Mark Everett, known as E, is the creative force behind the rock band Eels. His latest project is a documentary film about the father he barely knew – the physicist Hugh Everett, originator of the “many worlds” view of quantum mechanics. Peter Aldhous asks E what this has taught him about his father and his ideas.

How did the film come about?

The BBC came to me, and I couldn’t say no. I like to do things that I get something out of. I’ve dealt with a lot of my family issues by making albums about them. The documentary made me feel uncomfortable. I’ve written a …