Belle & Sebastian made it to the Twin Cities — albeit minus their drummer, initially — for a show at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul. Once the whereabouts and ETA of drummer Richard Colburn had been sorted out, the rest of the band performed a stripped-down set in The Current studio, hosted by Mary Lucia.

Between songs — selected from three different albums across the band's career — Mary Lucia spoke to frontman and lead songwriter Stuart Murdoch. "I think past the age of 40, I will admit to anything," Murdoch says. "I've got nothing to hide."

Murdoch spoke frankly about being a sentimental person and how that finds its way into his songwriting. "I think Woody Allen talks about a nostalgia for a time and a place that never actually existed," he says, "but that's OK! Even though It's abstract, people get it. … If it's a strong feeling for you, some people will have a strong reaction. I think that's the essence of the art: if you have a strong reaction, somebody else will."

In talking about what he's reading right now (How To Solve Our Human Problems by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso), Murdoch gives a hint at what's next for Belle & Sebastian: " It's a very naive title, but there's something that struck me about this book so much that we're actually going to borrow that title for our next record."

Use the audio player above to hear the complete session.

Songs Performed

"I'm a Cuckoo"
"Sukie in the Graveyard"
"Like Dylan in the Movies"
First song is from Belle & Sebastian's 2003 album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress; second song is from 2006's The Life Pursuit; and the third song is from 1996's If You're Feeling Sinister. All are available on Matador Records.

Hosted by Mary Lucia
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Michael DeMark
Visuals by Nate Ryan
Web feature by Luke Taylor

Resources

Belle & Sebastian - official site

Gallery

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