Ed Harcourt talks “reflective” new album and his work with Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Lisa Marie Presley

Ed Harcourt has spoken to NME about what went into his “reflective” new album ‘El Magnifico’, as well as his work with The Libertines, the success of Sophie Ellis-Bextor and his unheard music with Lisa Marie Presley.

Released last week, ‘El Magnifico’ marks Harcourt’s 16th studio album – following the two instrumental records ‘Beyond The End’ and ‘Monochrome To Colour’, and the full-bodied spiritual successor to 2016’s acclaimed and rock-leaning ‘Furnaces’.

“It’s been an interesting eight years,” Harcourt told NME. “I got out of London and moved out to the countryside to a little village in Oxfordshire. After ‘Furnaces’, I proceeded to take stock a little bit – but I didn’t really write any lyrics. I made two cinematic instrumental records, but once I had those out of my system around 2020, that’s when I started writing ‘El Magnifico’.”

“What can I say? I’m a sage, I’m a prophet, I’m a soothsayer!” he joked. “After that, I had no desire to write lyrics. The fallout of ‘Furnaces’ was quite heavy-hitting, so I just had to ruminate and take a step back. The meditative aspect of doing ‘Beyond The End’ and ‘Monochrome To Colour’ was a nice reinvigorating process – it was like a reset button.”

He added: “I also had ‘Loup GarouX’ [side-project with  Gorillaz and Senseless Things’ drummer Cass Browne and The Feeling bassist Richard Jones] – which was great because I could continue the madness and chaos of the post-’Furnaces’ sound.

“What was great about that band was that it meant I could go straight back to writing songs on the piano, because you’re always reacting against something else. ‘Oh, I’ve just been writing some loud and angry guitar music, now I better get onto the piano for some sweet, romantic songs’.”

The years between also saw the past Mercury Prize nominee complete his trilogy of albums produced for Sophie Ellis-Bextor, make some more high-profile appearances with his “sort-of brother law” Carl Barat‘s band The Libertines, and the sad passing of his friend and collaborator, Lisa Marie Presley. Harcourt spoke to us about taking stock, and unheard music in the vault with the latter.

NME: Hello Ed. When you came to start writing lyrics again after ‘Furnaces’, what were you reaching for? 

Harcourt: “We’d gone into COVID and lockdown, and I had a lot of time to write! ‘El Magnifico’ came out of the ashes of that because a lot of the songs touch on escapism, mortality and elements of grief. There are songs about near-death experiences, fever dreams, daydreaming. It’s a very self-ruminative record. For my next album, I probably won’t focus on my own thoughts as much and will maybe be more of a storyteller.”

How did that sense of reflection inspire the sound of ‘El Magnifico’? 

“When I sit behind a piano and sing, it feels like an extension of me – like it’s where I’m meant to be. That’s where I’m most happy. I fell into that happy place behind the piano and took it from there. That’s what I’m known for, and this record is an amalgamation of everything that I’ve done. It’s got the fiery elements of ‘Furnaces’ but then touches of my earlier stuff in the lo-fi piano pop. You follow the white rabbit down the hole and see what happens.”

…To make a greatest hits record?

“Well, you know! It’s all bangers no mash, man.”

Having worked so closely with Sophie Ellis-Bextor, what’s it been like to see her become such a global phenomenon with the resurgence of ‘Murder On The Dancefloor‘ after featuring in Saltburn?

“It’s incredible. Who’d have thought? It just shows the power of viral memes and TikTok. It was inescapable, but good for Sophie. If people listen to that then they’ll hopefully listen to the albums that we did! I’ll be the little stain on her golden coattails. I’ll be in Abbey Road with Sophie soon, doing some writing with a mystery collaborator – which is really exciting. More on that soon…

“The real Sophie is an incredible woman. She’s a polymath and a renaissance woman. She’s a very loving and brilliant mother who has managed to juggle that with an amazing career. With that comes experience. Like everyone, she’s had her peaks and her troughs. To finally have this beautiful second wind is fantastic. If you stick it out for long enough, it’ll come for you.”

Are you hanging on for a Saltburn moment of your own?

“I’m waiting! I’ll be ready. I’m in the wings and poised to soar into the heady heights of viral meme-dom!”

Just keep your clothes on.

“No, I’m gonna get naked, I think.”

@bbcradio2The Libertines perform an incredible cover of Alone Again Or by Love!