INTERPOL: CRIME PAYS

I’ve loved Interpol for years, so it was a big thrill to not only speak to Paul Banks, but for him to be pretty sound, too. When I called him, his phone rang out twice and I was prepared for a long evening of to-ing and fro-ing and waiting around, as I have for plenty of self-important rock stars in the past. To my surprise, he called me back less than 10 minutes later, all apologies, and said that he was double-booked and forgot about the interview (but did it, nonetheless). It was only a few weeks afterwards that his PR told me that he was apparently having a tattoo done at the time…

Originally published in The Irish Times, September 29th 2010

FOR SOMEONE with a reputation for being . . . solemn, let’s say, Paul Banks sure sounds happy. Not only does he return several missed calls with sincere apologies – itself a rarity in RockStarLand – but the Interpol frontman sounds as close to upbeat as one can be, when blessed with his even, sonorous speaking voice.