Band's Former Manager and Creative Consultant, De- "We Were Just 'Watch and See,' " He Says

"When we put the last record out, iTunes were probably the fifth or sixth account," he says. "To come back on this record and have them be the No. 1 account in America, that's probably one of the biggest, most sig- nificant differences." At iTunes, digital album pre- orders began May 6, when "Violet Hill" became available as a download, with consumers able to secure a bonus track to be de- livered with it on album release day. The street date version of the album via iTunes will have a different exclusive bonus track, plus an exclusive music video. Holmes also cites the growth of YouTube as a new factor. "So that's a part of your marketing plan now, which it wouldn't have been three -and -a -half years ago. I was cleaning my desk out recently and found an old MySpace marketing plan when they'd come to us on the last record, [when] they had about 400,000 members. We did a big promotion with them, but it's funny looking back that that was a new platform, and social networking in general was not part of your marketing plan. Now it's a major part." But the Coldplay manager regards the retail arena as no less vital. "It's just as important to me. People still buy CDs, and Coldplay are one of those artists where a lot of the fans want to own the CD, they want We all had our corner office in a big tower block, but the whole package." there was no vibe. Holmes is sanguine about EMI's restructuring, were ever "I just felt, We have to get our own place, we have maintaining that neither he nor the band to call Brian Eno, get Phil back' [Phil Harvey, the publicly negative about the new regime. band's former manager and creative consultant, de- "We were just 'watch and see,' " he says. "Things scribed by Martin as "our fifth member that no one got a little blown out of proportion in the press. I don't to the ever sees "], we have to play in a little room, burn all think we ever went on record saying anything our awards and reviews, not go to swanky dinners. effect that we wouldn't release it, not that I recall. was talk [artists] going on strike, [but] we erase all that.' " There about To go back, then, to the beginning, as the lOtli should never have been lumped into that." anniversary of the band's first gig in January 1998 Martin says of the company's former, publicly came around? quoted incarnation: "We didn't like it when people "Yeah," Martin replies, "but a beginning where you started linking us with share prices, that felt very happen to have the best producers in the world around weird. But we're still from the school of 'Wouldn't it you. We recorded most of it in January, spent a lot of be great to get a record deal ?' It's still every musi- time writing and going down different paths. Then cian's dream." we suddenly struck on this way of coming in in the At Capitol in New York, Trink says such a big re- morning, sitting in a circle with Brian in the corner lease at a delicate time "requires special attention and just playing." the album, highly percussive and with strident gui- from a dedicated group of people, but there's a flip "We always have the intention of giving ourselves tar. "Lost" also features a heavy, hand clap- frier_dly side to that. It provides a very positive thing to rally time to decompress after albums and tours, [but] by beat and anthemic aura over some church organ de- around. When people are sometimes so focused on Top: COLDPLAY the changes, it's very difficult for the end of a recording session we're anxious to get on tail. "42" is more pensive and initially melancholy, performing in April the negative and with it and tour," Champion says. "Then, by the end while "Lovers in Japan /Reign of Love" is one of three 2006 at Canada's Juno the staff, and I'm sure [it's] concerning for an artist the others being Awards. Above: In the and management. of the touring cycle, you're thinking, 'We've written episodic tracks with double titles, studio recording the some great songs, let's get back in the studio.' "Yes /Chinese Sleep Chant" and the closing "Death new album. From left "But here we have something positive. This is "You never really feel like you have time to settle, and All His Friends /The Escapist." are WILL CHAMPION, the reason we're in this business. The important GUY BERRYMAN, part is being laser -focused on making sure that but we did give ourselves some time this time, time The "other" title track, "Viva La Vida," has incisive CHRIS MARTIN and to write [songs] off tour. We basically spent eight strings and an immediate melody. "Strawberry Swing" JON BUCKLAND. nothing falls through the cracks because people months in [the studio]; we approached it as a rehearsal is a midtempo song with underplayed guitar textures might be distracted." room and a recording facility. We were just here play- that, as with other moments on the record, are some- For all the redundancies across EMI worldwide and ing through songs all day, every day." what reminiscent of Eno's work with U2. Overall, the those that may follow around the time of the Coldplay Eno's role was crucial, Martin says. "Whether or album has a flavor of rich instrumentation and occa- release, Parlophone s Leonard says, "All the tools, from not the songs are good, you can hear that the band is sional experimentation, but is almost always instantly the A &R to the video to marketing to radio all stems hungry, just in terms of the playing. He'd say, 'You recognizable as Coldplay. from here [in the United Kingdom], and the team is can do anything you like, fellas, but it's got to sound "They've understood how to translate and elevate 90% what it was all the way through their career, so like there's life in it.' So there's probably some mag- records into a live experience," Diamond says. "And the consistency has been important." num opuses that we've left off that are very clever but it's exciting." Martin expresses regret that some friends at the sto- they don't sound like they're alive." "1 have a side of me that always wants to see [our label are no longer with the company, but also Listening to "Viva La Vida," one can picture several music] sync'd up with the last bit of the Super Bowl," icism. "A lot of our lives have been about people leav- songs booming out of the large venues in which the Martin says. "I'm a big fan of the singalong, so the ing or dying -so much has changed for everybody -so band has made itself comfortable. principle is to think, 'How many men can chant this it is sad, but that's life." The album begins with "Life in Technicolor," which at once ?' We've definitely put a few chants in there." Asked about the band's contract and whether it is instrumental apart from a few backing voices, and Early enthusiasm for the new album is widespread. might consider forging a different path when it picks up speed after a contemplative start that Martin MTV senior VP of music and talent Amy Doyle says, ends, he jokes, "Well, I think we're in contract until says is intended to sound like the band is "coming "The songs we [first] heard were all contenders for ... the end of the space age. On my deathbed, over the hill." the first single at the time. We totally understood why someone will come up and say, 'You still owe me That eases into "Cemeteries of London," an atmos- they were having such a hard time choosing." three records.' " pheric piece that opens on his distinctive vocals. Be- Holmes says digital initiatives are a much -increased fore the first minute is up, it has grown into the type part of the marketing picture compared with the setup Additional reporting by Lars Brandie in London and Ray of large -scale production that characterizes much of for "X &Y." Waddell in Nashville. MAY 17, 2008 www billboard. biz 25 www.americanradiohistory.com.

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