Ed Harcourt talks “reflective” new album and his work with Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Lisa Marie Presley
nme.comEd 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’.”With the “apocalyptic dad rage” of ‘Furnaces’ drawing on the ominous nature of where world politics was headed, Harcourt noted that many themes of the record became more of a tragic reality.“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.
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