Meeting The Eels

The proposition of interviewing a man who calls himself 'Mr.E' could, on paper at least, be a daunting prospect. Those not aware of the great man's commercial output with Eels could easily assume that this guy is going to carry a slightly egotistical, even intimidating persona. But, as any listen to his heartrending, honest music will tell you, he's none of these things. "I'll try not to come across like an asshole," he quips as Gigwise catches up with him shortly before he landed in the UK to plug his best-of and 'Useless Trinkets' B-sides album. 

Indeed, during the 20 minute interview, formally-addressed Mark Oliver Everett is charming, honest and gloriously opinionated. Kick-starting with the important stuff, the best-of compilation, ‘Meet the Eels’ does what its title suggests. E describes it as “an invitation into our world”, for the causal listener, who may not be aware of the startlingly brilliant music he has been making. If this is the listener’s first venture into the wild world of Eels they are in for a long stay, “It’s for the new listener and the adoring listener who still demands more,” E explains. 

Inevitably though, when a compilation like this is surfaces, those hardcore fans start getting paranoid. Asked about the stigma of releasing a greatest hits compilation, E shrugs it off, saying “I’m more worried about who listens to the record than what happens next.” The compilation isn’t a subtle wave goodbye like some have feared. Instead, E calls a “best bits, not a best hits”- consisting of both well-known album tracks and previously unreleased rarities. E has every reason not to be phased about it. With fans getting increasingly uncertain as to a next record, all can rest assured. Everett is a consistent hard worker who doesn’t give a shit about release dates and expectation. He writes the songs and decides whether to release them or not. He states: “I tend to just write something and then put it out if I think I should”.

No challenge seems to daunt the man, no seventh/eighth/ninth record-phobia, getting on with it as he pleases. That’s the way all artists should be working. The Arctic Monkeys can release an album every year if it suits them and Eels can release an album every four years if they please. The winds seem to be pointing to a near-future release date for their next project, though. There is a slight chance that we could be unaware of an Eels onslaught about to find its way upon us. “I can’t say for sure when the next one’s going to come out because I’ve already made one and I’m halfway through another one”, stating it like it’s no big deal. Here we are going crazy over supposed revolutions in the music industry via. the internet and here is a man who is working in an entirely rare manner that he should be hailed for: Everett is working on more than record at once.