Born To Be Wild

The Maccabees have made what is sure to be one of 2012’s outstanding rock albums, an epic, dreamy, profoundly irresistible suite of guitar anthems in waiting. Those with previous knowledge of the Brighton quintet may need to read that sentence again, this time from a comfortable seated position.

If the formerly scrappy crew’s emergence as indie’s great new hope has caught audiences by surprise, imagine how the band themselves must feel. For the bulk of their ten-year career they’ve been written off as posh boys – there are a Rupert, Orlando and Felix in the ranks – who, at their best, managed to sound like a genteel Libertines. Now, with new record Given To The Wild, they are being trumpeted as saviors of alternative rock. Confusing doesn’t begin to describe their state of mind. Shellshocked might be more accurate.
“A lot of people are telling us the record was written for bigger spaces, to work in arenas – blah blah blah,” says guitarist Felix White. “We just wanted to do the best we could. When you’re writing an album, there are moments you think, ‘Oh God, is this going to work at all?’ The idea we could consciously sit down to write a record that sounded like a certain thing is absurd. We aren’t capable of being as methodical as that. The bottom line is we were trying to make something that wasn’t rubbish. Lots of the songs were recorded in lo-fi settings. They certainly weren’t designed for stadia!”
Such was the hype preceding the album’s release, it began to look as if Given To The Wild might have an outside chance of debuting at number one in the UK. In the end, the record went to number four while, for shame, only grazing the top 40 here. At a time when pop completely owns the charts, it was undoubtedly an impressive achievement. But, after all the chatter, you might forgive the band for being disappointed at not going all the way to the top.
“We were delighted,” Felix insists. “A week before the charts were announced going to number one hadn’t even crossed our minds. It was amazing to go in at number four. We started this band ten years ago as mates looking for something to do. Events like these are little stamps of ‘wow’ – as in can you believe we did it?.”
The Maccabees aren’t sure they wish to be held up as saviours of alternative music. From where they’re sitting it appears rather an onerous responsibility. On the other hand they acknowledge decent rock groups are thin on the ground and that somebody needs to step up and address the situation. Otherwise, pop really might take over for good.
“When we started there were a lot of bands around. That’s changed. I think mainstream culture would benefit from more alternative music in the charts. It would be good for pop, for the mainstream. For everyone. Alternative and commercial culture always seem to bring out the best in each other. I’m not saying we’re the ones to do it. I won’t stand here and boast that we’re going to rescue guitar music. But it ought to happen for sure. I think everyone would be better off”
They appreciate, too, that they’ve had the time to develop their sound. Nowadays few bands in their position are given that opportunity.
“We are very lucky and we know that. Starting out, a few record companies wanted to sign us. We trusted the people at our label, Fiction. They wanted to give us space to grow. They weren’t looking to make a quick buck, which is something you often get. It’s probably as well! I don’t think they’ve gotten rich off us.”
The Maccabees take their name from a Jewish sect, driven into the hills by Emperor Ationchus IV after an uprising against Greek rule. Initially, it was widely believed that the group were drawn to this tale of chippy underdogs foundering in the face of overwhelming odds. This was news to the band, though. They came upon the name while thumbing through a tattered old bible. They thought ‘Maccabees’ sounded cool – and gave it no more thought.
Critics who have flocked to their side make the same argument again and again: The Maccabees used to be rubbish, now they’re sort of fantastic. Obviously it’s nice to be liked. But doesn’t the band feel this the ultimate back-handed compliment (even allowing for the fact they themselves describe their debut as the work of a group trying to find its feet)?
“Well, we still have fans who tell us our first album is best,” Felix reflects. “The reason this one sounds unique is that we put a lot of thought into how we produced it. It’s certainly more purposeful from that perspective. Perhaps that’s what people are picking up on when they tell us they like it.”
The Maccabees make no bones about being middle-class. This has sometimes counted against them in Britain where being authentically ‘of the street’ is regarded as part of what makes a good band great. In such a climate, the worst thing you could do is be a band whose principle members are named Felix, Rupert and Orlando.
However, the climate has changed. Nowadays, posh kids are taking over. Mumford & Sons count in their ranks the son of a hedge fund millionaire; new boys Spector are fronted by the offspring of one of the UK Treasury’s most important civil servants; The Vaccines are so plummy their family tree reads like a dramatis persona for Downton Abbey.
For Maccabees, discussion of their class and the degree to which they are or aren’t children of privilege is old hat. But they can understand why journalists should wish to lump them in with other English musicians strictly on the basis of which private school they attended.
“The difficulty is that journalists don’t always have time to listen to 40 bands. They have to convey in a couple of sentences what a group sounds like. That’s impossible to do. So you try to give an over-arching view, although it might not necessarily be accurate. That’s what happened to us.”

The Maccabees play the Academy, Dublin on March 3. Given To The Wild is out now on Fiction.