie’s vocal delivery is fantastic. I would say Paul and Wings are never too far from Steve’s mind.”
Speaking of the Fab Four, there’s a bit of symmetry between them and Belle and Sebastian when Martin likened Belle and Sebastian’s first two albums – Tigermilk and If You’re Feeling Sinister – to the Beatles’ Rubber Soul and Revolver as they were quickly recorded one after the other.
Although A Bit of Previous and Late Developers are from one long recording session, the two were released within eight months of each other.
Regarding the title of the new album, while it doesn’t sound as mysterious or peculiar as If You’re Feeling Sinister or Dear Catastrophe Waitress or even Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, you simply cannot judge an album by its title.
“There’s this notion that we (the band) are quite late developers as people. We’re not exactly sophisticated adults or even as young adults,” said Martin of the allegory to the title.
As such, Late Developers is possibly their best album since 2006’s The Life Pursuit.
And it’s incredible to know that 27 years in as an enduring and critically-acclaimed band, five of the seven members (bandleader Stuart Murdoch, drummer Richard Colburn, Jackson, Martin, and Geddes) have been together since 1996. Guitarist and bassist Bobby Kildea have been with the band since 2001 while multi-instrumentalist Dave McGowan has been with the band since 2012 with the first six years as a touring musician and since 2018, as a full-time member of the band.
“Other than some stuff that happened in the early days we do not have too much interpersonal drama,” bared Geddes about the band’s harmony and longevity. “We haven’t fallen out over money and nobody has stolen another’s partner.”
“No Fleetwood Mac-ing anyone,” offered Martin. “Everyone wants to be in the band. We should have been on tour but there was an email about these tracks we need to deliver, so everyone’s ‘okay let’s do this in the studio.’ Everyone wants to do it.”
As for touring in the Philippines, Belle and Sebastian were supposed to perform in the Philippines sometime around 2015 but a typhoon got in the way.
“We were meant to come over in 2015,” recalled Martin.
“There was a typhoon,” interjected Geddes. “We would love to come. In terms of definite plans… not yet because of the health issues that have made us reschedule our previous tour. We have to be a bit careful at the moment. But hopefully, we will soon.”
In the meantime, fans of Belle and Sebastian in this corner of the world will have to enjoy the buoyant and sparkling, Late Developers.