Manchester Orchestra had one ambition when recording their newest album Cope. They wanted it to be loud. Really loud.
Chris Freeman, the band's keyboardist and percussionist told the New Times, "Everyone in the alternative world is trying to be quiet playing with acoustic guitars. We wanted to go the other way and create something that would require earplugs."
To clarify, the soft-spoken Freeman does not say any of this with a British accent. That is because Manchester Orchestra is not from Manchester, UK, nor are they an orchestra per se. Rather, they are a five piece indie rock band based in the Atlanta area. Their name came from singer-guitarist Andy Hull's obsession with all the great music that arose out of their namesake town, from the Smiths to Joy Division.
The two month tour to promote the 11-track album begins with a week of shows in Great Britain (which, of course, includes a sold out performance at the Manchester Club Academy). It hits Fort Lauderdale's Revolution Live on April 18, a venue at which Manchester Orchestra has performed many times. It's a place where Freeman says he has fond memories of "sitting in the outside patio area wearing glow in the dark sunglasses."
He's also looking forward to playing a show in their hometown, which brings up a question of another famous indie band from the city. We wondered if there was any Oasis-like beef between MO and another act from the city, Deerhunter. The latter put out a song called "Pensacola" just like MO did on their 2011 album Simple Math.
If there is, Freeman isn't taking the bait. "They have a song by that name too? That's funny. We're in the suburbs north of Atlanta, so we're not really around them. There's no beef between us." Perhaps the Redneck Riviera, as it's so tastelessly titled, now has a city big enough for two Georgia bands to sing about.
Just make sure that when you press play on "Pensacola," you've got the volume up to 10.
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