Please get off Paul Banks’ back .

The lead singer and guitarist of New York City’s Interpol isn’t trying to sound like Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, that’s just how he sings. And, although his band’s syncopated, rhythm-oriented style may remind some of post-punk greats like Depeche Mode and Mission of Burma, that certainly isn’t their intention.

“There are probably about 100 other bands that were bigger influences for us than Joy Division,” says guitarist Daniel Kessler of the common comparison, his baby-face giving way to a charmingly innocent and deeply artistic persona. “They were never a huge inspiration for the band.”

“Nor was any other band,” adds Banks, Camel in hand. “We never said that we should sound like this or that. I went from appreciating classic rock like Led Zeppelin and early Aerosmith when I was young to things like the Pixies and Nirvana, which made me think ‘this is what I want to do.’ At that age I certainly wasn’t thinking about what came out in ’80 in Manchester.”

Sitting in the basement bar of Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom, Banks and Kessler are getting ready to play the second of three sold-out homecoming shows and, like usual, they look impeccable in their finely-tailored all-black attire. It’s five days before Christmas and the tiny hanging holiday lights give the dim underground room a welcomed glow. The band is supporting their excellent debut, Turn On the Bright Lights, which was released on Matador in August. Even in their disassociated dark uniforms, both Banks and Kessler give off an intensely passionate and witty vibe — and they’re not afraid to crack a couple sharp jokes either.

Interpol, with their post-punkish sound and ties to New York City, are often lumped in with other up-and-coming acts that draw from similar influences, but the band takes pride in their originality. Unlike some of their more derivative contemporaries, Interpol manages to create a unique sound that combines the driving, bottom-feeding rhythm attack of bassist Carlos Dengler and drummer Sam Fogarino with the moody, high-end atmospherics of Kessler’s guitar. Banks’ deep, brooding vocals fill-out the mix and add an element of utter desperation and melancholy to the band’s sound.

“We may have elements that remind people of post-punk but we never thought about what we were trying to do as much as just forming a band and trying to make it work,” says Kessler. “We try to be free about everything musically because if you put too many parameters about a certain sound, you feel stifled and lose interest. I think the elements of post-punk that we have are more like traces than major influences. I never aspired to be in a post-punk band.”

Banks sees the shameless copying of past pop trends as a banal necessity. “New bands that are coming up now in the mainstream commit musical clichՀ