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Friday, April 8, 2011

Interview with Russell Lissack of Bloc Party: Part 3

We (members of AND) know that the band knows of the forum. I've always been curious how often the band visits the forum, and reads up on it. There have been some odd links that seem too strange to be coincidence, with a member (Progress) suggesting that Bloc Party should play I Would Die 4 U by Prince live and have it go into Flux and a few months later, it happened, and Kele wearing a shirt with Obama on it and underneath saying Progress, which was Progress's avatar on the forum at the time. So...are members of Bloc Party also undercover spies on AND?

I have no idea what the others get up to on the internet in their own time... that's probably best left alone.
The Obama progress thing sounds like a coincidence, wasn't that his presidential campaign slogan?
I rarely look on there anymore, its not our domain, it's somewhere for our fans to hang out. If anyone want's to talk to me, i always reply to messages, even if it takes me a while, and i'm always happy to talk if people bump into me.


As a musician, what are you most proud of?

I might be wrong, and who knows where we will stand in the grand scheme of things, but i like to think that we are a band that are important to people.
When i was growing up, there were countless bands and songs i enjoyed, and that influenced me, but i can count on one hand the bands that were truly special. its hard to put into words, but somehow their music was influential beyond songwriting, they actually had an impact on the direction of my life, they really fueled a passion in me.
I hope that's something like what we mean to people.


You've been in Bloc Party for almost a decade now. Looking back on it, and your music career, is there anything that you would have changed?

It's hard to say... there's lot's of things we could have done differently, but you never know how they would have worked out.
Even if we never work as Bloc Party again, i've done what i always dreamed of doing.



You're somewhat labeled as the quiet, shy, and even awkward member of Bloc Party. Are you really quiet and shy or do you feel as if this is an inaccurate portrayal?

It was accurate, but i think during this time off, and touring with Ash, i've become a lot more confident.... in relation to myself 5 years ago anyway.


Finally, what are your favorite Bloc Party songs and your favorite album? Which mean the most to you and why?

That's the kind of question that can produce a different answer depending on when i'm asked.
So today, i'd say Weekend in the City is my favourite album.
I love "Sunday", for me it's one of those rare moments when a song creates goosebumps. I always remember when we did a demo for it and Matt wrote the backing vocals, it reminded me of the Lion King, and obviously i'm now King of the Jungle so it's even more relevant.
Writing the Prayer was awesome too, it really felt like a step forwards. (I actually got the idea for the "ooh" intro vocals from the Wizard of Oz, fact of the day.)

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