Why The Cold War Kids Just Want To Reach The Top

After nearly 12 years, five albums and incessant gigging, Cold War Kids had their first big hit in the States last year when the track First went to #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. It has made them feel like a brand new band says lead singer, guitarist and head songwriter Nathan Willett. "I don't think I ever knew that that kind of thing happened, that success can make people… that you're a different band, but it's true. It's weird. It's been great, it's been amazing."

"The Pitchforks of the world, they can only report so much on another band from Brooklyn that's put a record out on a label that no one's ever heard of at this point."

The Cold War Kids have, for a long time, struggled with a perception problem. Adored by bloggers and micro-analysed by earnest indie media, they always worked hard and had a great live reputation. But Willett said he's not sure people know what to do with the Cold War Kids. "We're not like, a musically super complicated, complex band. But I do think that it's hard for people to characterise us, they don't quite know where to put us." For the last ten years they have lurked in a world somewhere between small-time indie-rock and arena big hitters. The success of First seems to have tipped the scale though, and for Willett, it's an exciting position to be in. "Of course, I would love to be elevated to that stage of the big rock band, like The Black Keys or Arctic Monkeys, My Morning Jacket, these bands that just have a legacy of, like, a great live band with lots of hits and with a lot of records and a million fans. Of course that's what I want, you know."

Admitting ambition is a strange new thing for Willett, who is anti the Kurt Cobain school of thought: "the idea of just being totally sceptical about success and fame, and very kind of dark and angry look at the system and success on any big scale." To him, having success with First, "You get to kind of go, 'Oh, you know, this could be a platform to do more with it.' To surprise ourselves and to surprise our fans and to make great music."

Willett's new drive has changed his approach. He says early Cold War Kids relied on the raw, spontaneous energy of getting together, trusting that something would explode out of it. But Willett has been inspired to spend more time working on ideas before he brings them to the table.

"I think great songs can come many ways and I think you can lean on spontaneity and hoping that kind of combustion just happens. But I love that craft side of it, and taking time to find those great melodies and great chords and just those great words that are still surprising to me. So that's my job, is to kind of dig a little than ever before.

"The Pitchforks of the world, they can only report so much on another band from Brooklyn that's put a record out on a label that no one's ever heard of at this point. Because like, they're realising, oh, people need a narrative that is more, just bigger, and not afraid to be ambitious."