Throughout their long career, St Etienne have consistently trod the thin line between cute 'n' cuddly and simperingly twee, managing to stay this side of sweet as they've floated pinkly into the upper echelons of British pop-kitsch. Musicians' musicians to the last, St Etienne's songs have been remixed by the Chemical Brothers, Andy Weatherall, Aphex Twin and David Holmes, while Pulp, Oasis and Stereolab launched themselves to success supporting the band on tour. On top of all this, Saint Etienne are epitomical darlings of the British music media - trendy, arty, and very redolent of London in all its forms.
All things considered, it's been remarkably quiet on the Saint Etienne front since the flurry of initial excitement. 'He's On The Phone', the band's last single, was released two years ago, and since then the Ets don't seem to have produced much apart from a Best Of compilation and Collected Works double CD. It's been a long career gap for Saint Etienne . . . hence the atmosphere of renewed excitement accompanying the release of Good Humor, the band's fourth LP.
"The main difference," says Pete Wiggs, programming member of the saintly three, "between Good Humor and our last album is that we tried to use a lot more real instruments and non-programmed stuff. It's produced in a more lean-sounding way; you can hear Sarah's vocals much clearer, it's more direct sounding."
Using lots of session musicians - from pianists and guitarists to harmonica and brass players - Saint Etienne have gradually moved away from the heavily-programmed sounds of their early years, though vocalist Sarah Cracknell still sings her high-pitched, '60s-ish TV-theme lyrics over the synthesisers, rapmasters, zippers and tube rotospheres beloved by Wiggs and Bob Stanley, the band's third member.
Saint Etienne's upcoming tour to promote Good Humor features a line-up encompassing many of the musicians who play on the album. Wiggs, Stanley and Cracknell are looking forward to bringing them all on the road.
"We've got a new band line-up," enthuses Wiggs, "and everyone's really good. We used to use backing tracks during our gigs and things would go wrong all the time. It's much easier now, we're less stressed by it."
Did the band find the pre-programmed method of playing gigs particularly trying?
"Yeah, it's very unreliable," he agrees, "especially when it gets hot. You just don't know what's going to happen. When you take lots of people in line-ups instead, then you know it's not going to go disastrously wrong."
During the four years that have elapsed since Saint Etienne's last album, programmed dance grooves have become so ubiquitous to the extent of most TV ads featuring them. To regain the element of surprise, does Wiggs envisage many technology-based bands moving back towards real instruments and musicians?
"I think there'll be more of a balance. And I suppose it's more reliable for them. Also, I think that samples have been around for such a long time now, it's not really that new anymore. It'll probably go in cycles, won't it?"
During their time out, vocalist Sarah Cracknell recorded a solo album (which wasn't as successful as she'd hoped), while Stanley and Wiggs ran their own record label and a club, and did a lot of DJing.
"We go out clubbing all the time," says Wiggs, when I ask him what Saint Etienne do to relax. "We do that for the whole weekend and spend Tuesday recovering! I like going to the cinema as well, and eating out. So what I do in my spare time normally involves eating, drinking and watching."
Given London's well-known appeal for Saint Etienne, can Wiggs imagine ever moving away?
"Well, I wouldn't move away; I don't think I could live anywhere else. I'm a bit scared of living in the country! I'm a city boy and I'm scared of it being too dark. I'm used to that orange glow at night.
"But," Wiggs adds, relieved that he's found another spare-time activity to discuss apart from clubbing, "I do love travelling - travelling and going away - I suppose that's a hobby."
Extremely contented with the lifestyle that their eight-year band career has afforded them so far, Saint Etienne believe there's at least one more album up their sleeves. "After that," says Pete Wiggs, "we'll do some more planning and see where we are." n
* Good Humor is out now on Creation.