Following their explosion onto the New York City rock scene in 2002, indie pop band Elefant’s first headlining tour will stop in Cambridge to play the Middle East Tuesday.
Though their sound is reminiscent of David Bowie, the Cure and Blur, vocalist Diego Garcia, guitarist Mod, drummer Kevin McAdams and bassist Jeffrey James Berrall manage to stand out from their rocker counterparts.
Often compared to the Strokes and Interpol, Elefant embraces the so-called “new rock revolution,” Garcia said in a phone interview Monday.
“There’s something happening,” he said. “We’re right in there with whatever this movement is. I feel very proud to be part of this movement or whatever is happening in music.”
But Elefant’s heartfelt lyrics, unique rhythms and distinct melodies separate the band from fellow garage rock groups.
“We’re definitely doing our own thing,” Garcia said. “And I think that’s why people are getting into us.”
Their 2003 debut, Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid, honestly depicts Garcia’s feelings, and the lyrics add a wistful tone to the entire album.
“It was exactly what I was going through when I made that record,” Garcia said. “Love or infatuation, addiction to a girl or to something else, is just as dangerous as what other bands are writing about – like driving a fast car or doing drugs all night. It can be just as dark, and it can also be the most beautiful thing in the world.”
Garcia’s distinct, intimate vocals leave an impression as he expresses emotions of lust, love and anger.
“Basically, this first record, you might say it’s a record with love songs on it,” he said. “And when you get into a song and come see us live, you kind of see what is inside – you get an extra dimension. The songs really come alive.”
Garcia said he prefers playing off the audience’s vibe.
“I never really know what I’m going to do,” he said. “Let the show just happen. Expect us to leave our heart onstage like we do every song.”
Cambridge is Elefant’s sixth stop on the band’s two-month tour that began in Raleigh, N.C. and ends in Detroit.