Frenchkiss Archives

Interview: Bloc Party on new frontiers, life after hiatus, and a return to Bloc rocking

This interview appears in ALARM #40. Subscribe here to get your copy!

Bloc Party: Four (Frenchkiss, 8/20/12)

“Octopus”

Rumors of Bloc Party’s demise circulated after it concluded touring on Intimacy in 2009. Front-man Kele Okereke released an electronic solo album in 2010 and hinted in interviews that he might have been replaced in the band. So it’s all the more surprising that the band returned in 2012 with Four, a rawer, more aggressive, rock-based take on the band’s energetic Brit-rock sound that also features a more confident, crooning Okereke. We caught up with the singer/guitarist to talk about new frontiers, making Four, and dropping fiction into interviews.

Concert Photos: Bloc Party @ Riviera Theatre (Chicago, IL)

Bloc Party: Four (Frenchkiss, 8/21/12)

Since Bloc Party hit Lollapalooza in early August, the UK indie quartet has tirelessly toured Europe and the United States in support of Four, its hard-charging new album. Now, with only a few dates left in the Pacific Northwest, the band sets its sights back across the Atlantic for dates through late November. Hey, touring isn’t for the faint of heart!

Drew Reynolds was on hand in Chicago last week to capture Kele and company.

Review: Bloc Party’s Four

Bloc Party: Four (Frenchkiss, 8/21/12)

“Octopus”

Bloc Party: “Octopus”

After a hiatus that saw front-man Kele Okereke testing the solo waters of R&B-inflected electronics, London indie outfit Bloc Party has returned leaner, meaner, and more dynamic than ever. Some studio banter between tunes is a dead giveaway that Four is a more documentary approach than the boys have taken previously. Rawer sounds and a live recording environment make this the closest to representing the band at its naked best.