Damon Albarn has appeared to signal the end of both Blur and Gorillaz in a new interview.
Damon Albarn doesn’t like to sit still. The songwriter starts and jettisons projects on a whim, launching himself into new creative challenges.
Due to bring his ‘Dr Dee’ project to OneFest this weekend, Damon Albarn has been looking ahead. However in a new interview the singer has cast doubt on either Blur or Gorillaz delivering new material.
Blur are set to play an Olympic concert at Hyde Park this summer, a show which Damon Albarn reckons could be their last. Chatting with The Guardian, the songwriter explained: “I find it very easy to record with Graham (Coxon). He’s a daily musician”.
“With the other two, it’s harder for them to reconnect. You know what I mean? It’s fine when we play live – it’s really magical still – but actually recording new stuff, and swapping musical influences… it’s quite difficult.”
Earlier this year Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon appeared onstage together, performing a new Blur track named ‘Under The Westway’.
Meanwhile, the future of Gorillaz is also up in the air. The group have been surrounded by speculation since the release of ‘Plastic Beach’ and it seems that Jamie Hewlett is ready to call time on the project.
“Jamie does, which is fair enough. I think we were at cross purposes somewhat on that last record, which is a shame. So until a time comes when that knot has been untied…”
Reflecting on the current state of Gorillaz, Albarn said: “Erm… well, that sounds very juvenile, doesn’t it? But being juvenile about it, it happens. It’s a shame.”
Last year Gorillaz issued a statement to Pitchfork in which they denied they were splitting up: “Despite rumours to the contrary, Gorillaz are alive and well and misbehaving in London W10.”
Time will tell…