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Artist: Noah and the Whale
Album: Last Night on Earth
Recommended by: , 6 Music Album of the Day, Radcliffe & Maconie

Although they've taken a new direction on their third LP, Last Night on Earth, the plaudits continue to pile up for London-based foursome Noah and the Whale. Having moved on from the nu-folk vibes that went on to send Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling into the Brit Award firmament, frontman Charlie Fink and company - the group is completed by Tom Hobden, Fred Abbott and Matt Owens - now seek out synthesized sounds to drape over their pop-savvy arrangements. Think more Brian Eno than anything issued on Topic Records. Fink answers our questions.

The band has gradually evolved across albums, from a folk sound to something a lot fuller and more ambitious. But do you not feel you're shooting yourselves in the commercial foot by not adhering to a template you helped craft?
I think it's important to avoid repetition as a songwriter. The artists that I most admire have great diversity within their work, and I try to be as instinctive as possible when it comes to making a new album. Commercial success is only attractive when it's achieved on your own terms.

Our review picks up on the positive tone of the LP, that it comes from a sunnier place lyrically than past affairs. A fair observation? As a songwriter, is it typically easier channelling darker feelings into music than more upbeat emotions?
I didn't want to rely on what was familiar on this record, and in many ways this is the most outward-looking album we've made. The thread that binds most of the stories is change: the possibility of it and the immediacy with which it can be achieved. Which I do think is a positive thing. It was the first time for me writing with third-person narratives, and that was liberating. As Tom Waits says, you learn to be different musical characters without eclipsing yourself. On the contrary, you discover a whole family living inside of you.

The working title for the album was said to be Odd Joy, prior to its eventual release. What was the thinking with this title? And what does Last Night on Earth refer to?
It was actually Old Joy, but I much prefer Odd Joy; in fact now I wished I'd called the album that. The title Last Night on Earth is a reference to a 1992 collection of Bukowski poems, The Last Night of the Earth Poems, which was an inspiration for me lyrically making the record.

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Noah and the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. (from Last Night on Earth)

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N&TW songs pop up from time to time on television - do you remember the first time you heard one of your own songs on a show? How weird was it?
I think it was , which was amazing. It's my favourite show.

Do you feel that N&TW has helped open the door for several other artists? If so, is there pride in that, in giving others that helping hand? Did you feel like pioneers back in 2008 with your debut, as there weren't many other young bands making music like that at the time.
That's very flattering. Truthfully, one of the most satisfying parts of what I do is getting to see other artists develop. I never really contemplate what our achievements have been; I'm always thinking about what's next.

It's clear that folk isn't an exclusive influence on the band. If you had to name two or three artists that you feel have helped shape, in however small a fashion, this new album, who would they be? Our review mentioned Brian Eno and Lou Reed...
Yes, Lou Reed was a big influence, Berlin and New Sensations in particular. He has a novelist's eye for detail and sets it to the most beautiful melodies. Tom Waits was also very influential on the record, the album Bone Machine and the song Downtown Train. I listened to a lot of Arthur Russell while recording, and some Prince too.

Finally, do you have a favourite LP of 2011, to date?
Anna Calvi's album is the highlight of the year so far for me. It's a stunning record.

Read the Ö÷²¥´óÐã review of Last Night on Earth

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