On the first day of filming, the tone for Blur’s new documentary film To The End was set. Having gathered the band in his Devon, England, recording studio, frontman and lyricist Damon Albarn was in a flood of tears as an early version of their ninth studio album, The Ballad of Darren, played through the speakers. It was the first time that he and the band heard the songs recorded with vocals, and it makes for a brutal, heart-wrenching scene.
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Speaking to Billboard, guitarist Graham Coxon reflects on the moment. “It’s all very well sitting down and writing lyrics, but when they’ve been recorded and listened back to [that can be] extremely powerful,” he says. “The song suddenly exists in a sometimes overwhelming way.”
To The End, which hits theaters in the U.K. and Ireland on July 19, captures the band in a reflective, tender mood, and follows the journey through the recording and the lead-up to the Britpop icons’ two triumphant shows at London’s Wembley Stadium in July 2023. Directed by Toby L (whose previous collaborators include Olivia Rodrigo and Liam Gallagher), To The End is a portrayal of loss and the maturing friendship between Albarn, Coxon, Alex James (bass) and Dave Rowntree (drums). The bluster of the group’s outsized, colorful ‘90s persona – a gilded cage, they note in the film – is gone, focusing on rather hushed reflection and contemplation.
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“There are a lot of artists that may not want that vulnerability to be captured,” director Toby L tells Billboard in a separate conversation. “I think the current state of music documentaries are a bit cynical – I don’t necessarily believe them that much. But the band agreed that we wanted to show the unvarnished truth, and we vehemently agreed that this shouldn’t be a puff-piece film.”
After the announcement of two 75,000-capacity shows at Wembley Stadium, Albarn sent Coxon a few demos he’d been working on and corralled the band into the studio in early 2023. Much of The Ballad of Darren is informed by the breakdown of Albarn’s relationship with Suzi Winstanley, his partner of 25 years. The title track’s opening lyrics get to the heart of the matter: “I just looked into my life/And all I saw was that you’re not coming back”.
Recording provided a reunion, however. The sessions were the first time that all four members had been in the studio to work on Blur music since 1999’s 13. Their 2003 album Think Tank was recorded following Coxon’s departure from the group; 2015’s The Magic Whip was pieced together by Coxon and Albarn from past demos. Produced by James Ford [Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Haim], “The Ballad Of Darren” reached No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart and earned the band their first-ever top 10 appearance on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. They also hit No. 2 on Billboard‘s Adult Alternative Airplay chart with lead single “The Narcissist.”
Coxon – who has known Albarn since they were schoolmates in Colchester, Essex – says the band “very easily fell into their old roles” when they entered the studio. But where 2010 documentary film No Distance Left To Run picked at old wounds during the group’s demise, To The End is happy to leave the scars as they are. To reconnect, Albarn and James go for a dip in the freezing English coast, and during individual interviews the group acknowledges their deep love of one another even if that doesn’t always appear evident. In one scene, Albarn notes that in the past, they wanted to solve any problems “there and then,” but with time they’re “happy to let it disperse” and avoid needless confrontation.
“We just care a little bit less about what the other might think of us,” Coxon says today. “We have a very old-fashioned relationship in that way – sometimes it’s easier to not talk about emotional stuff, but we know that being in each other’s presence is a support of sorts.”
There’s a jovial camaraderie on the road to Wembley Stadium, showcased through electrifying footage of the regional warm-up gigs in the U.K. and in mainland Europe. Jeopardy only arrived when Rowntree picked up a knee injury in the week prior to the Wembley shows. Spoiler: he made it.
The two concerts are recorded in spectacular fashion, and will be released as a live album, Live At Wembley Stadium, on July 26, alongside a standalone concert film later this year. “They were both so good,” Coxon remembers. “It was shocking. It was a very out of body experience.” Any thoughts when you watched them back? “I wish I looked cooler. I looked a bit pained and tired,” he laughs.
For all the focus on middle-aged malaise, some of the most heartening footage is of the young, diverse crowd that flock to the front row of these shows. Toby L says that though Britpop and ‘90s optimism is long gone, British teens still reach for their music. “The themes that Damon sang about then – particularly that frustration at British culture and also the satire of the human condition – are still timely,” he says.
That affinity doesn’t necessarily always travel. Albarn drew attention to that during Blur’s set in front of a lackluster Coachella crowd back in April: “You’ll never see us again so you may as well f—–g sing it.” Coxon plays it down though admits the California festival can be a “weird, hot show” and that “it felt a bit like ‘who are these old guys?’ Last year the audiences were fantastic all the way through. So I don’t mind a few glum faces in the audience now and then.”
Blur’s future, as it has been for much of the 21st century, is open-ended. “We always like to leave a good amount of time to live life, so if there is another thing to do with Blur we can bring new experiences to it. But it’s big: it’s a massive machine and it’s stressful, so I’m alright with a few years off.” As To The End proves, they will be there for each other through thick and thin.
