It took the Tindersticks 4 years to create, what seemed like, a huge pile of ideas and then sift though them to find the nuggets that form the Waiting Room. An album essentially made from a collection of first or second takes of shared moments, gently edited down and embellished into the songs here.
After 2102’s ‘The Something Rain’ Tindersticks needed some time to figure out this rebuilt, reinvigorated band they had become. Time needed for it take its own shape. There were welcome diversions – the electronic soundtrack to Claire Denis’ ‘Les Salauds’, the orchestral soundscapes for the Ypres WW1 museum, the ‘Singing skies’ art project and book. And also celebrating the 20th anniversary with a live in the studio album and European tour.
http://https://youtu.be/f8GNxVHFHhw
From the dissolution of the original line up in 2006 (David Boulter, Neil Fraser and Stuart A. Staples remaining) to the addition of Dan Mckinna (2007) and Earl Harvin (2009), this new incarnation has gradually been finding its own way of approaching ideas within their studio environment of ‘Le chien chanceux’. This was felt keenly with the writing and recording of ‘Help Yourself’ – The first song to be realized for the new album – which raised a lot of questions, not least: How to make an album that this song sits happily in the centre of?
Gradually the other songs began to surface and show themselves. From abstract ideas (‘Were we once lovers?’, ‘How he entered’) to more traditional structures (‘Second chance man’, ‘The waiting room’), and finally to the song the Tindersticks needed to begin the album – A cover version of ‘Follow me’, Bronislau Kaper’s theme from the 1962 version of ‘Mutiny on the bounty’.
http://https://youtu.be/XxZS7uXSvEU
In 2012 Stuart was invited to be a member of the jury of the experimental section of the CFSFF by its chief, Calmin Borel. It was there that the idea for a collaborative film and music project began; to commission a series of short films with the film-makers being given only a song or piece of music as their guidance. At the time no-one thought that a situation would arise for this idea to come to fruition.
In late 2014 the songs for “The waiting room” began to emerge from the band’s studio. From this selection of sketches and demos the short film idea was revisited and very gradually the project came to life. Calmin’s connection to the music and his great knowledge of short film, coupled with tindersticks very definite sense of aesthetic brought the two together.
http://https://youtu.be/x1DDgKWc2HY
The title song, and the film Stuart made for it, provoked further conversation about the nature of the project. A brief was written; the films should attempt not to describe the music, but to create a visual counter- point, a space for the music to inhabit. Film-makers were identified that could be open to and excited by the project, each one being presented with a specific song from the album.
The response from the directors approach was tremendous and, collectively, brought a varied collection of styles and approaches as a perfect foil to Stuart’s intimate relationship with the songs.
This event is presented by Digital in Berlin.
Tindersticks present “The Waiting Room Film Project”
Saturday, 13th February + Sunday, 14th February 2016 | 20:00 CET
Volksbühne | Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz | 10178 Berlin/Mitte
tindersticks.co.uk | volksbuehne-berlin.de
