After nearly a dozen years confidently steering the S.S. We wanted it to be outside of time.
We were all splitting off to do other things, says Niespodziani.
Because when youre 27 and you havent made it yet, youre an ancient guy.
Weve got an office, and a band, and a 401k.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Youve finally decided to make original music, again.
I was pretty nervous because all these songs that we play, everybody knows every word.
Like, every song we play would be the encore for whatever artist it is that were covering.
I was originally super nervous about it, but our fans really surprised me.
I expected everybody to leave for the bathroom or the bros to start booing.
People are into it.
So Im much less nervous now than I was before.
Im hoping that that streak continues.
And this experience has been the opposite of that.
And its been really inspiring and fun.
Who produced it?Ben Allen, hes from here in Atlanta.
He did Gnarls Barkley.
And he was immediately like, Yeah, lets do it.
That sounds really fun.
So Step felt like the right choice because its a mission statement for the whole album in a way.
Its about deciding who you want to be and making the space for that in your life.
I guess in my view everyone is putting on an act of some sort.
The center of it emotionally is honest and unapologetic.
And thats what Step is about.
And thats what this whole album is about for us.
Theres just no way.
I never imagined doing something like this.
Thats what inspired this record and it makes me so happy to do what I do now.
And yet you always legitimately seem like you are having fun.Its funny you mention Africa.
Thats the only song we have to play at every show.
And I think it kind of goes through waves.
And then if you repeat it for long enough, it becomes funny again.
Its not a problem.
Coldplay has to sing Yellow every night no matter what.
There are five or six other songs they have to sing every night no matter what.
We dont have to do that.
We have thousands of songs to choose from.
Lets talk about this playlist.
If youre out cruising on your boat on Saturday afternoon, whats going to feel good?
Juice is going to feel good.Yeah.
Lake Street Dive, theyre a genre-bender for me.
I think that they have a lot of different influences.
And again, its the positive energy behind it is what makes it yacht rock.
Youre in your forties now.
Can you do this until you retire?Thats a great question.
And Ive talked to Robbie about that.
And he has this relationship with that song where he got tired of it and he loves it again.
Its weird to think about but it is true.
It gives us a little bit of job security.
In the last few years, several other bands in this vein have popped up.
How do you feel about that?
Part of me wants to say, Go get your own unoriginal idea.
But like you said, theres no honor among thieves, really.
I got nothing but love for any of them.
I think what we do stands on its own.
