The band's sound is generally a mix of staccato bass and rhythmic, harmonized guitar, with a snare heavy mix, drawing comparisons to post-punk bands such as Joy Division and The Chameleons.
The band formed in 1997 when Daniel Kessler met drummer Greg Drudy, previously a member of post-hardcore/screamo band Joshua Fit For Battle and Hot Cross, on the New York University campus. Kessler later added Carlos D. on the bass after meeting him in a history class. The line-up was complete after Kessler ran into Paul Banks, a friend whom he had met in Paris. In 2000, Sam Fogarino, whom the band knew through his job at a local record store, replaced Drudy. Carlos Dengler, who was responsible for bass and keyboards, left the band in 2010, and hasn't been replaced, but announced various names to help them perform live.
The band released Direction on the soundtrack of the television program 'Six Feet Under' on June 28, 2005. Shortly thereafter they left Matador for a major label.
Our Love to Admire was released on July 10, 2007 in the USA (July 9 in the UK) to generally favorable reviews. The Heinrich Maneuver was its first single.
Their self-titled LP was released on September 7th 2010 and the tracks Barricade , Summer Well , Lights , and Try It On have been issued as singles. After this album, the bassist Carlos Dengler has lefted the band.
El Pintor is the fifth Interpol's album and was released in September 8th 2014 with 5 singles, All the Rage Back Home, Ancient Ways. My Desire, Anywhere and Everything is Wrong. The album's name is an anagram for Interpol.
The last 2 Interpol's albums are Marauder (2018) and The Other Side of Make-Believe (2022) .
Complications
Interpol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's how my observation tends
But all preoccupations are suddenly simple
When I let my second nature win
What'll it be
It goes on and on
On the street
Ties me up again
Won't be battering windows
Shatter me in my seat
Then a holier thinking
Fires me up again
Won't be rolling in sinful
Sidling up the street
I'm tryna simplify my scene
Dream of combinations
All night long
Round and round a rhythm escapes
Then I'm stuck without no answers
And I'll be pretending
There's a surplus of us to be so flagrant
What'll it be
It goes on and on
On the street
It's like a blindness
Ties me up again
Won't be shattering windows
Batter me in my seat
Then a holier thinking
Fires me up again
Won't be rolling in sinful
Sidling up the street
Sidling up the street
Sidling up the street
Sidling up to me
Sidling up the street
Sidling up to me
We are sin
We are sin
We are sin
Dream of complications
Dream of complications
Dream of complications
On and on
We are sin
Dream of complications
Heavy stepping
Dream of complications
Heavy stepping
The lyrics of Interpol's song Complications portray the struggles of simplifying life and the desire to escape the complexities of the world. The singer describes themselves as constantly dreaming of complications and observing the intricacies of the world around them. While they may not understand everything, they find comfort in the simplicity of letting their second nature take over. But despite this yearning for simplicity, they find themselves stuck in this world of complication, unable to escape its hold.
The song almost feels like a conversation with oneself as the singer tries to simplify their life by dreaming of combinations, but ultimately ends up without any answers. The repetition of "What'll it be, it goes on and on" portrays the frustration of being stuck in this never-ending cycle of trying to simplify life to no avail. The chorus of "We are sin" potentially represents the idea that human nature is inherently flawed and sinful, making it difficult to achieve simplicity in life.
Overall, this song portrays the complexities and difficulties of simplifying life, despite the desire to do so. It's an introspective commentary on human nature and the struggles we face in trying to navigate a world that seems to be continuously complicating itself.
Line by Line Meaning
I dream of complications, on and on
I often find myself dreaming about difficult situations, and can't seem to shake them off
That's how my observation tends
It's just part of my overall personality to be constantly worried about problems
But all preoccupations are suddenly simple
When I allow myself to relax and just go with the flow, everything falls into place easily
When I let my second nature win
When I give in to my natural instincts, things work out better than when I try to overthink everything
What'll it be
What choices do I have in this situation?
It goes on and on
The situation seems never-ending
On the street
Out in public
It's like a blindness
I feel overwhelmed and unable to see clearly
Ties me up again
I feel trapped and unable to move forward
Won't be battering windows
I won't resort to destructive behavior to vent my frustration
Shatter me in my seat
I feel so frustrated that I am frozen in place
Then a holier thinking
I try to take a more rational and level-headed approach to the situation
Fires me up again
This renewed energy helps me approach the situation with more positivity
Won't be rolling in sinful
I won't resort to immoral behavior to get what I want
Sidling up the street
Moving slowly and cautiously
I'm tryna simplify my scene
I'm trying to strip away all the unnecessary complications in my life
Dream of combinations
I am overwhelmed with different possibilities for how to approach a situation
All night long
I can't seem to escape the racing thoughts in my head
Round and round a rhythm escapes
My thoughts keep cycling and repeating without any clear progression
Then I'm stuck without no answers
I become paralyzed by indecision and can't seem to find a clear solution
And I'll be pretending
I try to convince myself that I have a handle on the situation, even when I don't
There's a surplus of us to be so flagrant
There are too many people around who are being reckless and inconsiderate, which just adds to the chaos of the situation
Sidling up to me
Slowly, carefully approaching me
We are sin
As humans, we are inherently flawed and imperfect
Dream of complications
I can't seem to escape the overwhelming feeling of being bogged down by difficulties
Heavy stepping
I'm trying to move forward, but it feels like every step is weighed down with extra burden
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Daniel Alexander Kessler, Paul Julian Banks, Samuel J Fogarino
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind