story by Caroline Evans
photo by Janette Beckman

Gary Jarman is talking above the din of a small but crowded shop in the English city of Leicester, where he is scrambling to finish errands before hitting the stage with his band The Cribs. "I’m buying a birthday card for my father,” he says. “I forgot to get him one. You know, there’s never enough time to get everything done while you’re on tour."

Jarman can speak with some authority on the subject. The Cribs, made up of Jarman and his brothers Ryan and Ross, are famous for their extended tour schedules — as they relentlessly supported 2005’s The New Fellas with barely a day off in two years. While night after night of gigging tightened the post-punk group’s live shows and solidified a devoted fanbase, it also wore the band down as stress, anxiety, and homesickness took their toll. When the time came for a hiatus, the Wakefield band decided they not only needed a break from the road, they needed a break from each other. Gary got as far away as he could and took up residence in Portland, Oregon.

When the brothers reunited to record their third album, last year’s Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever, they were revitalized, refreshed, and ready for action. "The experience of being apart has had a totally positive influence on the album," Jarman explains in his thick Yorkshire brogue. "I do think you have to miss things to appreciate them. And we were really excited to do things together again."

The album, produced by Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, was recorded in Vancouver instead of London, where the first two Cribs albums were laid down. "The studio was this big old warehouse, and it was strange for us. Our first studio was very small and we used an old 8-track player, and the second one was also small and had all this old, weird gear. This was our first time in a big, fancy studio and we thought we’d be uncomfortable. But we were all still in the same room and we were still recording live."

Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever does have a riotous, live feel to it, and considering its stripped-down approach (guitar, bass, drums, and simple, two-part vocal harmonies), sounds marvelously full-bodied. Anarchic rhythms complement the melody-driven guitar work, which shines without sounding slick. Jarman emphasizes the importance of imperfection in the group’s recording ethic. "We would never intentionally leave something on a song that we thought sounded bad, but we like not having everything sound perfect. First takes are the best, I think, because you still have the excitement of discovering something new, and you kind of lose that on later takes."

Much of the album reflects the band’s experiences being away from Wakefield, a place they never thought they’d miss. On "I’ve Tried Everything," the Jarmans sing: "Can’t figure it out / Still missing something / And I’ve tried everything." The anthem is Gary Jarman’s favorite song on the album. "It means a lot to the band because it took so long to finish,” he explains. “It was hanging over our heads, and there were days I just wanted to drop the song altogether…It was the first song written for the album at the end of the touring campaign for the last album. Japan and Australia were the last places we went, so were far away from home. And we wanted to get back home but then we’d think ‘what for?’ We formed a band to get away from that place."

While The Cribs have attained success in terms of mainstream radio play and selling out increasingly larger venues, Jarman insists on quality above quantity as he expresses a genuine anxiety over his music being pushed further and further into the mainstream. "I think it’s the best record we’ve done. It has to be, or we wouldn’t release it,” he says. “We’re not careerists, we don’t want to put something out because we need to go on tour and make money. And it could be my financial undoing someday. But I think that if you get to a point where you’re making stuff just to put it out there and make money, you might as well break up, because you’re not as inspired as you once were. And I honestly believe that."

The Cribs :: with Ra Ra Riot :: Double Door :: March 25.