<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Snow Patrol may be best known to many for its wistful Grey&amp;#039;s Anatomy-worthy pop balladry (see &amp;quot;Chasing Cars,&amp;quot; featured in a pivotal scene during the second-season finale), but the Irish quintet&amp;#039;s latest outing, A Hundred Million Suns, is decidedly more upbeat, both lyrically and sonically. We caught up with guitarist Nate and drummer Jonny while they were in NYC for a sold-out show at Bowery Ballroom, to chat about the new album, performance rituals, and the band&amp;#039;s favorite pastime. What influenced A Hundred Million Suns?  Jonny: I think we&amp;#039;ve been bogged down with the label of being a ballads band and we couldn&amp;#039;t really repeat Eyes Open, so we wanted to step away from what we&amp;#039;ve done. We used a lot of new instruments\u2014brass instead of strings\u2014and experimented percussion-wise, to create a departure. How has your sound evolved since the band&amp;#039;s beginnings?  Jonny: Songs for Polar Bears was pretty schizophrenic. We had hip-hop scratching and songs that sounded like Sonic Youth and something that sounded a bit Nirvana-ish and then something trip-hoppy. Now, we make albums that are cohesive and sound like the songs are meant to be on the same record. You&amp;#039;ve toured with U2 and collaborated with Belle and Sebastian. Is there anyone else you&amp;#039;re dying to work with?  Jonny: Bruce Springsteen. Neil Young. What typically goes on backstage before a show?  Nate: Everyone gets a hug. Jonny: We hug individually\u2014not as a group. And, there&amp;#039;s a lot of shouting. Nate: We usually play an energetic song before we go on\u2014right now it&amp;#039;s Friendly Fires&amp;#039; &amp;quot;Jump in the Pool.&amp;quot; Before that, it was Daft Punk or LCD Soundsystem. Sometimes there&amp;#039;s a dance in there too. How do UK audiences compare with Americans?  Nate: It sounds weird, but I actually find American audiences more reserved. Irish and Scottish crowds are insane\u2014in a good way. I guess we&amp;#039;ve kind of been spoiled there. Tell me a crazy fan story.  Nate: We were at the Ambassador in Dublin three or four years ago, and two feisty girls climbed on the tour bus through the driver&amp;#039;s window. I don&amp;#039;t know what they were expecting. Jonny: We used to get bras thrown at us, in a Tom Jones sort of way. People want to marry Gary quite a lot. The name of your current tour is Taking Back the Cities. Do you try to get a feel for each city you play in?  Jonny: You&amp;#039;ve got to go explore. You regret it if you&amp;#039;ve been somewhere and only seen the venue and hotel. Do you have a favorite?  Nate: It sounds clich\u00E9, but I adore New York. Jonny: There&amp;#039;s a feel about San Francisco that I love. And Austin is a great music city. I hear you guys went bowling last night. Who&amp;#039;s better?  Nate: Probably Jonny. Jonny: Bowling is the sport of kings. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/culture/music/interviews/a9024/were-the-band-snow-patrol-285071/>