Danish alternative rock band Mew make amazing music and follow an unusual path, away from the usual ‘always on’ or album-tour-album cycle. Singer and composer Jonas Bjerre joins Keith for a chat about creativity, longevity and, not having FOMO. In a word, refreshing.
If one of the secrets to longevity in the music industry is simply taking your time, then Danish alternative rock band Mew are grand masters. Formed in 1995, the band took eight years before a major label deal came along, and with it, international success (the superb breakthrough album ‘Frengers’). It did not lead to a rush. Some 26 years into the band’s career, Mew has released just seven studio albums - one every four years. That’s not something Spotify would advocate as an operating model for bands these days, is it?
Yet Jonas Bjerre is unfazed by any concept of FOMO - or the creator equivalent ‘FOBF’ - fear of being forgotten. In fact, when the band released their last LP ‘Visuals’ in 2017 just two years after the 2015 album ‘+ -’, Jonas’ instinct was that fans were not expecting it and that it was put out too fast. He may be right, but I for one was both surprised and delighted when I stumbled across Visuals on Spotify. The record was a change for the band - made following the departure of lead guitarist Bo Masden and with more keyboards and brass instruments in the mix. It was the only record they had made from songs written on the previous tour.
Visuals plays from beginning to end like a stage musical, something I put to Jonas on the Art of Longevity. It may well have been the influence of Prefab Sprout and Paddy McAloon. When it comes to influences, Mew are true musical alchemists. While many ‘rock’ (as in guitar rock) bands have eclectic and ‘classic pop’ influences, very few can meld them successfully into their own sound. Perhaps Ozzy Osbourne has done that from time to time, but most rock bands stick to their knitting. Perhaps it’s because of the restrictive formulas of rock, or not wanting to upset fans. Not so with Mew. You will hear it all in there - Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, Kate Bush, Genesis and Prefab Sprout. It is one of the elements that makes Mew so unique, along with their Danish roots probably. One minute they’re all off kilter time signatures and dissonant guitar noises, the next, soaring, beautiful and catchy pop - nicely topped off with Jonas Bjerre’s angelic vocals.
It’s rare for a European rock band to breakthrough to an international audience and to have a career of real longevity (count them on one hand), but it is even rarer to be so damned cool about it! With Mew, there’s no fretting about streaming numbers, social media profiles, hit singles or awards. Mew has had all of those, but for them the music has always been the most important thing. It is good to hear that the band is talking about another project - even if it is early days and Jonas would also like a break before. Sometimes as a music fan, patience is a virtue and the rewards are all the sweeter. It’s deeply reassuring to know that one day I will fire up Spotify and search “Mew’ and there it will be...another album and another unique listening experience.
Until then, the band is still catching up with some previously cancelled 2020 shows for the 15th anniversary celebration of “And the Glasshanded Kites”. Do not miss them.