Vocalist of the British band comments on songs that became prophetic, the explosive energy of the debut album and the new album that arrives in 2026: ‘It took 20 years for the meanings to manifest themselves’
The voice of Kele Okereke He carried the typical tiredness of someone who spent the whole day taking care of their children during a week off from school. “I completely forgot I had to do this interview”, admitted the frontman of Block Partylaughing at his own distraction. It’s the double life of someone who needs to balance parenthood with the road, domestic routine with the world’s stages. But we just had to start talking about Brazil for him to get excited. This Sunday, November 2nd, the British band finally returns to the country after 17 years, as part of the ecosystem festival INDIGOin Ibirapuera Park, in São Paulo, next to Weezer, Mogwai, Judeline and Otoboke Beaver.
The return to Brazil also marks the celebration of 20 years of Silent Alarmthe debut album that put the Block Party on the world indie rock map in 2005 and was chosen album of the year by NME. Two decades later, that explosion of energy continues to resonate and, for Kelerevisiting these songs has been an experience somewhere between nostalgic and revelatory.
“It makes me feel old”, he confessed, when asked about how he feels when playing the complete album. “I remember making the record. I remember being so unsure about things, but knowing we had this big task ahead of us. I remember thinking, ‘I hope we get it right’. And we did.”
The insecurity that Okereke mentions had reason to be. At the beginning of his career Block Partya lot of people were indifferent to the band. They knew they needed to make a very strong album to be taken seriously, and they did. “When I think about it, I remember a feeling of triumph,” he said.
But time revealed even deeper layers in those songs written with such urgency. Second Kelesome tracks on the album acquired meanings that he didn’t realize when he composed them. “There are certain songs, like ‘Like Eating Glass‘, which became very prophetic. The things I wrote in these songs manifested themselves in my life,” he revealed. “It’s a very strange thing to explain. There were a lot of things on this record that I didn’t know what I was singing about or where it was coming from. There was no master plan.”
For the vocalist, this recognition process took two decades. “It took about 20 years for the meanings to manifest themselves to me and for me to see what I was writing. It’s a very magical thing when you realize that your music has brought something to life. It’s hard to explain and it makes you seem a little crazy.”
Silent Alarm has become synonymous with intensity. The sharp guitars of Russell Lissackthe frenetic beat and that contagious urgency defined a generation that continue to echo in the call “Indie Sleaze“, the nostalgia that Generation Z cultivated in the 2000s. But will the Block Party Do you still look for that same intensity when creating new music?
“No, I don’t think we’re looking for intensity,” he replied. Okerekeconsidered. “The way we wrote these songs and the way we performed them was really to put out as much energy as possible. That’s fantastic for a debut record. But as you write more songs, you realize there are other ways to be effective, rather than just adding emotion to everything. There are certain nuances that you can write and express.”
Talking about the phenomenon of Indie Sleaze, Okereke He was honest: he doesn’t really engage with this nostalgia. “It brings me a lot of memories how people send me photos on Instagram 20 years ago, from some party with Cobra Snake or Steve Aoki“, he said. But, at the time, it didn’t seem like they were part of a movement. “When we emerged, they were trying to put us as part of a post-punk scene, and we thought it was ridiculous, because we weren’t really connected with the other bands. It didn’t feel like a scene, we weren’t hanging out and meeting these other bands. Of course, there were some we toured with together, like The Rakesbut it is different. It always felt a little fake when we read about these things.” Block Party wanted to separate from the label. “We wanted to be taken seriously outside of this world,” he said.
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Even though I’m celebrating the past on this tour, Kele makes it clear that the band’s focus is on the future. They have just recorded a new album that will be released in 2026, with new members, Harry and Louise. “To be honest, this is the most exciting thing,” he said. “It’s been fun traveling the world doing these shows, but I’m more worried about what the band will become. Being in the studio and feeling like anything is possible is a really good feeling.”
About Brazil, the memories are fond. Okereke He remembers having especially liked São Paulo. “Rio was great, but we were just on the beach. São Paulo felt like a city, like a dirty, urban city. I remember we went to a club where we drank and had a really fun time,” he recalled. “I’m looking forward to walking around there and absorbing this world, because I think Brazilians are very interesting people.”
Coming to the end of the interview, it was inevitable to ask a controversial question: that of the bizarre performance in VMB from the MTV Brazil 2005, and Kele He was categorical: “I don’t want to talk about it, because I don’t want to be banned from entering the country.” We laugh together. The past is sometimes better left where it is.
But the present and the future deserve attention. “I just have to say: I’m sorry it took so long to get back and see you, but we’re really excited to have fun and enjoy it together,” he said. Okerekebefore saying goodbye.
Twenty years after Silent Alarm, Block Party returns to Brazil not only to celebrate an album that marked an era, but to show that there is still a lot to say. And perhaps create new prophecies.
SERVICE
INDIGO presents: Weezer, Bloc Party, Mogwai, Judeline, Otoboke Beaver
When: Sunday, November 2, 2025, from 1 pm
Where: IBIRAPUERA PARK | Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, s/n – Vila Mariana | 04094-050, São Paulo
Tickets online: here
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Source: Rollingstone
Emma Jack is a writer at Gossipify, covering fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and pop culture trends. She stays current on the latest trends and offers readers up-to-date information on what’s hot in the industry. With a background in fashion journalism from Parsons School of Design, she offers a unique perspective and analysis of current trends.
