Interpol gets experimental on ‘This Mirror Weighs a Ton’

For my money, Interpol has one of the most distinct sounds in indie rock. When I hear an Interpol song, I immediately know it’s them. The angular guitars, the pulsing rhythm section and, of course, lead singer Paul Banks’ moody delivery. They’re all hallmarks of the band’s sound since its landmark debut, Turn on the Bright Lights.

But something interesting happened when I listened to Interpol’s new album, This Mirror Weighs a Ton. There are unfamiliar moments, sounds and arrangements. There are woodwinds, glockenspiels and other unexpected touches. A lot of that has to do with the arrival of pop producer Andrew Wyatt.

I caught up with guitarist Daniel Kessler to talk about returning to New York to make This Mirror Weighs a Ton, working with Wyatt and rediscovering a kid-like sense of joy in the process.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.