Manchester Orchestra isn’t from Manchester, but Atlanta. Or, more specifically, Johns Creek.
They’re named for the city in England because of an affinity for some of its musical exports – The Smiths, Joy Division, New Order – yet their music is best described by keyboardist/percussionist Chris Freeman as “loud indie rock.”
But, identification oddities aside, the band comprised of Andy Hull (singer/rhythm guitar), Robert McDowell (lead guitar), Jonathan "Jay" Corley (bass), Tim Very (drums) and Freeman has spent the past six years becoming one of the biggest players in its genre. And out of, as evidenced by a recent performance – its third -- on the very-mainstream “Late Show with David Letterman.”
Manchester Orchestra’s third album, “Simple Math,” arrived earlier this month and debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 – a career high.
A concept album filled with complex musicality and penetrating lyrics, “Simple Math” is poised to bump the quintet – who play the Tabernacle Wednesday on a shared bill with Cage the Elephant – to an elevated level of indie rock-dom.
Freeman called in from a tour stop in Detroit last week to talk about the intricate album and his bandmates, who, he said, live a “collective 1.8 miles from each other.”
Q. The new album has some pretty heavy parts. How did the band respond when Andy came in with the idea of a concept record?
A. He didn't bring it to the table as a concept album. We started hearing what he was singing and realized what he was talking about. We're very close and spend every day together, even when we're not on tour, so we were aware that this was [about] a big chunk of his life.
Q. Did you choose the title "Simple Math" to be ironic, since nothing about the album is simple?
A. I believe the way it happened, the song ['Simple Math'] came first, so it made sense. It does describe the album in a weird way, though. The song sort of sums up the record, like, the pause moment you have among all of this chaos.
Q. Musically, it goes from being very moody and somber to songs that are very power-pop, like "Pensacola." How involved was the rest of the band in creating the musical journey?
A. Once we got to the studio [the album was recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville and Vision Studios in Doraville], it was meticulous layering. It was very calculated, like we should put a snippet of horns here or strings there. It was the first time we used a full string arrangement [on a record], a 12-piece orchestra of Atlanta players who came to Tree Sound Studios and banged it out in four hours.
Q. Do you feel as if the band has found its niche?
A. I think it's definitely a clearing of the palette to say we can do whatever we want now. I feel like people have called us an emo band in the past and it puts a certain stigma on you.
Q. What's the band's back story as far as your Atlanta roots?
A. We all met in Atlanta and went to Perimeter Church. Andy and Jay met at Providence Christian Academy [in Lilburn]. I met Robert when he was in fourth grade and I was in seventh. We were 15 when Andy started a band with Jay and I put up a flier in the guitar teacher's room at church looking for a guitarist. We've all been around each other a long time.
Concert preview
Manchester Orchestra and Cage the Elephant
7:30 p.m. Wednesday. $31.25. The Tabernacle, 152 Luckie St., Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.livenation.com.
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