Bombay Bicycle Club and the ride thus far

MANILA, Philippines - A lot can change in five years. And in the case of 2009 to 2014 and the years that fell in between, we’ve witnessed the metamorphosis of a Disney teen to a metasexual provocateur, the evolution of fashion and trends as a throwback to the ‘90s, the change in marital surname of a certain Kim K. — and of course, the growth of Bombay Bicycle Club’s signature sound.

Fans of the English indie rock quartet (Jack Steadman on vocals, guitar and piano; Jamie MacColl on guitar; Suren de Saram on drums; and Ed Nash on bass) since their first album, “I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose,” will notice that there has been a clear musical progression throughout their succeeding efforts, which especially seems to culminate in their most recent release, “So Long, See You Tomorrow.” The songs on the new album are happier, more upbeat, and yet more complex, with samples and synthesizers supplementing, if not replacing, the real instruments that previously used to take lead.

Aside from the fact that this album is the first to be fully produced by the band, bassist Nash shares a simpler, more sensible answer to the change in sound: growing up.

SUPREME: “So Long, See You Tomorrow” sounds noticeably different from your other albums. Actually, each of your albums really sounds distinct from one another. Is this something you guys were gunning for, and something fans should expect when it comes to the growth of your music?

ED NASH: It’s not something we’ve been gunning for, really. We just kind of make the music that’s there, and when it all comes out, we’re always happy. I find it very boring when a band makes the same album. It’s always more exciting for the band and the listeners if there’s development there. We also started the band when we were quite young, and as a result, we probably weren’t fully formed musically, and as people. And you change over those years. We’ve changed, and our music changed. And as far as what people should expect… I think people should expect that (our music will continue to evolve).

“So Long, See You Tomorrow” actually has a strong, “time to drop everything and happy dance” vibe, because it leans more towards electronica than anything you’ve ever released. Does this affect each band member’s role in the instrumentation of songs?

That’s a good question, actually. There’s far more electronic instrumentation on the album, to be honest. And during the recording of the album, it was slightly a different process because obviously there were some parts that were played from electronic instruments that we weren’t able to play on a guitar or a bass. So in the studio, there were some times when I’d kind of have to sit back and not play on a song because it was an electronic bass line. We also kind of recorded it differently in that we all recorded our parts separately and then put them all together in the end — whereas previously, we tried to record two or three riffs together as a band and then put them on a record.

When it comes to live (performances), we try to adapt the songs in a way that it kind of represents what we’ve been doing for the first and second albums more. And it hits somewhere between what this album sounds like and what our live shows have been like previously. So at first, I’ll be playing some of those electronic bass lines I was talking about on a natural bass, and it probably sounds different — but then the live shows give off a bit more fun vibe and feel as opposed to when you’re just watching someone hunched over playing a keyboard.

Okay, so I know that your sound tends to be inspired by travel, and that Feel (from “So Long, See You Tomorrow”) was born out of a trip to India. Can you share some other distinct stories that have somehow translated into songs?

Our whole first album (“I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose”) and all the songs that came out of that were really just songs about us all growing up in North London, and kind of being young and experiencing things and how things feel. Half of it is really just about parting when you find someone… and kind of being in a world full of girls! There’s a song that’s literally just about life being outside — on the road, at the parks. Especially with the early stuff, everything’s pretty simple. It’s about being young.

Bombay Bicycle Club has consecutively garnered a ton of rave reviews. If you could give one totally kickass review to, which other band or act would it be? For which album?

An album that I’ve liked recently was from The War on Drugs. I thought that last album (“Lost in the Dream”) was very good. I’m not one who’s particularly good with words, but I’d give a five-star review for that album. It was actually quite fantastic!

Any band you love — in secret? Guilty pleasures you just can’t quit?

Yeah! Very much so. I’m a big fan of Guns N’ Roses! I really like them. And I like metal; I like Pantera a lot, I like Metallica, all of the metal bands that people probably wouldn’t expect from someone like me.

Act you’d kill to see live?

Umm, I’m not sure about Guns N’ Roses, because honestly… they’re actually unbelievably bad now. (Laughs)

Anything you’re expecting from your trip to Manila?

Well, more than any other shows we’re doing this year… it’s a long way there! (Laughs) It’s halfway around the world. And I don’t really know what to expect, other than being incredibly excited. I’ve heard the crowd’s fantastic over there. And all of our fans on the Internet that have been getting in touch with us are all positive and lovely, and I can’t wait to meet them. Other than that, I’ll just have to find out.

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Bombay Bicycle Club is set to hit the World Trade Center in Pasay City on July 23, with its artful dance-rock music. Tickets are originally priced at P4,200, but for a limited time offer, early bird tickets priced at P3,000 are available at SM tickets outlets and at the SM Tickets website: htt://bit.ly/s50aF2.

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