In an interview with BBC’s 6 Music, Geoff Barrow says that even though they were in doubt, Portishead believes that they are “in the right place” to make another record. Barrow says it took a bit for them to make up their minds and decide, but he says:
It did take a long time because we just didn’t want to repeat ourselves again really, there’s no real point.
We’d actually prefer to stop altogether if we were just going to roll out the old kinda sound really.
But he claims that after a few band chats, they all want to try a new direction. And the best part is, everyone seems positive about this new direction. So after waiting over 10 years between their second and third albums, 2009 could be another “comeback” year for Portishead, whose record Third was almost universally praised.
And Barrow made it seem that it wasn’t unlikely that a creative release could come with the record:
What’s really interesting is that we’re in this lucky position now. We haven’t got a record company; our deal eneded and so did our publishing deal.
So we pretty much own all of our own rights now, which is scary as well as exciting really, so we’re thinking of loads of different ways of doing things.
More news, after wanting to go back to the studio, they also want to head back out on the road:
When everyone’s had a bit of a break, I think we’re just going to plough onto it.
And I think everybody at some point wants to get back out on the road, because we didn’t really do an awful lot of live stuff.
Fingers are crossed for USA tour dates, after the band only played one show this year in the US, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
All of this, is very exciting.
And as a reminder, Portishead have released “Magic Doors” a single on those one-sided 12″s in the vein of “Machine Gun” and “The Rip”. A video is also available.
-Ryan N.
