On the UK release of their spell-binding debut, The Antlers talk to Leah Pritchard about overcoming the tragic circumstances in which Hospice was born.

It's easy to draw parallels between The Antlers' latest release and Bon Iver's much-loved 2008 debut. The reactions towards Hospice have become intrinsically intertwined with the backstory that inspired the record, much like with For Emma, Forever Ago for which Justin Vernon retreated to a cabin for several months.

Hospice is a deeply emotional ordeal, recounting in detail the story of a man losing a loved one to cancer, and was written by Peter Silberman during a period in which he moved to Brooklyn and unintentionally found himself separated from society.

"It was honestly just a time in my life when I wasn't seeing a lot of people. It wasn't a conscious decision and it wasn't like this self-imposed thing. It was the result of another situation."

Silberman is eager to avoid the "you can't fit six men in a cabin in the woods" criticisms that fell upon Vernon's latest project, Volcano Choir.

"I think the album speaks for itself more than the story of hiding out. You make the record that you would love someone to give you - then hopefully likeminded people will be into it. You just have to trust yourself a little bit."

Drummer Michael Lerner and keyboardist Darby Cicci were added to the line-up during the making of Hospice.

"I was really happy to start working with other people. I was so ridiculously sick of working by myself. I also didn't want to be like the headmaster of a band, I wanted it to be collaborative. I have a hard time enjoying a band when all but one person seem like hired guns."

The group understand the pressure associated with making a follow-up, but are determined to do things on their steam,

"It's always a problem when a band loses control and we're sort of control freaks. If we're not happy about it, we're not going to put it out."

As a listening experience, Hospice is introspective, haunting and tragic, offering itself up to private listening on headphones at night. However, as Lerner explains, the band believe that live music is a completely different beast.

"Records stand on their own sometimes and you can expand and explore different territory when you come onto the stage. You have options and we take advantage of that."

As a result, their live shows are loud, sweaty affairs, as they proved in a packed Lexington in September, during their first trip to London.

"It's not a controlled environment, it's not like watching a film," says Cicci, "Trying to get the same point across, the same emotional level- you just have to do it a different way."

With such a heartbreaking story to tell, it's difficult to imagine how Silberman is able to stand up and perform every night.

"It's not necessarily a detachment thing but it's more about portraying the mood and intent rather than every last line. The record has become much more everybody else's thing than ours and that's what I'm really happy about."

"I don't want people to focus on whatever aspects of the record are about me - I'd much rather it be theirs."


A remastered 'Hospice' is out in the UK on October 19 on Frenchkiss. The Antlers will play The Louisiana on November 29.