Interview: Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. Further Discuss The Strokes’ Hiatus

It seems like I’m writing the same headline every 2-3 days, but you have to trust me with this interview, which is a translation from a French magazine.

The interview is with Nick and Albert and both guitarists are very forthcoming about the problems within the band. The good thing is that there isn’t a negative spin put forth by the journalist. It’s just Albert and Nick talking.

After finishing the interview, it seems like one of the main reasons it took so long to get back together for Strokes IV was drug abuse…

R&F : Who had the idea to bring the band back together ?

Nick : “Me. I had been trying to do this for years. Before ‘Como te llama ?’ , I came to NY. We had a big meeting : ‘I’ve got songs I want to play with you, we have to play together again’. Albert said no, he wanted to release his album. It was frustrating. Everybody was ready. Even Julian. But Albert said : ‘Guys I love you, I want to keep on playing with the Strokes, but I have to do this record’. I think Julian got really angry. It was a very uncomfortable situation. There were weird tensions. This break was weird. We took a 4 or 5 year break but, during all these years, we met up several times to work on the new songs. The 5 of us. I wrote a lot and was very wilful, always asking the others to help me on my songs. And just as when we were ready to go for it, suddenly Julian tells us he wants to release his solo album. He had kept it secret and had waited for it to be done to tell us. We have 16 to 17 songs, and Julian wants to go on tour. He says : ‘Guys, while I’m at it, go in the studio and record it’. We said : ‘OK that’s exactly what we are going to do’ “

…

R&F: Albert, tell us about your solo escape

Albert: “I started working on Yours To Keep after recording FIOE, and I kept working on it everytime we came back from touring. Strange times. Just my personal battle. I remember, and it’s undoubtedly because of the drngs, being angry and not communicative. Actually, you fight against yourself, you don’t tell anyone and you blame it on the others”