Brooklyn noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells have returned to Europe after a little break. Their new album ‘Jessica Rabbit’ was released in November and they are currently on the road, enjoying playing new songs.

During their time off the band dedicated themselves to writing, recording, and basically getting themselves in shape for 2017, as guitarist Derek Miller explained when he joined us for a chat.

Even before their break, it had been a few years since Sleigh Bells were in Europe, “It’s good to be back,” says Miller. Although the shows are smaller, the duo take them just as seriously. “It really just depends on the crowd, if a few people are losing their minds for you it’s better than a hundred people all standing with their arms crossed.”

Sleigh Bells have been a band for nearly eight years. ‘Jessica Rabbit’ is their fourth full-length record, and by now they have figured out a formula that works for them when it comes to writing and recording. For the moment, at least. Miller explains, “The last two [albums] have been similar in that Alexis writes all of the melodies and I do all the music and the lyrics. I give her the instrumental and she goes to work.”

The perks of working solo like this include a freedom from the self-consciousness that comes with creating something new. After all, says Miller, “you’re gonna have more bad ideas than good ones... I’m sure she’ll record a hundred ideas that she thinks are trash to get a handful of melodies that she’s excited about.”

Interestingly, there’s still an element of cautiousness between the band mates. “Even now she’s shy,” says Miller of his bandmate. “We’ve been doing this for eight years and she’s shy about showing me things for the first time. Which I appreciate.”

He considers for a moment whether or not he worries in the same way, before deciding: “I’m always confident that she is gonna like it so I’m really into it. I’m usually like ‘you gotta hear this right now’. I kinda can’t help myself in that respect, I get hyped on it. It’s a really good feeling. I have that feeling right now [about new material].”

When it comes down to it, Miller couldn’t be more passionate about what he’s doing, constantly referring to how thankful he is. “One of the most important things is that you believe in what you’re doing.” He continues, “I was waiting tables before this. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s a good job, it paid my bills, but I didn’t want to do it for a living. You don’t grow up saying I wanna be a waiter. I grew up saying I wanna make incredible records. Whether I am or I’m not is certainly up for discussion but I love them, and that’s my focus.”

When it comes to critics, Sleigh Bells have always been fairly divisive. Since their debut album ‘Treats’ in 2010 there have (as always) been some nay-sayers, something that Miller does not pay too much attention to. “We don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. I think partly because it’s our fourth record. It was really exciting the first two records, I read everything – the good reviews, the bad reviews. But after a while you just get numb to it, it stops meaning anything. If people are excited about it, I’m appreciative, but it’s not their thing then fair enough – there’s a lot more important things going on.”

Speaking of more important things that are going on, Sleigh Bells are quite vocal on social media about their oppositions to the current state of affairs in the US. Whether or not Miller believes everyone should speak out, he’s not sure. “I think it’s up to individuals to make the decision for themselves. Those of us who feel strongly about what’s going on right now, we couldn’t not speak up. It’s infuriating, it’s tragic, I think it’s a crisis and it’s terrifying. So, I’m gonna speak up. But if someone chooses not to any anything… I dunno, maybe I’m still making my mind up about that to be perfectly honest. Maybe they’re pro-Trump, you know?”

When it comes to engaging in conversation with people with different ideas, he says although he realises it’s important to try understand different perspectives, he is finding it tough. “The three-year-old in me just wants to start a fight, because I can’t imagine anyone thinks this shit is okay. But you know, I have to be an adult and say you have the right. The truth is, I’m pretty childish about it, I’m working on it!”

That being said, Miller can kind of see how it has all come to this. “It was definitely a big surprise. But looking at it now, it’s nothing new, we’ve had scumbags and sociopaths as presidents before, I don’t know if we deliberately and wilfully elected them. I know that the job requires some moral flexibility. It is the logically conclusion of decades of rotten politics.”

Moving on from global politics, the conversation turns to the politics in the music world. In August of last year, Sleigh Bells filed a law suit against Demi Lovato for copyright infringement. Lovato’s track ‘Stars’ features unmistakable elements of Sleigh Bells’ ‘Infinity Guitars’ from their debut album. But, Miller is very gracious about the whole thing – insisting that the duo are flattered. He says they felt that had to speak up though. Miller was, by his own admission, always the kid to fight for himself. They tried doing it privately but that didn’t work – so they turned to social media. “On the one hand you have Disney, on the other you have Max Martin. […] It’s important to stick up for yourself.”  But Miller insists that “there’s no beef. Some people have tried to make it a ‘thing’ and that’s not the case. She does her thing and I respect that.”

And so, on to bigger and better things. Sleigh Bells have a positive and excited outlook for the year ahead. They are constantly writing and recording and hope to get a long EP or a mini-album out. Miller assures us that there’s not going to be another three-year gap before new material. Right now, Sleigh Bells have found themselves in good place, enjoying what they’re doing and excited for the future.

Sleigh Bells played Whelan’s on 19 February 2017. Check out our review here.