"Manchester Orchestra Is Inside / Out" | An Interview With Jon Corley & Chris Freeman

Story by Mitch McCann 

| Published Oct 25, 2011

No one would accuse Manchester Orchestra of lacking ambition. Lead singer Andy Hull’s unique voice and puzzle-piece lyrics meld with the band’s driven sound to release pure rock energy on eager listeners. Latest release “Simple Math” brings us to an interesting page in Hull’s life. In the midst of a tumultuous relationship with his now-wife, Hull cut himself open and spilt “Simple Math” unto the page. As introspective and personal as anything else under their belt, the Orchestra from nowhere near Manchester took audiences farther and deeper into the MO mindset then they likely ever intended to go.

Dialed back from the raw passion of the band’s 2009 release “Mean Everything to Nothing” and a far cry from debut “I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child,” Hull and company brought the new release forward with more rounded arrangements, like Roger Water’s-esque “Virgin,” charging “April Fool” and quirky “Pensacola.” Coming off a release that shook rooms with its power, “Simple Math” was an unprecedented step inward for these boys from Atlanta.

Instead of going higher, farther, faster, Hull turned the album on its head, sat listeners down, and told them a story no one thought they would hear. With a sound that is unique and like everything you’ve heard before it, Manchester Orchestra can’t help but carve out their own niche. To find out what exactly makes the indie rock oddity tick, bandmates Chris Freeman & Jonathan Corley caught Seeds up to speed with the Manchester Orchestra way of being.


Seeds: So now that you’ve released and have toured on your third album and are about to head back out on the road, where do you feel you are as band?

MO: I feel that we're in a great place as a band. The room we have to grow, as of now, feels exponential. Touring off of “Simple Math” has been great evidence of the leg work we've been putting into this thing for the past few years, and we're excited about the future.

Seeds: Has being tenured musicians afforded you some leeway musically? Do you feel your artistic process is in any way hampered by fan expectations or, for lack of a better term, the demand for your product?

MO: We write the same way we always have; it's just a bit more natural now. We've learned how to read each other when we're in the practice space together writing. I don't think that anything outside of that room hinders us, because we're very critical of ourselves. If something sounds good, we roll with it and then move on. If what we're doing isn't working, we just take a bathroom break and come back with clear heads.

Seeds: You guys seem to have developed a confidence with your sound, as if you’ve worked out a formula that produces songs that are both familiar but unique to Manchester Orchestra. Do your influences have a strong presence in your music or is there a “let’s try this part like so-and-so” mentality?

MO: I think that our influences come out in subconscious ways. Like, we'll do something because it feels right and sounds great and then we'll look back on it and be like, "That part is super insert band name, but it's badass." It's never a whole song really, it's more little parts here and there or certain chord changes or a vocal melody, but I don't think we've ever blatantly ripped off a band throughout a whole song... except maybe Nirvana, but so has everybody else.

Seeds: The writing feels more disclosed this time. Writing that may have been subtle on “Mean Everything to Nothing” is now straightforward. Was it something you came to on your own, or was it a mutual decision as a band to be more straightforward on “Simple Math”?

MO: I think that the more honest Andy's lyrics became, the more honest we wanted our sounds to be. I know that I personally made a more conscious effort to have "natural sounds" on this record rather than making all of my keyboard parts sound like guitars. I think that we found something special in these songs for “Simple Math” and we didn't want to clutter them up unless it was necessary, if that makes any sense at all. Plus, we were listening to a lot more older songs in between “METN” and “Simple Math”; Neil Young in particular was a big influence on us in between those records and he's more "by the book" than things we had heard before -- and he's still a badass.

Seeds: What bands, ones that you’ve toured with or would like to tour with, do you count among your contemporaries: bands that you admire or consider kin to the Manchester Orchestra vibe?

MO: Over the years, we've had the pleasure of touring and building relationships with many different bands. A few of these bands have certainly changed the way that we sound. Colour Revolt immediately comes to mind; we have played countless shows with them, and “Plunder, Beg and Curse" remains one of my favorite albums ever. After playing probably a hundred shows with Kevin Devine, we collaborated and recorded a record together under the name Bad Books. O'Brother is another band that we've formed lasting relationships with, and I always enjoy being out on the road with those guys. There are so many other bands that have helped to challenge and influence our band.

Seeds: Is there a certain way that you view each of your albums? Do they just represent your feelings and method of expression at the time you wrote them (and those feelings may not necessarily be true anymore), or is there something more that keeps you connected to your older work?

MO: Each record has a completely different nostalgic quality. As a band, we pour so much effort into the recording of our albums. Many of the songs have even taken on a life of their own, evolving throughout years of touring. I think that each record has its own unique headspace, but we can pull songs from each of them and create a fluid live show. Producers like Dan Hannon and Joe Chiccarelli have helped to shape our sound into what you hear on each record.

Seeds: What’s next for Manchester Orchestra?

MO: We've had a truly busy year, following the release of “Simple Math.” After a brief trip to the UK, we are leaving this week for another full US Tour. This upcoming tour is with bands like The Dear Hunter and White Denim. I'm more than excited to get back out on the road with those guys. After the holidays, we're constantly in the process of writing and recording new material. I hope to begin moving forward with that once back home.