Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker says he hasn’t spoken to ex-band member ‘for a long time’

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker says he has not spoken to an ex-bandmate who defined the band’s sound “for a long time.”

In an interview with MOJO Magazine, Cocker confirmed it had been some years since he had spoken to violinist and former Pulp member Russell Senior. The band reformed in 2011 for a series of shows across the globe, with Senior featuring on a small handful of dates. He wrote his autobiography, Freak Out the Squares, about his experience in Pulp both before and during the reunion. He was absent from the current line-up too, with Jarv Is… members Emma Smith, Andrew McKinney and Adam Betts the immediate new members. Other musicians, including Jason Buckle and Richard Hawley, as well as The Elysian Collective string quartet, have since featured.

With Pulp’s eighth studio album, More, set for release on June 7, it would seem The Elysian Collective are on hand once more to deliver string performances. Though Senior was not expected to be in the studio for the recording, his absence from the live shows was initially noted. Cocker has since shed light on the absence of his longtime bandmate, who performed on Pulp’s albums up to and including their chart-topping Different Class.

Speaking to the music magazine of the violin and guitar player, who was with the band from 1983 to 1997, and 2011, Cocker said it had been some time since he had spoken to Senior. He said: “I’ve not spoken to Russell for a long time. Hopefully, the next time I go to Sheffield, I’ll try that.

Senior left the band around the time of the This is Hardcore recordings. Keyboardist Candida Doyle shed further light on the situation, adding: “A thing Russell found difficult was, we suddenly had money and we were still playing Common People. I think Jarvis was wanting to repair the previous break-up.”

Guitarist Mark Webber noted several parts of Senior’s autobiography had rubbed him the wrong way. He said: “He was very mean about me, and it was really unnecessary.”

Senior has since spoken of why he did not join the band for further dates on their first reunion, bowing out before the band closed the 2011 to 2013 run at Sheffield Arena. Speaking to Now Then Magazine back in 2016, Senior said: “There were a lot more offers than I’d accepted, but I like the poetic beauty of having every show special. In a way that seems kind of prissy, as it ended up with me not playing Sheffield Arena, as I don’t enjoy it as a venue.”