Despite putting Field Music on the back burner for the last three years, no one could accuse Peter or David Brewis of resting on their laurels. In fact during their time away the Sunderland brothers did anything but - both recording albums under new names.

2010, though, has seen side projects School Of Language (David) and The Week That Was (Peter) put to, well, the side as the brothers have reunited for a third Field Day record. Out on 15 February, the double album is (oddly) a second self titled release and the band say that it marks a renewed sense of being in control of the music. ltd got on the blower to Peter Brewis…

Hey! How’s it going? What you been up to?
All is well. We’ve been rehearsing songs old and new with the band. The two new members, Kev (Dosdale) and Ian (Black), are really encouraging our rediscovered love of guitar and drums.

So then, you’re back. Why the long break and why have you decided to re-form Field Music?
Well, we’ve been busy doing other things for the past three years. We decided to stop just after releasing Tones of Town. We felt a bit jaded after realising we’d accidentally taken part in a game that we didn’t like. I think with the The Week That Was and School Of Language records we’ve started our own little game. I see the new Field Music album as a part of that. We feel more in control of what we’re doing now.

You were quite busy during the three year break. Do you think you grew as musicians in that time?
Yes. We’ve tried lots of things out in terms of how we play, how we write and how we record. Dave and I have had a drum competition just to see who can play the loudest. We also had a bit of a Jimmy Page competition. Dave’s won that one but he’ll never out-Richard Thompson me (if it ever comes to that).

Have those side projects had an impact on the new Field Music sound?
Certainly. I think we’ve taken a lot from how David’s guitars sounded on the School Of Language album, Sea From Shore. I think I tried to get away from the sound of The Week That Was. That record was a very specific thing with a very specific sound. I wanted to make a rock record this time; to play more guitar and drums.

How would you describe the new album? How has it moved on from previous Field Music records?
I think this record is an explosion of influences rather than a distillation of them. On the first two records we’d tried to formulate our own way of making music with what we knew. It could only lead to a blind alley unless we reshuffled our influences. This is what we’ve done; reshuffled the deck and spread the ideas out. The next record may well be ultra distilled to the point of being incomprehensible. There’s a thought - I can’t wait!

Tell us about the recording of the new album…
The new record was, as always, recorded at our little 8-Music studio. That’s the studio we’ve shared with The Futureheads and some other friends since 2001. I would say it took about six months to write and record. We do everything ourselves: write, play, arrange, engineer and master. The only other people on the record are the people who played the string parts, the cornet parts and the people you can hear on the environmental recordings. Dave and I have a very specific way of working. Not technically, more attitude really. It doesn’t always work if other people are involved.

Why did you make it a double album?
It’s a double because we wanted it to be different to the previous records we’d made. We wanted to experiment with length and make something that was kind of incoherent. We’d been talking about how double albums can reveal more of themselves over time simply because they contain so much music. It’s also a very ‘rock’ thing to do.

The record references a huge number of other musicians and “makes no attempt to present itself as a unified whole”. Is that intended as an expression that you feel a bigger sense of musical freedom now than you have previously?
Yes. I think we needed to realise that we’re allowed to do whatever we want to do and that we can call it whatever we want. I think we owe it to ourselves and the people who might listen to us. Nobody wants us to do a Tones of Town 2.

Why another self-titled release?
I think it was a kind of redefinition of what we were allowed to be. The first album was a definition too, but this is a new one... or perhaps it’s a statement of anti-definition?

Will you go on making a run of Field Music albums now or are there plans for another break/re-visiting of side projects?
We’ll see. Dave and I both have ideas for a few different things. We might call them Field Music. I think if we feel good about the idea of making another one then we will.

Thanks a lot for your time. It’s much appreciated!
No problem. All the best!

Field Music play The Scala on 3 March