Belle and Sebastian are the very definition of a cult band. Their debut album, 1996’s Tigermilk, wasn’t an instant hit; it took time for the wider music industry to get a grasp on them, which probably wasn’t helped by their initial contract with Jeepster Records, where they stated that they didn’t want to promote their album or talk to press. Yet word of mouth persisted, with the Scottish indie-pop group growing a devoted fanbase and churning out more immediately acclaimed records along the way. Now, A Bit of Previous—their tenth record and first full-length in seven years—is another touchstone of a band with endless creativity.
Belle and Sebastian have never been pinned down into a singular definition, but members Stuart Murdoch and Chris Geddes are certain of what they aspire to be. “We definitely wouldn't describe ourselves as a ‘rock band,’” says Geddes, while Murdoch adds: “We aspire toward what we would call ‘classic pop music.’” They highlight pop records from the year 1979 onwards as the style that unites the passions between the band members.
With pop melodies providing a centerpiece to A Bit of Previous, you’ll likely hear strands of folk and rock throughout, too, the latter being a genre the band have channeled on their own terms throughout their career. Not ones to embrace the machismo of rock and roll, they’re more akin to the likes of The Velvet Underground with the irate and overdriven riffs of “Unnecessary Drama” exhibiting one of the band’s heaviest-ever guitar moments.
“I watched the Sparks film the other night—it was great, they just kept doing their thing regardless of whether they were having kids or not having hits. It was quite inspiring.”
— Chris Geddes
Yet A Bit of Previous could have sounded completely different—there’s a sense of “what if?” behind the record’s inception, as the group was supposed to record in LA before the pandemic hit. This led them to repurposing their rehearsal space into a studio with Murdoch being the benefactor to the hard labor. “I used to come down in a floral outfit and put my foot in the concrete,” he jokes. “I loved the way it was like a doll’s house, because we got more room. Everyone had their own COVID space. My room was nice and cozy.” But there aren’t any regrets about what might have been had the LA sessions worked out. “I actually ended up leaving behind a lot of songs that we were going to take to LA. It would have been really different, but I don’t feel like we’ve lost anything. We could pick those songs up again, though, because they were half written.”
A Bit of Previous sees the band confronting age and passing on the baton. You can feel the self-awareness on “Young and Stupid” as they discuss the ignorance of youth and the ease with which one comes to reminisce once their bones start to creak, never being a group to take themselves too seriously. “Come on Home” perhaps best exemplifies their graceful approach to getting old (“Give a chance to the old, set the record straight for the welfare state / Give a chance to the young, everyone deserves a life in the sun,” Murdoch sings). While the music industry may seem to be a young man’s game, Geddes mentions finding inspiration from some pop greats. “I watched the Sparks film the other night—it was great, they just kept doing their thing regardless of whether they were having kids or not having hits. It was quite inspiring.”
In recent years, Murdoch has been delving into Buddhism and running meditations on social media every week where he discusses some of the concepts within the faith. One such belief that’s been resonating with him regards leaving negative feelings in the past. “One of the teachers,” he notes, “made an analogy about carrying a burning stone in your hand, and holding it the whole time hoping to see the person you hate or have a grudge with, and you throw that stone. But of course, in the meantime, you’ve burnt a hole in your hand. Really what you’re doing is damaging yourself.”
Some of the teachings have naturally found their way onto the album. The track “Do It for Your Country” makes note of the fact that if you look for a world in which people are going to hate you, then that’s all you’ll see. “If you want to be aggrieved, disappointed, angered, scared, go online,” Murdoch observes. “You can do that 24 hours a day, and there will be someone there to provide you with that negative encouragement. It’s up to us to shut a lot of that stuff up and not to pass them on, because we’re just ruining lives.”
“If you want to be aggrieved, disappointed, angered, scared, go online. You can do that 24 hours a day, and there will be someone there to provide you with that negative encouragement. It’s up to us to shut a lot of that stuff up.”
— Stuart Murdoch
Throughout Belle and Sebastian’s discography you’ll find an endless number of stories about everyday people and scenarios that may seem insignificant, yet Murdoch’s lyricism brings these characters and moments to life. He creates a voice for that which may remain unheard otherwise, and a huge part of his inspiration comes from commuting and observing the people around him. Yet it doesn’t always bring in the stories that you’d want to hear. “You hear some funny ones from time to time,” he begins. “I was at a bus stop in Clydebank, and there were these two random guys, one of them had just been to the doctors and he was explaining to this stranger that he was going home to treat his brother’s piles [hemorrhoids] with ointment, and the other guy said, ‘Well, family is family.’”
There’s a lot to take away from Belle and Sebastian’s music. In making light of the unheard they provide an outlet for people who feel as though they’ve failed to be understood, who have felt as though they’re sitting on the sidelines. It's no surprise they’ve gained a cult following, because they offer you a comforting shoulder as much as a joyous release. A Bit of Previous is the latest chapter from a band helping us make sense of life’s peaks and troughs. FL
