Seminal New Yorkers The Strokes are at odds over the direction their fourth album should take, claims lead singer Julian Casablancas.
The Strokes arrived back in 2001 as the complete entity. With an instantly iconic look and sound the band’s debut album ‘Is This It?’ almost immediately spawned a generation of similar groups.
Touring and recording almost constantly, this heavy schedule took its toll on the group. After releasing ‘First Impressions Of Earth’ in 2006 The Strokes then decided to take a break.
Since then fans have waited patiently for new material. The group convened earlier this year to work on their fourth album, with The Strokes writing and recording in New York.
The album was due to be released in late 2009, but delays have forced The Strokes to scale back this date. In a new interview Julian Casablancas has revealed that the bulk of the album is recorded, but there are “disagreements” as to which tracks should appear.
“There is a disagreement as to whether the songs are ready,” he explained to The Sun. “Some of the band think they are and others don’t. I’m somewhere in the middle.”
The singer explained that part of the problem is the band’s location, with the various members living hundreds of miles from one another. “The problem is getting us together,” he said.
“We’re scattered everywhere, and apart from when we’re rehearsing we don’t see each other. We’re not like people who go to the movies together. It’s weird with the band, a band is actually a great way to ruin a friendship.”
Of course, fans have been able to make do with plenty of solo projects. Albert Hammond Jr, Nikolai Fraiture and Nick Valesi have all worked on their own material, with Julian Casablancas being the next in line to release a solo album.
Julian Casablancas is set to release ‘Phrazes For The Young’ on November 2nd,
