CHAD PARKHILL catches up with ERIC PULIDO of MIDLAKE to discuss the band’s shift from narrative to philosophy and the anxiety of influence.

Mere minutes before I call Eric Pulido, guitarist of beloved Texan quintet Midlake, I finally understand what it is that separates their most recent album, The Courage Of Others, from  its predecessor, the sleeper hit The Trials Of Van Occupanther. It’s not only a sonic change, but perhaps more importantly, it’s a fundamentally new songwriting orientation. Whereas the songs on Van Occupanther were heavily narrative-based, telling a detailed story about the colonisation of the Americas, the songs on The Courage Of Others are reflective, philosophical. A song such as Rulers, Ruling All Things is not a story about a particular king or despot, but a statement about the pernicious effects of governance tout court.

“Well, Tim [Smith] is the lyricist,” Pulido says when I question him about this, “but I agree that the past albums have been more kinda narrative or character-based kind of lyrics, but with this album it’s more first-person, more personal. I like that direction, because it is a bit of a change, and it works well with the music.”

The topic of music brings us onto the most talked-about aspect of The Courage Of Others: the band’s shift from ‘70s Fleetwood Mac-tinged Americana to Pentangle-esque British folk. What inspired this change in direction, especially given the success of Van Occupanther?

“I think really it was just the music we were listening to,” Pulido says. “We happened to be listening to a lot of Fairport Convention, and Pentangle, and that came through in the music we were writing.”

Pulido is a little taken aback when I press him about the essentially British nature of these influences – “Do you think Australian bands should only listen to Australian music?” he snarls. I explain that what is most interesting about Midlake is not that they have global influences – after all, in an indie landscape dominated by the likes of Vampire Weekend and Dirty Projectors, picking up a guitar lick from Nigeria and percussion from Mexico has become passé – but that they are so thematically consistent, and make the effort to truly inhabit, rather than appropriate, their source material.

“Along with the musical style, I think there’s also an affinity for a time that was before, or a time when things seemed better, or more pure or organic,” Pulido offers by way of explanation. “Even though I know we’re romanticising – they had their issues as well – but you kind of look back to that as well. Like with the last record, you think of that community, with that music and that sound. I don’t think this album is an exception – there’s a medieval or renaissance vibe that goes along with the British folk thing, and Tim in particular has an affinity for that. That doesn’t mean we’re getting out our lutes and dancing around the fire, but at the same time when you hear the lyrics and see the album cover, it does have a thematic consistency to it.”

THE COURAGE OF OTHERS is out now through Bella Union/Speak N Spell/Inertia. www.midlake.net

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