Pulp have revealed they’re “not itching” to make one other album, regardless of their 2025 comeback file ‘Extra’ being nominated for the Mercury Prize.
The Sheffield greats spoke to NME on the purple carpet on the ceremony at Newcastle’s Utilita Area final night time (October 16), the place they had been shortlisted alongside the likes of CMAT, Wolf Alice, Fontaines D.C., Pa Salieu and the eventual winner Sam Fender.
‘Extra’ was the primary full-length LP from Pulp in 24 years and their first since the loss of life of bassist Steve Mackey in 2023. They carried out the lead single ‘Spike Island’ alongside Richard Hawley on the ceremony, which you’ll watch under, with Jarvis Cocker later noticing that the BBC broadcast gave the impression to be mistakenly accompanied by subtitles from an episode of Miss Marple.
Drummer Nick Banks and keyboardist Candida Doyle spoke to NME on the occasion about being nominated for the Mercury Prize once more, having taken dwelling the prize for his or her traditional album ‘Completely different Class’ in 1996.
“It’s at all times very nice to get on the shortlist, as a result of, you already know, a hell of a whole lot of music will get launched yearly, so to be picked out as one of many 12 to take a look at, then that’s actually nice,” Banks mentioned. “We by no means anticipate it, you by no means do a file saying you’re aiming to get on the shortlist this yr or subsequent yr.”
When requested if the success of ‘Extra’ has left them wanting to get to work on a follow-up, Doyle responded: “No, we’re not itching. An EP, possibly, or a single. An LP…”
“It’s a giant enterprise,” Banks defined. “It’s important to do all this sort of malarkey.”
They confirmed {that a} new EP or single can also be not at the moment within the works, earlier than talking about their latest North American tour, which included two co-headline reveals on the Hollywood Bowl with LCD Soundsystem.
“We simply did a month in America,” mentioned Banks. “America is usually just a little late to the occasion, however they appear to be displaying their appreciation.”
On the reveals with James Murphy and co., he added: “It was only a good excuse to play the Hollywood Bowl and have a little bit of a do.”
The 2025 version of the Mercury Prize was the primary one ever to be held exterior of London, one thing Doyle mentioned she felt was lengthy overdue: “It’s received to be shared, the whole lot can’t be based mostly round London, it’s received to return up north, I’m all for it.”
NME awarded ‘Extra’ 4 stars, writing: “Simply as Blur did with ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ and Suede have managed on their immaculate run of post-reunion albums, Pulp have retained their authentic spirit and aptitude into a press release of center age with out feeling any much less important. As Cocker pines on the cinematic nearer ‘A Sundown’, all issues finish, so simply profit from the time you could have. It’s unusually lovely, now they’re all absolutely grown.”
NME additionally spoke to Fontaines D.C. on the ceremony concerning the “witch hunt” towards Kneecap and the police’s dealing with of Palestine protests, in addition to Wolf Alice, who had been nominated for a record-equalling fourth time.
Sam Fender was topped the winner of the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album, ‘Individuals Watching’. He thanked “superb mates” Fontaines D.C. and CMAT throughout his acceptance speech, saying that he was in “nice firm” on the shortlist.
Within the winner’s room afterwards, Fender added: “We didn’t suppose we had been going to win something so I’m nonetheless in shock. It’s an absolute honour and it’s wonderful it’s occurred up right here, for the primary time exterior of London. I feel it’s a very essential factor that’s occurred proper now within the music business – I feel it’s nice.”