Interpol preview ‘The Other Side of Make-Believe’ LP With ‘Toni’

Interpol have announced the release of their seventh LP, The Other Side of Make-Believe, which arrives July 15 via Matador. The band have also dropped the video for the album’s first single, “Toni,” the first installment of a two-part film.

In the Van Alpert-directed visual, frontman Paul Banks pulls up in a classic car to a sinister scene, siren wailing: A couple hides in an industrial area from a gang of dancers wielding chains, bats, and nunchucks. As the couple tries to flee, they’re spotted and the gang gives chase. Meanwhile, Banks calmly observes as the gang breaks out in a dance battle, from which the couple escapes. Once again, they’re on the lam, but it’s not long before they’re confronted again. This time, however, half of the couple joins in the choreographed dance melee leading to a cliffhanger ending.

“I like to see them win/I like the inspiration,” Banks sings. “Like it’s going in the right direction.”

The band began penning The Other Side of Make-Believe remotely in 2020 before they met up in the Catskills to work on the new material last year; it was completed in North London. It marks the first time they worked with producer Flood, and they also reteamed with co-producer Alan Moulder.

“We usually write live, but for the first time, I’m not shouting over a drumkit,” Banks said in a statement about their approach to the album. “[Guitarist] Daniel [Kessler] and I have a strong enough chemistry that I could picture how my voice would complement the scratch demos he emailed over. Then I could turn the guys down on my laptop, locate these colorful melodies, and generally get the message across in an understated fashion.”

While they were putting the final touches on the record, Banks told Rolling Stone that a few of the songs have some “unabashedly positive sentiments.” He also said that “it definitely feels like us,” and “it’s the heart and soul of our band — like, there’s a DNA to our sound. Another part of me thinks, ‘This might be super fucking different.’”

Interpol will embark on a North American tour beginning on April 25 that runs through May before they head to Europe. Later this summer, they will team up with Spoon for a co-headlining tour.

The Other Side Of Make-Believe Tracklist

1. “Toni”
2. “Fables”
3. “Into the Night”
4. “Mr. Credit”
5. “Something Changed”
6. “Renegade Hearts”
7. “Passenger”
8. “Greenwich”
9. “Gran Hotel”
10. “Big Shot City”
11. “Go Easy (Palermo)”