All You Need Is Doves

This month, Manchester’s Doves release their very first Best Of record. Now, history dictates that bands can choose one of two options when it comes to releasing these sorts of LP. They can either decide to let some record company lackey take care of it, or they can sit down together as a group and actually put a bit of time and attention into the process and make it something special. Not surprisingly, Doves chose the latter option and the collection is almost like a love letter to their trailblazing career.

“It was a collective decision to put out a Best Of. We just thought ‘Why not,’ you know?” says guitarist/singer Jez Williams. “I suppose it draws a line in the sand in regards to where we’re up to. There have been a few really good Best Ofs released such as Neil Young’s Decade and that’s where our heads were at when we were putting it together. We wanted to do something in that kinda vein.”
Of course when you’ve got four records to choose from, which all consist of sprawling, finely crafted indie anthems, it can be tough to get everyone to decide on a definitive running order, and Jez reveals that Doves really sweated over making the Best Of package.
“It was really hard putting it together. Getting everyone to agree was a nightmare. It was a struggle, but that’s what it’s like in bands, isn’t it? Everyone has their own idea of what their favourites are and I suppose it can be difficult getting a united decision, but we got there in the end.”
Anyone expecting to hear their typically grandiose version of Man City terrace anthem ‘Blue Moon’ will be in for a disappointment though, as Jez and Co. understandably decided to omit their tribute to their favourite team in a bid to make sure they don’t turn into a caricature.
“We always do something in tribute to City in some shape or form, but we don’t wanna get too ‘Football’s comin’ home’, y’know?” he laughs. “We redid ‘Words’ with different lyrics but we can’t ever release it!”
Doves’ new record features two CDs of music. The first showcases material that will be familiar to anyone who has seen the band live, while the second is a treat for their ever loyal fans as it has some exclusive hidden treasures.
“Quite a lot of our tracks aren’t available on different formats. If you buy the album or single in one particular place then sometimes it’s exclusive to that area and I always thought that was a bit elitist. There’s a track called ‘Push Me On’ on CD2 that I wanted to get on there because I think it’s a really good tune and we’ve got some demos and unreleased tracks on there as well which we think the fans will enjoy.”
With many acts, realising your own collection of greatest hits can be a deeply personal thing and Doves are no different. When we ask Jez how he feels about putting out the retrospective he seems genuinely proud that his band have lasted the pace.
“We were in a band before and we’ve seen how difficult it is to stay around,” he offers. “It’s tough to establish yourself but it’s also equally as hard to stick around. Keeping people’s attention takes a lot of work and we never expected to still be around in 2010. I suppose the longevity can be put down to the fact that we’ve always agreed to make sure we release something we’re proud of. We’ve always thought that if you’re not 100% happy with it, don’t put it out and we stuck to that and I think it worked.”
With a tour in the offing and then the prospect of the festival circuit to contend with, we ask Jez what happens next for the band. Is this the end of chapter one so to speak, or are they itching to get started on album number five?
“No, I don’t wanna do any of that,” he says finally. “This Doves tour may possibly be the last Doves tour we ever do. I’m not saying we’re breaking up or anything, but there’s not going to be any Doves activity after this. We’re going on an indefinite hiatus. We’ve got a UK and Irish tour coming up, then it’s on to the festivals and then after that we’ll go on to pursue other things I think.”