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Interpol

Interpol came out of New York in the early 2000s, just as the city's guitar scene was waking up again, and their debut made them one of its defining bands. Paul Banks's baritone and the sharp, chiming guitars of Daniel Kessler give songs like "Obstacle 1," "Slow Hands," and "Evil" a moody, tightly wound sound that still gets compared to Joy Division, though they've long since made it their own.

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Turn On the Bright Lights (2002). Their debut, and the record that made their name. It has "Obstacle 1," "PDA," and "NYC" on it, and it captures the band at their most urgent and atmospheric.

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Biography

Interpol is an American rock band from Manhattan, New York. Formed in 1997, their original line-up consisted of Paul Banks (lead vocals, guitar), Daniel Kessler (guitar), Carlos Dengler (bass, keyboards), and Greg Drudy (drums). Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino. Dengler left to pursue other projects in 2010, with Banks taking on the additional in-studio role of bassist for their next three albums. Longtime touring musicians Brandon Curtis (keyboards, backing vocals) and Brad Truax (bass) were named official members in 2026.

Having first performed at Luna Lounge alongside peers such as the Strokes, Longwave, the National, and Stellastarr, Interpol is one of the bands associated with the New York indie music scene and one of several groups that emerged from the post-punk revival of the 2000s. 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, Television and the Chameleons, and also to Echo & the Bunnymen and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The band has no primary songwriter, with each member contributing to composition.

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