Interpol

Interpol are a post-punk revival band formed in New York City in 1997, comprising vocalist and guitarist Paul Banks, guitarist Daniel Kessler, bassist Carlos Dengler (who departed in 2010), and drummer Sam Fogarino. One of the defining acts of the early 2000s New York indie scene alongside The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, they brought the emotional weight of Joy Division and the atmospherics of Echo and the Bunnymen to a contemporary urban context with a gravity and precision that immediately distinguished them from their peers. Having developed their sound through New York club performances, they signed to Matador Records and released debut *Turn On the Bright Lights* (2002) to immediate critical acclaim. The album's dark, slow-burning quality — Banks's baritone delivering oblique, poetic lyrics over Kessler's chiming minor-key guitar figures and Dengler's melodic, prominent bass lines — drew inevitable Joy Division comparisons, though the record's emotional palette and New York context were distinctly its own. 'Obstacle 1,' 'NYC,' 'Roland,' and 'Hands Away' were standout tracks, and the album has grown in stature to be considered one of the finest debut albums of its decade. *Antics* (2004) was more immediately accessible, containing 'Slow Hands,' 'Evil,' and 'Narc,' and *Our Love To Admire* (2007, their major-label debut on Capitol) pushed their sound toward a more lush, orchestral direction. *Interpol* (2010, following Dengler's departure) and *El Pintor* (2014, with Banks playing bass himself) maintained their presence in the post-punk world, and *Marauder* (2018) and *The Other Side Of Make-Believe* (2022) showed continued creative engagement. Their influence on the post-punk revival, and on the generation of bands that followed them — from She Wants Revenge to Editors — has been substantial.