Last night I could not help but to notice when DDHQ tweeted out that there was a new kafe, one promised to have some album news. This was exactly what I needed after finding out that a former student had been shot and killed earlier in the week. I need a break from the horrible reality we live in. So, on that note, let me dive into what Nick and Katy discussed. As usual, this is not a transcript. It is just me talking about what caught my attention. To hear the whole thing, please go to duranduranmusic.com and get yourself a membership.
Swimming
Nick and Katy started the kafe with a brief discussion about swimming and whether or not they could survive if they fell off a boat. I won’t give their answers away but I related when Nick said that he did not like to swim in places where he cannot reach the bottom. I’m the exact same way.
Album News
Of course, this is what we all want to know about, right? I love that there wasn’t a lot of time wasted before they got to the good stuff! Nick mentioned that they have been able to move things along now that restrictions have let up in the UK. Several tracks have gone to get mixed. In fact, according to Nick, they have had 6 or 7 mixes back. For me, the best part of what he said is how they have started to watch the album come together. That sounds super positive to me. I wonder if the perspective on that might be unique this time around because of the forced break. Nick is hopeful that they will be able to finish the rest in the next coming months. While I love the sound of that, I would also encourage them to break from the idea that the entire album has to be done. Fans would love just a track or two. It would keep people interested and give us something to listen to/distract us. It would keep people going and it may even help them to get love and energy from the fans back to them, which could be helpful. Katy seemed to be channeling as me as she did ask about a single and Nick dismissed it, saying that he likes having the plan for whole thing. He would like to see how the fall goes. Ugh. Couldn’t the plan be for individual songs to be released? I’m certain that they could do this well and in a way that felt coherent.
Next Year
It sounds like most of the concerts and other plans for this year will be just pushed back to 2021. That would be great! I wonder what all they had planned.
The Process
Katy asked Nick what his favorite part of the album making process is his favorite. Not surprisingly, he loves going into the studio at the beginning of the day (afternoon–in Nick’s case) with nothing and having something created by the end. He also likes “fixing” or tweaking once something has been made. None of that surprises me at all. I bet he takes a ton of time with that fixing part!
Music Industry Assistance
It sounds to me that most industries in Britain have received some assistance from the government to survive during the pandemic. The music industry has not. Thus, the members of the band have signed on to a petition to get that changed. I think Nick explains it well that there are a lot of people in the industry that have not been able to work and that is a problem. I agree. Think about how many people are needed to put on a show (beyond the artists themselves!) and shows are not happening. A lot of people are struggling as a result of that. He is hopeful that people will be more grateful once shows are able to come back. I know that I will, for sure.
Book
Nick put together a book after the photography exhibit he did four or five years ago. He had started the book years ago but had to take breaks due to touring and more. Now, he had a chance to make any changes to complete it and he fully expects that it will be released this year. He is hopeful that it will be out in the next few months. If he had his way, it would be on Halloween. It will be a limited edition art book with a 7 inch vinyl single included with a vocal by his significant other, Nefer. It will be very limited but probably extremely beautiful. (My guess is that it will also be very expensive!) Still, I like something to look forward to!
So, what do the rest of you think? How do you feel about the album news?
-A
Love that they are once again working on the album. I’m anxious to have it, but the anticipation is part of the fun for me. Yes, I want that art book. No, I probably can’t afford it,drat.