Damon Albarn “really didn’t want anyone in the studio but Graham” when starting work on new album
Damon Albarn has recalled the first time he showed his bandmates the demos for Blur’s upcoming album, and admitted he only wanted Graham Coxon to be in the studio at first.
The singer-songwriter was speaking as part of a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, when he recalled what it was like reuniting with Blur and starting work on their new album, ‘The Ballad Of Darren’.
According to Albarn, he began writing the demos for the new tracks before he gathered his bandmates together, but felt reluctant to show all of them at the same time.
“When I finished the demos and I felt I’d got something I’m excited about, I got everyone into a studio in January this year. I just sort of sat them down and I said, ‘Right. This is what I’ve got. You choose what you want to use from it and we move forward from that,’” he began.
“At the beginning, I really didn’t want anyone in the studio but Graham [Coxon] to start off with, but the other two said, ‘No. We want to stay here if that’s all right’… and they did,” he added. “Do you know what? It was the best thing really. It was the best thing…The reward of everyone playing together is one I do acknowledge as being maybe the greatest. You’ve got to keep it real.”
In the interview, he explained that the inital reluctance to show all the members at once stemmed from him being used to working “on his own” and that the idea of working with multiple people simultaneously was something he was still “trying to get his head around”.
Elsewhere, Albarn also reflected on the latest single to be taken from the album: ‘St. Charles Square’, which arrived yesterday (June 29).
“It’s got an amazing atmosphere. Everybody’s playing really well on that thing,” he told the host. “The whole thing has really felt like we’re somewhere in 1992 — something like that, ’92, ’93. We’re just sort of back!
“I’ve been playing with them since I was a kid,” he added. “So to be able to chart that ridiculous journey from being teenagers to being five years off 60 is quite… It’s a little bit odd but wonderful at the same time, It’s wonderful.”
‘The Ballad Of Darren’ will be Blur’s ninth studio album, and first full-length LP since 2015’s ‘The Magic Whip’. The first single to be released was ‘The Narcissist’, and the album is available to pre-order here.
‘St. Charles Square’ arrived just before the band’s two highly anticipated performances at London’s Wembley Stadium next month.
Taking place on Saturday July 8 and Sunday July 9, Self Esteem, Jockstrap and Sleaford Mods will join the Britpop icons for the first show, while Paul Weller and The Selecter, DJs Steve Davis and John Doran & Kavus Torabi join them for the second night.
Longtime friend of the band and frequent collaborator Phil Daniels will also join them as a special guest on both nights and any remaining tickets can be found here.
Last month (May 19), all four members opened up about the recording process of their upcoming album during a press conference at Colchester Castle.
“There were moments of utter joy,” said bassist Alex James. “The fact that we all go off and go down our rabbit holes and come back up again and when we do get back together, we’ve all learnt something… There’s always been something very special about when we play together. It’s there right from the get go. I feel fulfilled and blessed.”
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Liberty Dunworth
NME
