Coldplay

Coldplay

HEAD CASE

Coldplay Make Melodic, Brainy Rock for the Arena Set with A Rush of Blood to the Head
With a noticeable lack of bare midriffs, Coldplay weren't high on anyone's "most likely to go platinum" list when they made their Stateside debut with Parachutes. But something about the London-based band's sound -- and passion -- struck a chord with plenty of folks, and Coldplay steadily worked their way from America's clubs through its theaters, ultimately landing in the rarefied position of filling arenas with listeners who wanted to listen and not simply head-butt one another. The quartet's stealthy, subtle sound, rooted in acoustic guitar strumming and the introspective keening of frontman Chris Martin, has matured considerably on the eagerly anticipated follow-up, A Rush of Blood to the Head. The results are deeper, a little darker, and, as the title suggests, exhilarating. Martin allowed Barnes & Noble.com's David Sprague a peek inside his head in this exclusive interview.

Barnes & Noble.com: The title of the album conjures up a few different images, both positive and negative. Which did you intend it to convey?

Chris Martin: Oh, positive, definitely. Positive, but slightly dubious, since it's all about doing things on impulse and living for now. It was basically inspired by the Robin Williams character in Dead Poets Society -- the whole carpe diem thing. It's about acting on adrenaline, not putting anything off until tomorrow.

B&N.com: Has that become more difficult for you to manage in the wake of Coldplay's success?

CM: Not really. I'm actually the king of overanalyzing, but I try not to let that part of me take over. My grandfather used to always tell me to live for today, and I reckon that's good advice for everyone.

B&N.com: A Rush of Blood to the Head is more textured, more layered than Parachutes. Was that your intent going in?

CM: Our intent was just to make a passionate, melodic record. The reason it may sound different -- which I do agree that it does -- is that we were listening to different things and getting into different things while making it. Some of the songs are still quite simple; others required another approach.

B&N.com: Do you consider music to be a catharsis? And if so, which is more cathartic, writing or performing?

CM: Hmmm... [pause] I love writing music, and I love playing. I find it all amazing. Perhaps the best way to consider that is to ask if one was taken away, which would upset me more. I'd say I would be truly devastated if we couldn't write anymore. I love it when we have a new song: It's an amazing feeling you can't get anywhere else.

B&N.com: Is writing a simple or complicated process for you?

CM: The best songs seem to arrive from somewhere I don't understand. I do sit down to write and spend hours without coming up with anything, and then sit down to mess around and come up with something immediately. But maybe if I hadn't agonized for so long in the first place, the messing around wouldn't be so fruitful.

B&N.com: "In My Place," one of the simple ones, really seems to have a lot of your personal experience in it.

CM: Yes, it definitely does. I can't believe the place I'm in, the opportunities I've been given. We're all born into what we're born into, and that's that. You've got to get on with your life and make the most of it. I've been given an amazing opportunity, and I'm incredibly thankful for it.

B&N.com: "Politik" seems to be one of the more urgent songs you've written. What was the inspiration behind that?

CM: It was born out of a feeling of desperation. We wrote it right after September 11th, when everyone was feeling guilty and angry and scared. You think about it and you can't believe you weren't part of it somehow. It makes you appreciate your life more.

B&N.com: Do you think the amount of time you spent in America prior to September 11th increased its impact on you?

CM: Definitely. Sometimes you can become immune to what you see on the news, and it makes it hit home more when you know a place. I went on a trip to spread fair trade...well, propaganda as it were...but only when you get to a place where people are really exploited does it really hit home.

B&N.com: You tend to avoid specific ideological arguments in your songs, though.

CM: I don't know...I find analyzing our songs to be very difficult. It's like trying to mark your own examination paper.

B&N.com: You were quoted recently in a British paper as saying Coldplay would split if you didn't think you could top yourself on the album after this one. Has that feeling cropped up recently, or has it always been there?

CM: Oh, even on our first EP. It'd be selling people short if we did anything less. I would not want to release anything into this ridiculously overcommercialized, exploitative world that we didn't put 155 percent passion and belief into.

B&N.com: Coldplay have a very dedicated fan base. Do you pay close attention to that, or try to keep it at arm's length?

CM: We care very deeply about what our fans think. I often make the mistake of going to see what people post on our web site. Whilst that can be quite painful at times, it can also be very illuminating. We can see where we f**ked up...and where we haven't.

August 27, 2002