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Specifically, what is our place in the world today and how do we navigate it?
How didBad Witchtake shape?The original idea was to split this big album into three chunks.
Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images
The first [EP] had its own momentum.
Its an angry thing that felt effortless in terms of its coming together.Add Violencewas much harder to actually execute.
It was a difficult record to mix.
Corinne Schiavone
We then played some shows right afterAdd Violenceand everyone felt good.
Unexpectedly, we bogged down in quicksand.
We started working, and it just wasnt feeling right.
A lot of the music felt like posturing.
Depression was setting in on some level.
All this time [the sax] had been just sitting in my studio staring at me.
When we toured with Bowie, and we did Subterranean, it felt cool playing the part he played.
Why?I have always been an album guy.
I loved the format of the album, and specifically, the two sides.
It felt like two acts with a beginning and an end.
When I write songs, its like they need to support each other.
There were also boring things [to consider] like where they show up in streaming services.
Thats where they put EPs.
And so I just said, Fk it, and made this an LP.
With this album, there seem to be competing voices navigating these dual visions of our current era.
On Ahead of Ourselves you say, Why try change when you know you cant?
And then on St Mirror, its New times, mutation, feels alright.
I feel a lot differently about things than I did when I was 20.
Your perspective does change.
Is that me saying it because Im older?
Or are things actually fking up in a very extreme way?
Or is it some combination of both?
I think were in a fd up situation where the world is off-axis.
Originally, [Bad Witch] was going to be an even more extreme version ofAdd Violence.
Were really just animals.
And I do feel that way to some degree in real life.
Take the promise of technology.
Wheres that gotten us really?
The more connected we are, the worse we are as a society.
You were an early adopter of technology and its uses, especially Twitter.
I like to consider myself forward-thinking.
Im disappointed to see what its turned into.
Its not a very efficient or articulate way to engage people.
But you didtweet about Childish Gambinos This Is Americarecently.That was heartfelt.
This has been something I stumbled on to when I first started writing music.
I wrote a few terrible songs because I was trying to be like somebody else.
It was my real feelings about things.
And the process of digging is redemptive to me.
Like getting sober for me.
Hardest thing Ive ever done.
But many benefits come from it, aside from not being dead.
I sorted through a lot of st that I was carrying around.
Im very grateful that I had to go through that.
Someone asked me Why are you making albums and touring?
Is it for the same reasons you did years ago?
In some ways yes, in some ways no.
Were not making any money from putting albums out, but the other side of that is freedom.
Im not worried about charts, Im not worried about trying to appeal to playlists on radio stations.
I just want to make the most challenging, best music I can.
And thats incredibly freeing.
The kind of music were playing, I dont see anybody else doing that sort of thing.
And okay, thats a pretty good reason to do it.
Thats a pretty good reason to be away from home for a while.
I feel a little bit better about myself.
This interview has been edited and condensed
