Interpol and DIIV

The band are currently made up of singer and guitarist Paul Banks, drummer Sam Fogarino and lead guitarist Daniel Kessler. Unlike many of their contemporaries, they are one of the few bands who came to prominence in the great indie rock boom of the early 2000’s to keep their creative spark alive into the new decade.

This is especially impressive considering that in 2010 the band's unofficial frontman, effortlessly suave bassist Carlos Dengler, left the band after growing tired of the touring lifestyle. Many thought that they would be rudderless ship after he left, but many were wrong.

Ever since they formed, the band had been an equal collaboration between every member. They’ve never had a main songwriter and still don’t have one to this day. With Dengler gone, a crucial element of that dynamic went with him but after a long break, they were able to return to their former glory with style.

They returned with 2014’s “El Pintor”, an album that went to the top ten on the album charts of both sides of the Atlantic and restored the bands mojo in thrilling fashion, with their icy, edgy post-punk never sounding more exciting and totally unique as it does now.

With experience and ability on their side, Interpol have quite simply never been a better band than they are today. They’re at their peak, and they’re only going to get better, so join the ride now, and you will not regret it!

They say that nowadays, people mostly make music as solo artists, as it’s cheaper and more artistically freeing. However, Diiv are a sign that maybe those acts can start out as solo projects, and then develop into great rock bands later. Frontman Zachary Cole Smith began Diiv as Dive, a name for his solo recordings that he put on Soundcloud.

Soon after he started, his songs started to pick up some recognition. So he put the word out among his friends on New York City’s indie scene, put a live band together and started performing, which got them signed to the label Captured Tracks in early 2012.

It was around this time that Smith changed “Dive” to “DIIV” (pronounced in the exact same way) out of respect for a 1990’s Belgian industrial band of the same name.

By June, their debut album was released. “Oshin” was an instant hit that made a name for themselves on both sides of the Atlantic, playing London’s Alexandra Palace with The Vaccines and doing a tour of their East Coast home turf supporting Japandroids.

The album ended up on the year end lists for Pitchfork, NME and Stereogum among many others and has made the expectation for their second effort sky high.

Of course, this expectation isn’t a problem for Smith; He’ll do what comes naturally to him and only what comes naturally to him. He’s an artist with the world at his feet, and what comes next is an exciting prospect indeed. One to watch like a hawk.