Ignorance Is Bliss

Back in January 2008, the music world was left scratching its head over some rather strange news. It seemed that Johnny Marr, Smiths legend and all-round indie demi-god, had been working with Wakefield trio The Cribs on some new material. The following month it was confirmed that the 45-year-old legend was indeed a paid-up member of the band. Fast forward a year and a bit, and the quartet have now released possibly their best record to date, Ignore The Ignorant. It’s an event which comes as something of a relief for Mr. Marr because now he’s finally letting the music do the talking.

“I don’t have a problem with there being a story around the record and I understand the level of interest that’s been generated by me coming into the band,” begins the guitarist. “When it starts to overshadow the music and we’re more discussed about than listened to, it kinda misses the point. Now that it’s out on the shelves, all can be revealed and it feels really good that people are using their ears instead of their mouths.”
At the time of our interview, The Cribs are in Belfast’s Mandela Hall preparing for the second night of their tour. As is the norm at the moment, Hot Press is granted time with both Marr and singer/bassist/“one half of the twins” Gary Jarman (sibling Ryan plays guitar in the group).
As we speak to the two bandmates, each makes it clear that regardless of how juicy the story might be, their union is for the purest of reasons and that’s to make a kickass album.
“Our primary consideration was all about the way the band sounded and how we fit as individuals,” Johnny resumes. “What people are going to think of ‘the story’ and my past was a passing thought. It’s almost superficial when you’re concentrating solely on the songs and essentially that’s the main thing we’ve got in common. We take care of the music first.”
“Theoretically getting Johnny on board was a big deal and a scary thing,” Gary takes over. “The reality of it was different because we’re four friends who are into the same bands and who are playing together. We all had the same ideas and any kind of trepidation or nerves went out the window in the first few minutes because we wrote some new songs straight away.
“When we started out,” he continues, “we had this determination to make sure the integrity of the band wasn’t changed. At the same time we wanted people to hear Johnny’s influence on us. I think we pulled it off – at the same time it sounds like a Cribs record. Having Johnny on board enabled us to expand and go down avenues we always intended on visiting. There’s a lot more emphasis on delicate songs and that was something I’d been pushing for a while, as it’s a side of our band that we felt was over-looked quite a lot. We’ve pinned our colours to the masts with this one. We don’t want to plough the same furrows.”
When listening to Ignore The Ignorant there’s a frenetic energy in songs like ‘We Were Aborted,’ ‘Nothing’ and ‘We Share The Same Skies’. Yet in many other ways their union seems so effortless.
“That’s good to hear,” Marr smiles. “I mean it wasn’t effortless at all. I’d like to think that people who are good at what they do make it look easy. In real life, though, there was a lot schlepping equipment into some very dodgy service elevators in the north of England and trekking across fields in Portland, Oregon to play in some sinister looking barns. We’ve done our fair share of graft making the album and there were a lot of late nights to get it right.”
Gary takes up the story: “The initial spark we had was kinda surprising. It was all very easy. Maybe we took it for granted that we were all on the same page. All along, we knew it would work. Honestly, it was a big deal for us to ask someone else to be in the band and it was an even bigger deal getting someone like Johnny.”
When the four first decided to collaborate, Marr invited the Jarman brothers to stay at his house in Manchester.
“We tried to be sensible about it,” he smiles. “We wrote a lot of songs before the idea of me joining properly had to be addressed. Maybe we were putting our heads in the sand. It was that thing of taking care of business first. We’re grown-ups and we know it’s a big commitment, me to them and vice versa. We tested it out first. Right from the off we got on really well and I kinda turned around at one point once the guys were living in my house for a couple of months with my family and I thought, ‘This isn’t too much different from me travelling around on a bus with them.’ It wasn’t an imposition living together as a family and they felt the same way about me. I kinda became the extra family member.
“There’s no bullshit. You can’t say that for most groups,” he observes. “There’s often a weird neurosis knocking around and agendas and paranoias and those sort of things. With The Cribs we have different issues. I haven’t quite worked out what they are yet – but it’s more about what we’re going to play each night.”
Egos were left outside the door, with all parties being refreshingly down to earth about the process.
“I have no interest in standing out from the group,” states Marr. “I believe every band member has their role and I want to play guitar. Guitar players can sometimes showboat a little. I’ve no interest in being out front or the band being ‘The Cribs featuring Johnny Marr.’ I want it to be a great unit, I wanted that for my other band Modest Mouse too. When I’ve played on other people’s tracks down through the years I’ve wanted to make it sound better, instead of being a showcase for my ego. I think me and the boys are all cut from same cloth.”
Gary also tells us Marr’s interpretation of their older material is smartly understated – tracks such as ‘Our Bovine Public’ (which is as angry as a badger that’s been booted in the balls) won’t, we are assured, have any jazz-fusion breakdowns.
“Johnny’s conscious about treating the older songs well,” Gary reflects. “He’s dead conscious about not spoiling anything or getting in the way and his flourishes and embellishments sound really great. It’s made a difference. Yet it’s subtle enough to still sound like the original.”
Spending an evening in the two’s company is almost like hanging out with your mates. Marr, a lifelong Manchester City fan, is eager to talk about a recent controversial derby match once he finds out Hot Press is a fellow “Blue”.
“I really didn’t care too much about the result because I felt that the important thing was that they got the message loud and clear that they need to worry about us now. That’s really very satisfying,” he remarks on Manchester United’s last-gasp 4-3 win. He’s also genuinely touched when this writer tells him about the ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ tattoo he bears in honour of The Smiths masterpiece.
Gary is equally as warm, open and honest. It makes us wonder why these four didn’t team up years ago. Marr, for his part, agrees that he’s making the best music of his career and confirms that Ignore The Ignorant isn’t a one-album deal.
“We don’t have a clue where the next five years are going to go but we’re all assuming it’ll be in this format. We’re pretty hard to beat on a good night and there’s no reason to think I’ll be going anywhere else. I’ve always tried to avoid having a map or a game plan and to be led by the music. As long as I’m with people who think the same way, I think I have a very worthwhile life.”

Ignore The Ignorant is out now