So indie-guitar music in Britain is in the doldrums, is it? Try telling that to The Maccabees.
In a world of Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna, the London five-piece are bucking the trend for young white British boys armed with a six-string. Not only is third album "Given to the Wild" their finest by far, but critical platitudes are being matched by commercial success: "Given to the Wild" is a U.K. Top 5 album and 2012 sees The Maccabees embark on their biggest tour to date.
As singer Orlando Weeks and guitarist Hugo White chat to me over a late-morning coffee in their favorite south London cafe (in their hometown of Clapham Common), not even their grounded politeness can mask their delight. "We feel like one of the bands who are doing alright out of it," White says with a nervous smile, leaving Weeks to assess how The Maccabees have flourished where others have floundered.