Kurt Vile talks Fontaines D.C. collab, his shoutout from Sam Fender, and paying tribute to Philadelphia: “It’s like rap – I’m calling out my fucking zone!”

Kurt Vile has spoken to NME about summoning the “ghosts” of his home city on latest album ‘Philadelphia’s Been Good To Me’ , inspiring both Fontaines D.C. and Sam Fender , while teasing what the future holds.

Read the interview below.

The iconic indie-rocker spent 12 weeks on the road following the May release of his 10th solo LP, including a homecoming show at Philadelphia’s Dell Music Centre in July, an onstage collab with Fontaines D.C. in France and an appearance at End Of The Road Festival .

READ MORE: Kurt Vile – ‘(Watch My Moves)’ review: Philly hero keeps it weird on freewheeling ninth album Marking his first full-length project since 2022’s adventurous ‘(Watch My Moves)’ , the new record refocuses on Vile’s hometown, taking listeners through the Mount Airy neighbourhood and the Schuylkill River in this musical homage to Pennsylvania’s largest city.

Joining NME backstage at Project House in Leeds, nursing a cup of coffee, Vile was pleasantly surprised to find himself doing an interview on the final night (September 15) of this lengthy touring stint.

“Normally, towards the end, I cut off everything!” he laughed.

“We’re joking how this is iconic – ‘Live At Leeds’ [referencing The Who ’s 1970 live album] or whatever – but for us, we’re all fried.

It’s more like ‘Dead At Leeds’! But you’ll hopefully see that we’re tight – tight and loose at the same time.

Dead-alive!” Kurt Vile.

CREDIT: Eleanor Petry Indeed, Vile and his backing band The Violators showcased their rich, thick sound to a sold-out audience who remained bewitched throughout the gig.

Key moments included a beautifully melancholic ‘Girl Named Alex’, the woozy synth intro of ‘Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)’ and his certified crowd-pleaser ‘Pretty Pimpin’.

An effortlessly cool Vile was in fine form as he thanked the faithful for coming out: “The best place to do the last one.” In 2022, Vile’s stage presence and demeanour were the subject of praise from Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten , who told Rolling Stone UK : “I envied him.

The sun was going down and he was able to stand there and chill out… I envy someone who can send a text to his kid, go off on stage and then just play really well.” Responding to those compliments, Vile told NME about the headspace he tries to enter.

“It’s a persona that I can tap into, and that’s an ideal place I want to be,” he explained.